Captain America: Civil War is the third installment in Marvels Captain America series, or may just be the third Avengers movie depending on how you look at it. With Chris Evans in the titular role, Captain America: Civil War excels as a fun and bewildering movie that plays to the strengths of its stars while also introducing new, and very cool characters. With greater depth than previous Marvel flicks, but also a nuanced sense of humor that makes sure the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, Civil War is, most importantly, entertaining. However, it also suffers from a convoluted plot with enough characters and story to fill like three movies. Nonetheless, this issue does not succeed in dragging down the overall product, as the thought provoking questions the film poses, and the spectacular action set pieces, do a great job of lifting this movie.
The latest Captain America film takes place after Age of Ultron, the last Avengers movie, but is more of a sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier than anything else. The story once again has Captain America and his 1940's pal turned resurrected-assassin Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, going rogue and being pitted against the American government, how ironic. Following the cataclysmic damage that occurred in Age of Ultron, the Avengers are forced to decide whether or not restricting their powerful influence is beneficial to the greater good or would cater to various governments, with agendas. This dilemma pits Tony Stark, or Iron Man, who is in favor or restricting the Avengers power and being held accountable for their potentially destructive actions, against Rogers, who believes the super team should have freedom to intervene in global issues whenever they feel necessary. This ideological clash spurs the film's best action sequences and fuels most of the visual spectacle, but the interactions between Stark and Rogers also serve as an emotional and ethical center for the viewers. It is where the film is most gripping and entertaining. The performances by Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are as usual, top notch, and their chemistry on screen is undeniably solid. As a resut the "Civil War" aspect of the movie flourishes. There is an overabundance of superheroes here, each who need their screen time and few moments of fame. This can lead to a bit of an overstuffed narrative and a ton of exposition, but this movie succeeds in keeping the pace of the film fast and crisp, not plodding and delving too deep into each of the many characters. The new additions to the cast, Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, and Spiderman, played by Tom Holland, are both wildly entertaining and give great first impressions as Marvel prepares for their stand alone movies in the future. Boseman as Black Panther especially stands out in this movie. He does a fantastic job of being a scene stealer but also being integral to the plot of the movie. His character is very well developed in his short screen time and Boseman's performance manages to make his character one of the more intriguing Marvel Characters in recent memory. Captain America: Civil War thrives on making the most of the dense cast and displaying their plethora of colorful characters in a great light. This film even has a compelling villain who is portrayed greatly by Daniel Bruhl. His motivations are clear and his character is very well written, even if he isn't powerful or physically imposing, he his noticeably more compelling than the CGI monster thing that most superhero films like to make the center of their final acts these days.
Captain America: Civil War is not perfect. The plot of this movie is a bit convoluted at times, and the film requires almost too much information retention from the audience. The need for viewers to comprehend and keep up with the sprawling Marvel cinematic universe can be a bit exhausting at times. This is understandable for a huge sequel to be reliant on previous entries, but it is a little much. This coupled with some unforgivable plot holes, such as when proven powerful characters are useless in critical junctures of the film, make up for the majority of the film's flaws. Overall though, the Russo brothers did a fantastic job directing a film that could have been dragged out by a congested cast and a myriad of plot lines, and making it a solid flick.
B+