Whoever loses... the audience wins

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2016)

The amount of collateral damage leads the UN to pass the Sokovia Accords. Accountability for The Avengers. This leads to a split down the middle of the team, for reasons political as well as personal. Can they trust the government? This time? Which matters most: Security vs. civil liberties? Which side is right? Who's to say? Well, who will emerge victorious? Will they be able to all work together ever again? And just how far might they go, for their point of view, against those they've fought beside, some for several years? This joins the select, short list of the very best of the whole franchise, with the two team outings and Cap's second movie. Marvel... this expanding universe, just, keep the pictures coming. We'll keep going to them. As long as they're this compelling we will. Do note that this expects you to be well-versed in these. Of course, you can just take in Age of Ultron, and you'll be completely prepared for this.
If the Russos needed to prove that they could take over from Whedon, then this film should settle the matter. Every character is well-represented, in every respect. They make the juggling act look easy. And yes, they have a sense of humor in there, and it fits. Do expect less quipping. Even Tony(Downey Jr., reaching a new level of loss), as pointed out in this, is subdued in this aspect. And the first MCU all-out, heroes taking each other, not the villains, on... so many potential match-ups, exploring interpersonal relationships, power dynamics, trust, and this just plain delivers. Oh, and, are you even remotely into Spider-Man? Watch this, even if that's the one element you're interested in. He's not in it much, of course, but he's spot-on every second of it, he gets a lot of the best moments, and it's just such a sheer joy to see, sixth live action appearance, and Feige's first shot at it, they completely understand him and bring the panels to life. No one could have convinced me that I'd be eager for the third continuity in less than a decade.
There is some dark, disturbing and violent content in this. I recommend this to any fan of modern spy thrillers. 10/10