At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron when the B-Team heroes were elevated to the holy Avenger status, I was a little letdown. I mean, Scarlet Witch is cool and Falcon helps out here and there but do we really want to trade out the original squad for a bunch of sidekicks? These characters, so far, haven’t been as compelling as our favorite Iron Man or big green Hulk and to put them at the forefront of the franchise had me uneasy.
But thankfully the heads at Hydra, sorry, Marvel and newly heavyweight directors Anthony and Joe Russo had a clear Vision on how to handle these newcomers and give them substantial room to grow.
Captain America: Civil War is a movie that feels like it shouldn’t work. It has all the same issues that Joss Whedon complained about at the end of Age of Ultron; over bloated cast, long run time, complicated plot and heavy involvement from studio heads. Yet, Anthony and Joe Russo make it look so easy. At just over 2.5 hours, Civil War crams in every comic book nod that Disney has the rights to and fanboy nerdgasms are at an all time high. Suffice it to say, you should see this movie.
After Captain America: Winter Soldier one thing was clear: Anthony and Joe Russo know how to capture big action. Luckily for us they’re back in perfect form for Civil War. One of my favorite scenes is the opening fight between The Avengers and (terrorist?) Crossbones. While some superpowers are at play, a majority of the scene is hand to hand combat and ends with a great showdown between Cap and Crossbones. And of course everyone’s favorite fight is going to be the climactic battle between #TeamIronMan and #TeamCaptainAmerica. Every moment of that battle is better than the next and it is one of the most satisfying moments of the entire marvel cinematic universe.
So how about these new kids joining the crew this time around? Surprisingly, Chadwick Boseman’s The Black Panther has a substantial role for a first time outing. He plays the Wakandan Prince/King T’Challa who is on a mission to AVENGE his murdered father. He’ll fit right in. Black Panther’s suit is sleek and simple and he looks amazing along side other established heroes. However, I was most impressed with Boseman’s take on T’Challa is effortlessly charming yet humble. He’s a hurt but strong warrior and one of the many characters you’ll find yourself caring the most about. You’ll definitely be looking forward to his solo outing coming in Phase 3.
You can’t be excited for Civil War without being even more excited for the reveal of our new Spider-Man. Tom Holland is the latest actor to don the red and blue spandex and I dare say the perfect iteration of the character so far. Tom Holland is everything that second Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, wanted to be while being infinitely more charming and likable. Peter Parker shows up about half an hour before the movie ends and it comes at the perfect time. We don’t spend 45 minutes setting up his arrival or explaining all the reasons he is a superhero. Almost as quickly as he’s introduced, Spider-Man is thrust into the fold and tries his hand at fighting with the big boys. The only odd complaint is that he is almost entirely cgi’d into the big fight scene so he stands out just a bit. But you’ll be too busy being caught up in all the action to really care.
The most welcoming thing about this whole film is how fun it is to watch. After DC’s sad attempt to compete with Marvel with the ill-received Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it was great to have a film where two big heroes face off with each other and actually be entertaining/justify a 2.5 hour runtime. When Cap and Ironman face off in the final battle you feel not only the anger and sadness behind both sides but the uncertainty of who is going to walk away a winner. Like I said above, this is one the best moments in the entree MCU.
Whether you’re a DC or Marvel fanboy, after Civil War you’ll know who the real winner is in the battle of comic book properties.
