Captain America: Civil War: Average Guy Movie Review



The Russo Brothers have kicked off Phase 3 of the MCU with Captain America: Civil War. In his third solo outing, the man out of time must watch his team and his friends get torn apart at a time when his new life collides with the old one.

After a mission goes bad, the Avengers are faced with the Sokovia Accords, a document that'll put them under the control of the UN. This decision pits the team against each other, with half wanting to keep their independence and the other half wanting to keep the team together and on the right side of the law. The biggest rivalry somes in the form of Steve vs Tony. Steve fears the "agendas" and corruption of politicians and wants the Avengers to remain independent; "the safest hands are still our own". Whereas Tony is still dealing with the guilt of the Ultron incident and is possibly still carrying the effects of Scarlett Witch's fear inducing vision, and therefore believes the Avengers should be held accountable. When Steve's friend Bucky A.K.A. The Winter Soldier is linked to a major terrorist attack things rapidly begin to fall apart.

With Winter Soldier, the Russo Brothers created a political thriller based around Hydra's infiltration and corruption of S.H.I.E.L.D. Now they have created a suspense thriller with Civil War, most people will go into this movie with no idea how it will end. Granted the next Avengers movies - Infinity Wars Parts 1 and 2 - are coming, but that doesn't tell us what state the team will be in when they arrive. You could argue that even after fighting off an alien invasion and crushing Ultron, this is the Avengers toughest fight because this time they're fighting each other. But even with this rift which is the main story arc, the writers have managed to keep the humour that the MCU is known for. At one point during a fight Romanoff asks Barton "we're still friends right?" To which he replies "depends on how hard you hit me". The movie obviously centres on Steve and his relationships with Tony and Bucky, but the prediction that it's more Avengers 2.5 is not entirely wrong. Even with lesser screen time there is a lot of character development; Wanda is learning the full extent of her powers, Vision is learning what it is to be human, we get to see more of Agent 13/Sharon Carter and learn about who she is. That's not to mention where everyone stands on the Sokovia Accords and their motivations. Ant-Man joins Captain America's side with a new suit and some new abilities. T'Challa A.K.A. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) joins the fight in his first on-screen appearance. He finds himself siding with Iron Man although his reasons for doing so are very different to the others on Tony's side. But by far one of the best parts of the movie is Spider-Man's entrance into the MCU, Tom Holland does a great job as both the web slinger and his alter ego Peter Parker. Spider-Man: Homecoming is definitely something to look forward to, regardless of what you think of the title. Marvel have brought one of their characters home in a deal with Sony and it really pays off with Civil War.

Civil War has a very different type of villain to what the Avengers are used to. In the past they've faced Asgardians, aliens, Hydra, Ultron, and the infinity stones have usually been part of the equation. Daniel Bruhl's Zemo is very much a man, manipulating events from the shadows. His motives remain a mystery for most of the movie, but he's patient, determined and no less dangerous than the villains the Avengers have already faced. Bruhl's performance is excellent, he gives Zemo a subtle, unassuming presence. This is unusual for a Marvel villain but fits the character very well, he's not looking to take over the world. But with the unseen threat of Thanos looming, his actions could pose a greater threat.

It's true that some movies are overly hyped, Civil War is not one of them; I can honestly say this is one of the best movies in the MCU. Screen Junkies call him "not your favourite Avenger", but he has some of the best Marvel movies that unlike the Iron Man trilogy have got better with every instalment. The Russos deserve a lot of credit for that, with them moving on to direct Infinity Wars, the future looks bright for the Avengers...kinda.