A Marvel Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2016)

When I saw Winter Soldier, it showed that Marvel had changed their cinematic universe and now after seeing Civil War, has now completely changed the way I see its two main heroes, Captain America and Iron Man. Civil War is a true master piece that is on par with Dark Knight and Empire Strikes Back in terms of continuing the story. While their isn't that much of a global threat, the film increases the stakes on a personal level with each character having clear motivations for choosing their sides. Politics are this time used as backdrop to push theses characters into confrontation with each other.
Many say this feels like an Avengers sequel but feels like a true expansion on the political landscape that was setup in Winter Soldier. While in Winter Soldier the Russo brothers dealt with political espionage and security vs. freedom themes with a Captain America take on it, the directing duo take it a step further with adding super- powered individuals to the politics. The film constantly explores the idea of consequences in the MCU from the politics. From when collateral damage happens on international soil to the characters's own choices as well as certain things that are a product of past events in the MCU are firmly address.
But this movie would be nothing if it didn't have fleshed-out characters that each were thoughtfully executed. Cap is the heart and sole of this movie. Evans continues to show his character's struggle within the modern political landscape while being weighted by personal ties to the past. After the shocking discovery in Winter Soldier, this is a Cap we now see against the system that he swore to protect in The First Avenger. He is now willing to risk everything because he can no longer trust the government. And there maybe at times he has a bit of doubt in the consequences his actions create but he is still highly motivated to continue fighting and that mostly comes from the believable friendship you see that he has with Bucky. While I am not the biggest Robert Downey Jr. fan, this was probably his best performance as Iron Man even though this is technically not an Iron Man film. This is a Tony different from past Iron Man films. Not only do we see that the events in Age of Ultron play into him signing the Sokovia Accords but also ones personal to him. Downey does still use his occasional quips but also plays it very emotional and serious. And while I am still on Team Cap, I can't help but feel very sorry for Tony once the movie ended. Black Panther is probably one of my new favourite characters in the MCU. Chadwick Boseman's performance truly shows T'Challa as probably one of the most psychologically compelling characters in the MCU films. He is a guy you do not want to mess with but has this great arc that he goes through in the story. It would be silly of me not to mention that the best part is Marvel finally having their own Spider-man. While I liked Andrew Garfield from the Amazing Spider-man, Tom Holland takes it a step further with his portrayal of the iconic character. He nails the awkwardness of Peter Parker and the fast-talking of Spider-man while still adding his own flavor by just geeking out when he meets the other Avengers. Elizabeth Olsen was the one I was the most surprised by performance-wise. Her Scarlett Witch is further expanded as we see her sense of emotional vulnerability and insecurity fleshed out while still being extremely powerful. Vision, played by Paul Bettany, also gets to expand from his Age of Ultron role when he states that the Sokovian Accords are the most logical step with a growing number of global threats. Zemo was a villain whose plan didn't really make much sense in the beginning with but by the third act you see how manipulative he can be while there still being this emotional back-story that makes him more developed then the usual Marvel villains.
Civil War probably has some of the best action I have seen in any superhero movie. The choreography has taken an upgrade from Winter Soldier with truly showing how grounded but still epic and brutal these characters are when they fight. This movie probably has at least major 4 or 5 big scenes. The key highlight is the airport fight. It is a moment that is impossible to forget once you have see it. It is pretty much an open tag-team fight barely loses any steam. And the beauty of that fight is that I am rooting for the both teams to win. My favourite part of the fight is two words: GIANT MAN. The third act fight with Cap, Bucky and Tony defiantly offers the most emotional punches. It is the moment when politics are tossed aside and it just becomes so personal. It becomes the point of no return because when that fight was going on. I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to see a winner knowing that the relationship between the characters would never be the same again.
When I came out of seeing Batman V Superman this year, I felt a great sense of disappoint that Warner Bros. failed to tell a compelling story of two superheroes going into conflict with one another. That movie suffered from being mostly setup and little payoff. Captain America: Civil War is the exact opposite. Captain America: Civil War succeeds in every category that BVS failed at. The movie is not just another great addition to the MCU but a true masterpiece with huge political themes, great characters and some of the best action that even tops that stuff that Zack Snyder does. And unlike Batman V Superman, has made me excited some for the future of Marvel films like Infinity Wars, Black Panther, Spider-man: Homecoming and Ant-man and The Wasp.