Entertaining!... But Lacking.

Rating: 4/10 (23 May 2016)

Before I even begin to speak about the movie, I first feel it to be my duty to elaborate upon the concept by which this movie is inspired. Civil War, the Comic Book Series, was a universe encompassing Marvel Comics event that split the superhero landscape as we knew it in half. Spin-off volumes chronicled each individual hero's experience with the SRA. With an almost Mooresian level of satire it attacked (or defended) the American Government system with an allegory that remains just as striking, even close to ten years later.
I went to see the movie with all this in mind. Marvel's impeccable track record of perfect casting continues with new additions Chadwick Boseman, and Tom Hollland, who are both perfect renditions of who their character should be. Hollands voice is what really makes his part memorable. That post adolescence squeak in the middle of an enormous clash marks Marvel's mastery over the characters THEY have created.
T'challa, or Black Panther as he is known is a little different. WE find him at the film's beginning as a mere son of a king. He travels on a bit of a parallel journey to the rest of the Avengers as he evolves from being a man driven by passionate revenge, to a noble king, who puts others first. Boseman's royal composure and distinctly Wakandan diction add a lot to an otherwise Ameri-centric movie.
This isn't a typical "Mindless action Movie", Though it may seem so to the casual observer. As a comic reader myself, it is evident that this is a labor of love on the part of the Russo Brothers. The powers, and motivations of each character are showcased in a very satisfying way. While there is much differentiation between the books and the movie, the character interactions are mostly logical and help drive the plot forward.
I've said a lot of good things about this movie. Now, as much as I hate to do this to a marvel movie (Captain America no less) there are some things that must be said. Aside from the movie's climax, there is a playfulness between the combatants that is humorous when battling a foe such as Ultron, but a tad bit vexing when best friends are more or less trying to kill each other.
This is, in a word, a "Safe" movie. Disney's perpetually politically correct M.O. forces it to pull its potentially poignant punches. I'm reminded of Simon & Garfunkel's "people talking without speaking", for certainly, nobody in this film "dares disturb the sound of silence."
Rather than Making a statement about government, CA:CW opts to pin the SRA on the U.N., which would absolutely never really happen. For a concept so heavily based on the works of Alan Moore, they would have done well to recall that one of V for Vendetta's key ingredients was its direct connection between the fictional fascist government, and the current British parliament.
This film could have been such a powerful political allegory, and I fully expected it to be given the anti-NSA message broadcast in Winter Soldier. It opts for a money making popcorn muncher instead. A complete absence of "Cape-Killers", or any other large government force reflects an almost cowardly carefulness. The movie spares each major character for the sake of future revenue, rather than allow the plot to go deeper. This movie has fun going for it, the whole thing is a blast; but beyond that, there really isn't anything more. Many movies try to break the superhero movie mold, attempting to bring something new to the table. Many fail. Civil War, however, left its hammer at home.