Captain America Civil War Review

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A Marvel film set in the already well established Marvel Universe is always going to be one that draws people to the box office and makes a lot of money. We have all come to accept that. Some scoffed when Guardians of the Galaxy (a lesser known Marvel property at the time) was announced and yet it proved an amazing hit. Superhero movies are in vogue at the minute and show no sign of slowing. The important question to ask though is despite all the flashy explosions, set pieces and production costs; is Captain America: Civil War any good?

Yes. Unreservedly, yes. The answer should come as no surprise really when taking into consideration the stellar batting average of the Marvel cinematic universe but this time out Cap and friends (or ex-friends as the case may be) go above and beyond to deliver a truly fantastic theatrical experience. The story centres around the signing of the Sokovia Accords, a treaty requested by the UN which strips the Avengers of their power to act cross country borders without regulation. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is for this restriction as the Avengers have inadvertently caused large losses of life through collateral means and not accepting this would mean they would have it either forced on them or they’d have to disband. Captain Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is the strongest voice amongst the opposition and takes teammates like the Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Ant Man (Paul Rudd), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) with him. The two sides fight it out throughout the film with a terrific and dark twist towards the end that I honestly didn’t see coming.

It’s likeness to the source material is close in regards to the regulation of superheroes but it never mentions the Registration Act that was the foundation of the story arc in the comics. Marvel do well to adapt this popular print story on to the screen by splicing in already established elements like Bucky (and Cap’s allegiance to him). In retrospect it works perfectly. The standout performances of the piece were newcomers Tom Holland (who plays the new Spider-Man) and actor Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther). Being a comic fan myself, I have longed for an accurate on screen adaptation of Spider-Man (one of my favourite Marvel Characters) and I am thrilled to say Tom Holland nailed it. His wittiness and his fighting style were excellent and I am so looking forward to seeing more from him. He’s not in a huge amount of the film but the decent chunk he does occupy really benefits from his attendance.

Captain America: Civil War is the most comic-like comic book film and feels as though an issue has been copy and pasted straight on to the big screen. The main villain is a cool reveal for fans of the Captain America comics who will be familiar with the characters within those and the airport scene is one of the best sequences I have ever seen in any comic film. The ending leaves us on an odd note and although trusting, I am a little dubious as to how the next film will reset the board for the losing side of Civil War.

In closing, Captain America: Civil War is fantastic, with great writing and better casting that will not disappoint even the most picky of comic enthusiasts. The screenwriters have done well to incorporate the comic book elements around the already well received cinematic foundations.