Captain America: Civil War, the 13th entry in the never-ending Marvel Cinematic Universe, has the distinct honor in kicking off what is being dubbed Phase Three, which will include more sequels to Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Avengers, as well as standalone movies for Black Panther and Spider-Man (introduced in this film), as well as Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel. It's a golden age for comic book movies, as they have never been more lucrative and the fanbase never more rabid.
Civil War, the third and presumably final Captain America film, stars little of Cap (Chris Evans), as this movie functions more as an Avengers 2.5, reeling in all the Avengers characters save Hulk and Thor (who will pal up in Thor's third installment). At this point it's kind of hard to make one of these movies without bringing in the whole gang, as the most prevalent question throughout Marvel's Phase 2 movies was "Why don't they just bring in The Avengers?" (see: Iron Man 3 and Winter Soldier, although in Ant-Man they address this head-on).
Politics bog down the first hour or so of this film, as the Avengers divide over the issue of whether or not they should cede power to the U.N., in what is being known as the Sokovia Accords, named after the city lifted into the sky in Age of Ultron. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) can't live with the guilt of what their actions have wrought on innocents, and Steve Rogers maintains the Avengers should have autonomy. Meanwhile, Rogers' old pal Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) resurfaces as a suspect in a U.N. bombing, but Rogers believes he is innocent and goes on the lam.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo do a more capable job of juggling the many characters established in this universe. One of Age of Ultron's biggest downfalls was how overstuffed it felt, and how no one character stood out as the lead. Here, Rogers and Stark are the clear protagonists, and the movie benefits from several films establishing these characters' ideological backgrounds, so it's clear when they divide why they do. Their conflict makes sense, although why several other members rally to Cap's side is a bit of a mystery (probably so they can evenly match the two sides with 6 apiece).
The film does double duty of introducing a character never before seen on the big screen, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), as well as bringing in fan favorite Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who both enliven the proceedings. Spider-Man's presence is a bit pointless, his function no more then to have the character in the film because Sony finally relinquished the rights after those awful Amazing Spider-Man films. Regardless, his moments are some of the best in the film, and Holland is an able Spider-Man and shows promise for the upcoming standalone film.
Two of the best fight scenes in all of Marvel exist here: one is a showdown at an abandoned airport between the super friends that is both exciting, alive, and endlessly inventive. It works because we are invested in each character on different levels and they all bring unique powers and abilities to the fold. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is a particularly delightful addition, adding some humor to the proceedings.
The other is a final showdown that I won't spoil, but carried surprising emotional heft and was a fight where I genuinely didn't know which side to root for. Both sides were wrong and right for different reasons, and to see that kind of moral complexity in these films is encouraging for later installments. Let's just say it's a more emotional battle than the gladiator match of the century promised us in March.
But alas, despite all this film does right, it still just fails to connect overall. The opening hour or so, while effectively staging the conflict, drags on and I felt rather sleepy during it. The villain, a regular dude named Zemo (Daniel Brühl), is a bore, his intricate plan so elaborate that it could only work in the movies where characters act exactly as he wants them too. And at this point, there are too many damn characters to follow or care about. Side plots include Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) meditating on their powers, as well as Black Panther's hunt for justice.
Not that Captain America: Civil War isn't a good time; it's a blast. But I fear this may be the last, cohesive film starring the Avengers. The films have already gone full comic book (the existence of a character like Vision is still something I don't quite comprehend), and I can't imagine the upcoming Infinity Wars, for all their good intentions, to not be overblown mega-blockbusters that will ultimately exist to service whatever is next for Marvel. Civil War's biggest shortcoming is in it's ending; after all the events that have transpired have split our heroes, an olive branch is offered to assure reunification in the sequel. These films can't stand alone anymore because they have to set-up the next billion dollar entry, and while that is exciting from an overall, big picture perspective, it takes its toll on the individual experience.
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