Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a
rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.
Directors:
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writers:
Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely (screenplay)
Stars:
Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
Storyline
After another incident involving the Avengers results in
collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of
accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The
new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps, one led by Steve
Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity
without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark's
surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.
Captain America: Civil War Movie review
I pretty much like or love all the Marvel Studios movies,
starting with Iron Man through last year's Ant-Man. So there was virtually no
chance I wouldn't enjoy Civil War. But this might be my favorite Marvel movie
yet. So many characters are in it, yet I felt like every one of them got at least
one memorable moment, even lame ol' Hawkeye! At the end of Act 2, there's a
20-minute battle scene that involves a dozen super-heroes, and it's amazing,
probably the best of this genre. I went in rooting 100% for Cap, but by the
end, I was feeling really badly for Iron Man and kinda wanted to see him kick
Steve Rogers' butt. We get a couple of new heroes – Spider-Man and the Black
Panther – and they are both just about perfect translations from comic book to
film. This Brit they have playing Peter Parker is probably my favorite Spidey
yet, even though he's only on screen for maybe 15 minutes. He's exactly as
Spidey should be: a nervous kid who handles his anxiety by being a nonstop
motormouth during his battles. And the Panther is just so cool. Ant-Man plays a
big part in that huge battle I mentioned, getting some of the best moments
during the fight. But really, this movie is Cap's, Bucky's, and Tony's story.
What helps make it so great is how Marvel has built up their saga over multiple
movies – we're already familiar with and invested in these characters. And the
filmmakers use that to great advantage here. It's sad to see them pitted
against each other, but completely understandable in the context of the film.
Bottom line: if you've enjoyed some or all of the Marvel movies, you'll have a
great time with Civil War. It's a blast! And it might even draw a tear or two…
The first thing I noticed was how inventive the storytelling is. The film throws you into the action from the first moment (literally: the very first moment) and then it goes back and forth in brilliant and unexpected ways to slowly unspool the story of this insane - but oddly charming - antihero. Flashbacks and fast-forwards can be annoying as hell, but when done right, they can help render even a somewhat simple story fresh and exciting. And that's exactly how Deadpool felt to me right from the start: like a fresh (if somewhat dirty) jolt of energy.
The action itself is beautifully designed, employing playful visuals and using pretty much every camera technique available; it never feels repetitive and the pacing is close to perfection. But, and that was probably the key to me liking the film so much, there's a beating heart underneath all the action and carnage, and that has a lot to do with how brilliantly Ryan Reynolds portrays the character and the great chemistry he has with co-star Morena Baccarin. What came as a complete surprise to me was how unabashedly romantic Deadpool is. The love story in this film is probably the most sincere I've ever seen in a superhero movie and it gives the film the strong emotional core which so many of these movies lack.
The humor, which I initially feared would just be non-stop juvenile wisecracks and soon become distracting, also works surprisingly well. Not every line or every joke lands - but that's the beauty of this character: they don't really need to. Deadpool can't help himself; as long as he's able to breathe he'll crack wise and make fun of himself and those around him. It's a clinical condition; he's not a stand-up comedian whose jokes need to land: he's a madman (albeit a very entertaining one) and the comedy in his case is born out of tragedy.
Despite all my praise, it's not a perfect film. The villain in this revenge tale could be more memorable and the story itself is a bit too derivative to really do its highly unconventional protagonist (he insists he's not a hero) justice: but it's a damn good first entry in a franchise that will hopefully explore the character and his world to a much larger extent in the sequel(s). And it's actually a very important film for another reason. If Deadpool is a financial success - which at this point is already clear it will be - this could play a vital role in how studios henceforth view the financial prospects of R-rated superhero films, and we'll hopefully see more of them in the future.
Many people might feel different - and I respect their opinion - but I've grown tired of the entirely bloodless CGI overkill in all those 200 million productions where even the most terrible villains talk like Mormon schoolgirls. I mean: there's a gigantic audience out there that is over the age of 18, loves to read comic books and can absolutely handle real-world language, real-world sex and real-world violence in superhero movies. This genre is so diverse; it's ridiculous to believe just because comic books have pictures in them all film adaptations - regardless of the material - must automatically be made for kids in order to be successful.
As it is, I think Deadpool - a dirty, funny, sexy and violent film which is decidedly NOT for kids - just proved my point perfectly. 9 stars out of 10.