I came late to Marvel Studios' 'cinematic universe' late, but I'm glad to have hopped on the bandwagon. The opinion of some cineastes was that our multiplexes were being clogged up with an unwelcome slew of superhero films and without having seen Marvel's recent offerings, I tended to agree. Then I got caught up with their output and remembered how damned entertaining this genre of movie can be. Turns out you can't deny your inner geek.
Captain America: Civil War is my favourite film to date from Marvel, a grand culmination of themes and story threads that have been evolving over numerous other movies. (Uniquely it serves as sequel to two earlier films, picking up plot strands from both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron). It also has more moral heft than you might expect for a daft big-fun popcorn flick. The plot ropes in most of the superhero characters who first united in 2012's Avengers Assemble, along with their besties, only to pit these comrades against each other in a massive no-punches-pulled super smack-down.
Like so.
If this sounds hugely contrived, then one of the film's great virtues is that it makes the inter-superhero conflict convincing, giving it space to develop organically during the first half of the running time, before things go critical.
The bad feeling starts off as head-butting between Tony Stark, aka Ironman (Robert Downey Jr) and Captain America (Chris Evans), the ostensible leaders of the group, over whether or not the Avengers should bow to some form of governmental control. Stark, wrestling with his conscience over issues of collateral damage during the group's recent forays, feels that some form of accountability is required. 'Cap', however, does not want the Avengers to be beholden to the whims of politicians, when they can and should trust to their own moral compass. There are further complications involving royal assassinations and renegade brainwashed super-soldiers (well of course there are!), until our heroes are pushed to the point of choosing teams, with neither camp possessing a monopoly on truth and righteousness. Yes - you'll see both sides and be hard-pressed to pick one.
Dramatically this is good-versus-likewise-good is refreshing. Even the sneaky antagonist introduced into the piece has his own plausible reasons for angling to pit Avenger against Avenger. (The impulse for vengeance is a running theme here, although personal guilt also plays a major part.) And if you expect the film to pull out an easy 'reunited in the face of a common enemy' plot twist in the final act, think again. Marvel's screen writers are too cunning a bunch for something quite so simplistic. 'Civil war' is what's been promised, and it's what this story delivers.
All this sounds overly heavy for a comic-book entertainment, I know, but the film achieves on all fronts, leavening the weightier themes with the studio's trademark humour and with exhilarating action sequences. (The mass super showdown is but one of these - albeit a fan-pleasing doozy). Yes there's a multitude of old-favourite characters to follow and a working knowledge of the earlier films will be useful. The script, however, has enough lightness of touch to keep all the plots bubbling, while daring to throw several newbies into the franchise, one of whom shoots webs from his wrists. (British actor Tom Holland is the youngest, most exuberant incarnation of Spiderman ever to grace the cinema screen, and one of this film's greatest joys.)
It wasn't my intention when I began this blog (two weeks ago) to feature many blockbuster films. They get enough press without me adding my ten pence' worth and tend to take up too many of the UK's multiplex screens. (Go indie cinema!!!) When the blockbuster in question is as well-constructed, inventive and downright entertaining as Captain America: Civil War, however, expect me to make an exception. Choose a side and get suited up for battle.
Captain America: Civil War is my favourite film to date from Marvel, a grand culmination of themes and story threads that have been evolving over numerous other movies. (Uniquely it serves as sequel to two earlier films, picking up plot strands from both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron). It also has more moral heft than you might expect for a daft big-fun popcorn flick. The plot ropes in most of the superhero characters who first united in 2012's Avengers Assemble, along with their besties, only to pit these comrades against each other in a massive no-punches-pulled super smack-down.
If this sounds hugely contrived, then one of the film's great virtues is that it makes the inter-superhero conflict convincing, giving it space to develop organically during the first half of the running time, before things go critical.
The bad feeling starts off as head-butting between Tony Stark, aka Ironman (Robert Downey Jr) and Captain America (Chris Evans), the ostensible leaders of the group, over whether or not the Avengers should bow to some form of governmental control. Stark, wrestling with his conscience over issues of collateral damage during the group's recent forays, feels that some form of accountability is required. 'Cap', however, does not want the Avengers to be beholden to the whims of politicians, when they can and should trust to their own moral compass. There are further complications involving royal assassinations and renegade brainwashed super-soldiers (well of course there are!), until our heroes are pushed to the point of choosing teams, with neither camp possessing a monopoly on truth and righteousness. Yes - you'll see both sides and be hard-pressed to pick one.
Dramatically this is good-versus-likewise-good is refreshing. Even the sneaky antagonist introduced into the piece has his own plausible reasons for angling to pit Avenger against Avenger. (The impulse for vengeance is a running theme here, although personal guilt also plays a major part.) And if you expect the film to pull out an easy 'reunited in the face of a common enemy' plot twist in the final act, think again. Marvel's screen writers are too cunning a bunch for something quite so simplistic. 'Civil war' is what's been promised, and it's what this story delivers.
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