Political drama with some iconic comic book chaps

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2016)

At the outset, I was not very keen on watching Civil War. I felt the superhero genre had hit a saturation point, a plateau on which writers were trying to churn out new ideas, more stars were being hired to play lesser-known comic book characters, and the merchandising was nauseatingly omnipresent. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how others look at it), I have not seen Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, nor do I intend to. So with all that, I walked in for a Friday night screening with mixed feelings.
Pleasantly surprised is probably the right description. Yes, the plot is fairly convoluted. I didn't use a timer, but I felt Iron Man had more screen time than Cap. The airport scene is mind-bogglingly devastating and Spidey does add a breath of fresh air to the narrative. But those are not what make this movie stand out from others in recent past.
The movie's strengths are its themes and the questions they pose. Since man learnt to draw lines on sand, intervention, especially in international diplomacy, has been THE topic of heated debates, caused embarrassing scandals, resulted in gruesome conflicts, among other unforgettable pages in our history. As much as military prowess is coveted, it leads to fateful consequences that are more often than not irreparable. No wonder, the famed German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel declared "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history."
Another striking reflection this movie renders is loyalty in the face of escalating isolation. Cap is prepared to lose his more powerful friends than abandon his former World War II buddy, who can't help question Cap's judgment during one of his saner moods. Chris Evans' portrayal is convincing in terms of being fiercely protective of someone who has left an inerasable trail of blood. Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier is almost a comic book version of Arnold's Terminator, barring the iconic bike and shades. The disappointment is in unanswered questions on how or why those in his team are as committed to the cause as he is. The cameos of Ant-Man and Hawkeye are gimmicky as well, but Anthony Mackie's Falcon thankfully adds the necessary humor to keep the interest from flagging.
The third feature which is pretty much obvious to everyone is a role reversal between the primary leads. While Cap has morphed from a patriotic soldier in First Avenger to a violent renegade in Civil War via the path of a reluctant leader in Avengers, Iron Man has done a remarkable volte-face of his own from a cocky vigilante to an obedient company man, suffering an identity crisis along the way. The two men were already having a prickly relationship in 2012 and 2015 but in 2016, the arguments are no longer verbal. The punches, jabs, kicks, flying discs, fire blasts are all intended to cause maximum damage. As the curtain draws, we are left with an open-ended conclusion, a bruising battle ending in an uncertain stalemate with neither man a victor.
Honorable mention must be made of new additions Daniel Bruhl and Chadwick Boseman. I was very impressed with Bruhl in Ron Howard's Rush where he played the obsessive, cold-blooded Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda battling a life-threatening racing accident to return to the circuit. Here, he does a brilliant job as a scheming military Colonel who is out for vengeance. His motives at the beginning seem distinctly nefarious but as the MacGuffin is eventually revealed, his rationale now pleads for empathy, even if his methods are still highly questionable. On the other hand, Boseman has a promising screen presence and acts with an uncanny restraint, holding his own against seasoned industry veterans. Like Bruhl's Colonel Zemo, his T'Challa swears revenge as payback for a family tragedy but chooses to be a better man. I confess, I will watch the Black Panther movie when it releases (as announced) in 2018.
Infusing politics in movies based on comic books is not unlike playing with a loaded gun. That being said, credit must be given to writers of this movie who walked the tightrope of offering us themes based on modern events while still driving and shaping historic characters.