Maybe they'd think I'm crazy, but what would have sounded like a far-fetched fantasy 13 years ago is now an all-too-real reality. The newest Marvel Cinematic Universe film under the direction of Anthony and Joe Russo, Captain America: Civil War, is a slam-dunk triumph. In actor Chris Evans third go-around as Captain America/Steve Rogers in a leading man capacity, the star-spangled man with a plan is leading a new group of Avengers containing his best pal Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). The collateral damage raked up in their missions, as well as past Avengers adventures, has the governments of the world wanting to put the various superheroes in this universe under strict control that Rogers strongly disagrees with.
One man whose going along with this new plan for tremendous government oversight? Tony Stark. And he's more than willing to go to war against his former ally Captain America in order to keep this new government program intact. This sets up a divide across numerous previously established and newly introduced superheroes that allows for plenty of quarrels and some superhero-on-superhero action comic book geeks like me have only dreamed of seeing on the big-screen. But while that kind of spectacle is fun (and believe you me, it's truly a riot to see some of the inventive action concocted for this movie), the heart and soul of Captain America: Civil War comes from the way screenwriter Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFreely execute the myriad of characters arcs occurring across this motion picture.
Despite carrying more characters in its plot than a singular Tweet, Civil War carries a taut script that manages to give every character (save for CIA agent Sharon Carter who does come across as by far the most extraneous element of the film in her limited screentime) ample time to shine and a notable character arc to speak of. Amazingly, all of these simultaneous character progressions don't overshadow our lead hero and his personal journey throughout the feature. For all of the understand pre-release concerns of this motion picture possibly ending up being overstuffed, it all works incredibly well, which is good because this is indeed a very character-focused movie.
A D-list level comic book character like Iron Man was never gonna get his solo movie off the ground by brand name recognition alone like, say, Batman would, and so his original feature made a concentrated effort on enhancing the lead characters personal struggles and his inner turmoil. That emphasis on characterization has persisted through the majority of the other Marvel Cinematic Universe motion pictures and makes this conflict between allies all the more palpable. Their previous adventures inform their current decisions (I love how Hawkeye gets a crucial moment with Wanda after their memorable scene together in Age of Ultron) without it feeling like a hindrance to the stand-alone plot of this movie. Let me put it this way; scenes of exciting sprawling chase scenes are just as engrossing as scenes simply depicting a sweater-covered Vision (Paul Bettany) struggling to put the proper amount of paprika in a dish he's cooking.
Under the skillful direction of Anthony And Joe Russo (who, like fellow MCU director heavyweight Joss Whedon, have tremendous experience with handling successful ensemble cast), the large cast shines and bring the scripts assorted character arcs to life. Chris Evans still finds new ways to inspire in his newest turn as the man who will hang the noose on the goose-stepping goons from Berlin. It's worth noting that his camaraderie with his brainwashed best pal Bucky (played by Sebastian Stan) is a primary reason why this friendship works so well, Evans can convey in just a facial expression just how important Bucky is to him. Anthony Mackie (who gets some of the funniest moments of the movie bouncing off of Sebastian Stan) and Scarlett Johansson return from the last Captain America film in fine form, while the numerous superheroic newcomers to this series also find room to excel, namely Chadwick Boseman as new superhero Black Panther who constantly keeps topping himself in the department of "moments that make you think this character can't possibly be any cooler". It's also worth noting that Elizabeth Olsen (as Wanda Maximoff) and Paul Bettany are commendable in their turns as extremely super-powered individuals trying to find their place in a very mundane world.
And then there's Tony Stark, the fictitious figure that got this whole universe rolling. It's great how much mileage writers Marcus and McFreely get out of Stark, uncovering all-new layers to his personality that feel wholly organic to what's come before. This go-around, Tony, like in the first Iron Man, is grappling with the grander consequences of his actions, leading him to side with the government's new plan to have more control over the various super-powered being in this universe. Robert Downey Jr. still brings his trademark swagger to the part but I legitimately impressed by how well he played the characters gradually declining sense of stability. Tony gets plenty of physical and mental bruises in this motion picture and Downey is there to depict them all in sublime fashion.
Anthony and Joe Russo equip themselves extremely well as filmmakers with Civil War, proving that The Winter Soldier was no fluke and that they've got considerable talent behind the camera. I was particularly pleased that they retained the exemplary style of shooting fight scenes from their previous Marvel feature, with the hand-to-hand combat being impressively staged and shot in a coherent manner that allows one to take in every punch and scuffle in all its glory. Cinematographer Trent Opaloch also returns from The Winter Soldier and provides plenty of memorable shots that, like many panels from classic comic books, convey so much emotionally in a visual sense. Actually, there's a lot of subtle visual cues that work splendidly to enhance the character beats in the story. For instance, Bucky tends to be isolated in certain environments (he sits in the back of a VW bug Steve drives at one point), signifying how he still feels like he can't get too close to anyone lest he go back into brainwashed assassin mode and hurt them. It may sound like an oversimplistic visual element, but this is the kind of superb economic storytelling that allows Civil War to be both a jam-packed and taut feature when it comes to its characters.
As a self-professed Marvel geek, one might think Civil War would be the kind of movie that was practically made for me from a conceptual standpoint. And while there certainly would always be a brief thrill in seeing Spider-Man and Iron Man meet for the first time on the big screen, that's all it would be; a brief thrill. To make a film that has a more lasting impact on me, you need to have a good story, sharp directing, a strong cast, the kind of elements that make any movie (Marvel or otherwise) work. As if it even needs to be said, Captain America: Civil War certainly carries all of that and more under its belt. The Russo Brothers almost certainly wouldn't have believed my tales of the future back in 2003, but lemme tell ya, it's very much our reality now that they aced it with helming Captain America: Civil War and I'm so giddy that they did.
Oh, one last thing....Spider-Man in this movie is incredible. I love this new Spider-Man about as much as I despised The Amazing Spider-Man 2!
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