A great movie dedicated to all DC fan boys butt hurt about how mediocre BvS was!!!

Rating: 10/10 (15 April 2016)

I've seen Deadpool and it was great. I've seen Batkill v Supersad Dawn of Martha and was a mediocre, dull of a movie. Now get ready to be amazed! This movie pushed the boundaries in terms of superhero films. The Russo brothers did something I did not expect, exceed The Winter Soldier and make not only the best Marvel movie so far but the best movie in its genre so far. Civil War not only offers great action but also very good character development, strong performances from each member of the cast and more than enough screen time for everyone. From a technical standpoint the movie is, just like The Winter Soldier a delight. Practical effects, very good implementation of CGI, beautiful camera work and choreography, sound and a solid script. The globetrotting plot kicks off in Lagos, where Cap and the new-look Avengers are on a mission to take down Winter Soldier survivor Crossbones. Civil War starts as a muscular crime movie in the mould of Michael Mann's Heat, the Russo brothers significantly upping their game in terms of high-impact, shield- slinging action. The mission is a bust – the latest in a laundry list of collateral-damage catastrophes from the battle of New York to the near-apocalypse in Sokovia, leading to the creation of the Sokovia Accords, a decree to put the super crew on ice unless an international governing body gives the green light. Having lived through oppressive times, Cap takes a stance against the agreement;Tony Stark, wrecked with guilt over the creation of Ultron, sides with Ross and the Accords. Battle lines drawn, matters are further complicated by Bucky Barnes, who's implicated in a terrorist attack that puts both sides, and a certain Wakandan prince, on the Winter Soldier's tail. If The Winter Soldier was about SHIELD being ripped apart from the inside, Civil War pulls the same trick with the Avengers themselves, screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely carving out satisfying character arcs. Crucially, despite the colossal cast of characters and sprawling runtime this isn't just Avengers 2.5 holds true, it's also a Captain America movie through and through, further exploring The Winter Soldier's major theme – the cost of freedom – while Bucky is even more integral to the plot than he was in the film that bore his own name. As you might expect, it's one of the MCU's more serious entries, tonally a world away from the party-time antics of Age of Ultron. But that doesn't mean it's humorless; far from it. Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson can be relied upon for laugh-out-loud one-liners whenever he's on screen, the Vision's stylish new wardrobe is comedy gold and Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is huge fun in a relatively brief appearance – utterly enamoured by Steve Rogers and overjoyed just to have been invited along. As a piece of superhero storytelling, it doesn't bring anything particularly innovative to the table either – the idea of a thin line between heroes and vigilantes is invoked again, for example. But importantly, given the callous loss of life going on in other comic-book movies, the human cost of the Avengers' actions is keenly felt and addressed in a meaningful way. It makes DC's efforts to tackle the same idea with Batman v Superman seem thunderously dunderheaded in comparison. Chris Evans is dependably superb as Steve Rogers – the stoic heart and soul of the MCU. And though he doesn't have as much to chew on here as he did in The Winter Soldier, there's little doubt why anyone would risk being branded a fugitive to follow him into battle. Even better is Robert Downey Jr, who shows a different side to Tony Stark. He's less the swaggering snark merchant of movies past here and more the elder statesman, reflecting on the consequences of his actions and looking to make amends. "I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart," he pleads. The brilliance of Downey Jr's sympathetic performance is that even if you're staunchly Team Cap you still feel for him. As for the other players: Bucky is more tortured soul than Terminator this time round, and though he can still feel more MaGuffin than character at times, you buy why he's worth saving because Sebastian Stan and Chris Evans sell their life-long friendship so well. Scarlet Witch struggles to deal with the implications of her immense power; Hawkeye comes out of retirement in a satisfying continuation of his Age Of Ultron arc; Falcon gets to show off what those wings can really do; and War Machine takes the hardest line for the Accords, ever the iron patriot. More importantly: how do the MCU's new supers stack up? Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther has a bigger role than you might expect. Arriving fully formed, Boseman plays the prince of Wakanda with regal airs, charm and forceful determination. For Very Important Story Reasons he's quite sullen in Civil War but in his vibranium suit T'Challa is just as capable and acrobatically dazzling as any of the MCU's super-folk, with a set of razor-sharp claws that even Cap's shield can't withstand. Better yet is Marvel's all-new Spider-Man. In asurprisingly substantial appearance, 19- year-old Tom Holland not only makes a case for being the best screen Spidey so far, but also threatens to steal the entire film. His Peter Parker is perfect – nervy, goofy and instantly endearing. In the airport fight however he's truly spectacular, holding his own against the best the MCU has to offer, using his webs in entertaining and creative ways, while his motor-mouthed (and charmingly naive) wisecracking couldn't be better. Civil War isn't just a damn-near-perfect popcorn crowd-pleaser; it doesn't offer any easy answers for its combatants, or the world going forward. Team Cap or Team Iron Man? The real winner here is Team Marvel."