MOVIE REVIEW: CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Captain America: Civil War

Directors:
Joe and Anthony Russo

Cast:
Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Chadwick Boseman

Captain America: Civil War is an absolutely stunning filmmaking accomplishment. One of the reasons that it works so incredibly well, is the fact that it’s not just a sequel to the hit “Winter Soldier”, but also the next chapter in the long Marvel saga. There are SO MANY heroes in this movie that I was really afraid Steve Rogers would get lost in the group. The directing duo of the Russo Brothers have managed to walk that tightrope brilliantly, showcasing the Captain, while remembering the importance of building the other characters.

Captain America is leading the Avengers in taking down of a familiar villain, when they inadvertently cause an accident, and are held accountable by another familiar face. Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man feels the Avengers need to have a committee of supervisors,  Chris Evans as Captain America feels the heroes should follow their own path and accept the consequences. In the middle of it all is Cap’s old friend, the brain washed, ex assassin Winter Soldier.

Plenty of more characters show up and choose a side to fight on, including two new ones in the Marvel Universe, Black Panther and Spider-Man. Both of these new heroes are fantastic! It’s kind of stunning how entertaining they are. It’s so fortunate that we’ll be seeing them next in upcoming solo movies. All the characters are on point here, and the story unravels in a interesting and suspenseful way.

In order to make a really great comic book movie, it takes the skill of good storytelling mixed with a love of the comic book characters and the stories that have come beforehand. There’s probably a handful of directors that can give the world a completely successful “comic book” movie, and the Russo Brothers are those guys. They’ve put together something that works on multiple levels and succeeds in each one. Big, flashy superhero adventure, intimate character drama, launch pad for further adventures and other future franchises.

Captain America Civil War is a flat out miracle. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in unbelievably talented hands.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

-Markellus