Captain America: Civil War/Marvel Studios/Dir. by Anthony and Joe Russo/Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem
Story, story, story. This is the well-known mantra of Pixar studios and you can certainly tell which of their films adhere to it and which don't. This mantra has also been embraced by Marvel Studios. From the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the stories have been thoughtfully crafted, the motivations and humor have been built from character, and the cross-connections throughout franchises have been carefully planned. Whereas another well-known comic-based cinematic universe seems to be of the mindset of "characterization be hanged, we need a Justice League movie and we need it now!," Marvel has been building these worlds and characters for almost a decade now and the work pays off spectacularly in their latest opus, Captain America: Civil War.
As a direct result of the events of Captain America: Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, the world is equally appreciative and leery of the superteam known as the Avengers. After an accident in Laos which resulted in civilian casualties, the U.N. has decided the superpowered of the world have to be put in check, thus the drafting of the "Sokovia Accords," named after the area destroyed after the Avengers battled Ultron. In essence, it requires that the Avengers be under the control of an advisory board of the U.N., restricting their involvement to only sanctioned situations. The members of the Avengers are being pressured to sign the accords. If they don't they will not be able to legally continue their work, making them vigilantes.
In addition, The Winter Soldier (a.k.a. Caps old friend, Bucky Barnes) seems to be responsible for a terrorist act, causing Captain America, who believes his friend to be innocent, to race to find and save Bucky before the council can fulfill their "find and shoot to kill" orders.
One of the delightful aspects of this film is, while the action is thrilling and jaw-dropping, it takes it's time building to them, crafting thoughtful and well-acted scenes of dialogue making decisions and motivations crystal clear before plunging characters into the fray. These scenes are expertly paced with a dramatic rhythm and a level of writing that makes the action scenes feel like the natural extension of these conflicts.
This has one of the largest ensembles of heroes of any of the Marvel films and, quite miraculously, it never feels over-stuffed. Every character has a reason for being their and, even more miraculously, every character has a glory moment. New team members include Black Panther (fantastically played by Chadwick Boseman), a Wakandan prince with a mission of vengeance, and the new incarnation of Spider-Man (played with a delightful humor and innocence by Tom Holland), which is, quite simply, the most faithful to the comics version of the character ever placed on film. Yes, this is a Captain America film and his friendship with Bucky and his respectful/combative relationship with Tony Stark are at the film's core, but the side characters are rich and provide some of the best moments of the film. Without getting into spoilers, the battle at an airport tarmac in Germany is quite simply one of the most delightful, intense, surprising, flat-out fun scenes I've ever seen and each individual character plays an integral part in its success.
You should be forewarned that if you're a fan of the Civil War comic series, this is quite a bit different. No spoilers, but don't expect the same outcomes. Yes, the MCU is integrally different by the end, but not for the same reasons the presented in the comics. Frankly, I prefer this version in that its conclusions are a little more open-ended, which leaves the future for these characters wide-open.
The Russo brothers do a fantastic job directing, providing a sure pacing and visual artistry that masks the film's 2 1/2 hour run time, in spite of which, I could have easily turned around and watched it again. The Russo's were controversial choices for Captain America: Winter Soldier because of their background in sitcoms, most famously Arrested Development and Community (which reminds me, Jim Rash, a.k.a. Dean Pelton, has a delightful cameo in Civil War), but having proved themselves with that film and simply nailing this one, they have now been handed the keys of the MCU, currently prepping the Avengers: Infinity War films. The complexities of this film may have blurred my allegiance to Team Cap or Team Iron Man, but I'm firmly on Team Russo.
Final Verdict: One of the most emotionally complex and wildly imaginative films of the MCU, Captain America: Civil War is an easy recommendation for anyone who likes their movies equal parts thoughtful and fun. Grade: A
