2016 | Dir. Anthony and Joe Russo | 147 Minutes
"Compromise where you can. And where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move. It is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, 'No. You move.'"
Under scrutiny for the various catastrophic incidents since the formation of the Avengers, the team must submit to oversight under the United Nations or face prosecution as vigilantes. Tony Stark, primarily driven by guilt over their actions, agrees to regulation by the world's governments but Steve Rogers, distrustful of the shifting political agendas, refuses to submit. A terrorist attack, apparently perpetrated by Rogers' estranged friend Bucky Barnes, further escalates tensions among the Avengers. Rogers sides with Barnes and learns of a potential threat to the world hidden in Siberia. Meanwhile, Stark is tasked by the UN to capture Rogers and his compatriots. Rogers and Stark race to recruit allies to their respective causes, inevitably leading to a massive confrontation pitting hero against hero.
After twelve films over eight years, Marvel Studios presents their most ambitious picture to date and it's one of their very best. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo craft a compelling and action-packed story, impressively juggling several storylines with nearly twenty key characters. Rewarding to fans of Marvel Cinematic Universe, but perhaps confounding to the uninitiated, Captain America: Civil War is intrinsically character-driven - its central conflict of stems from the opposing viewpoints of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark previously established in The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, while the heroes' motivations builds upon previous Iron Man and Captain America films. Beneath the entertaining veneer of clever quips and super-powered action, the thematic focal points of the film center on the conflict between personal freedom and federal regulation, and the destructive nature of personal vengeance. The picture offers no easy definitive answers and by its final reel, the bond between the Avengers is permanently damaged.
The film features five major thrilling action sequences that escalate in scale and emotional heft. The opening action sequence set in Lagos, Nigeria shows the Avengers at both their best as a team and at their most fallible as human beings. A close-quarters battle that pits Rogers and Barnes against a swat team that leads to the introduction of a fierce new hero with a vendetta and an intense chase through a tunnel in Bucharest offers a small taste of the scale to come in the film's penultimate act. A triggered Winter Soldier on the run brings an outmatched Sharon Carter and an under-dressed Tony Stark in on the action, culminating in an impossible helicopter-grounding only Steve Rogers could pull off. The centerpiece of the film, a battle sequence at Leipzig/Halle Airport featuring twelve heroes showcasing all of their talents is worth the price of admission alone. The final battle pitting Stark against Rogers and Barnes in an underground Siberian bunker is both physically and emotionally devastating.
Both Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. give their best Marvel Studios performances to date in this film, Evans portraying Steve Rogers/Captain America's stoic determination both shaken and strengthened by personal tragedies running in direct contrast to Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man's guilt and intense anger barely concealed by his wisecracking billionaire persona. Anthony Mackie reprises the role of Rogers' trusted friend Sam Wilson/Falcon on the run with tortured former Hydra assassin Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier once again played by Sebastian Stan. The surprising comedic character beats shared by Wilson and Stan steals the movie for a couple moments. Don Cheadle once again plays Stark's own loyal friend James Rhodes/War Machine, a welcome presence in more dramatic and action scenes than previous MCU films to date. Scarlett Johansson continues to be captivating in her fifth appearance as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, perhaps the most morally conflicted hero in the group despite siding with Stark at the start of the conflict. Elizabeth Olsen returns as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch sharing several touching scenes with Paul Bettany as Vision, Maximoff racked by guilt over her inability to contain an explosion from a mercenary attack at the top of the film while Vision does his best to comfort her despite his limited but improving understanding of humanity.
Other returning MCU cast members include Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye - who noticeably turns up Barton's world-weariness of this outing, Paul Rudd's absolutely hysterical Scott Lang/Ant-Man - making his debut among the Avengers with a few impressive and hilarious tricks up his sleeve, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow - now a terrifying disfigured mercenary known as Crossbones, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter - now a CIA operative who further develops as a romantic interest for Rogers, William Hurt reprising his role as Thaddeus Ross from The Incredible Hulk - since promoted to Secretary of State, Kerry Condon as the ever-sassy Irish voice of Tony Stark's operating system FRIDAY, and John Slattery briefly appearing as Howard Stark joined this time by Hope Davis as his wife Maria.
The film also succeeds in fully introducing two new heroes to the MCU: a new but familiar take on Spider-Man and the first live-action portrayal of Black Panther. Skewing younger than previous film versions of the character, Peter Parker is played by Tom Holland, sharing a fun on-screen dynamic with Downey Jr.'s Stark, and joined by Marissa Tomei as an adorable "unusually attractive" Aunt May. Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man is only in two sequences but his charisma in the role in undeniable, setting the bar high for Holland's first solo Spider-Man film. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa of Wakanda is brought to life impeccably as a dramatic foil to both Stark and Zemo, the film's diabolical hidden conspirator. Boseman naturally belongs on the same playing field as the previously established Avengers, both a physical powerhouse and an incredible dramatic talent, and this picture does a fine job of providing the audience with a significant piece of T'Challa's origin story ahead of Boseman's Black Panther film.
One of the weaknesses shared by the majority of MCU films is the lack of a strong, captivating villain. While not a supervillain in the traditional sense, Daniel Brühl plays Helmut Zemo, a man seeking vengeance against a collective of petulant super-powered individuals with an elaborate but clever scheme. Brühl instills Zemo's journey with real pathos, haunted by loss and consumed by vengeance. The film also features Alfre Woodard as a grieving mother who confronts Stark - powerfully elevating the emotional bar at the start of the film with just one powerful scene, John Kani as the T'Challa's father and King of Wakanda T'Chaka, and English character actor Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross - an amusingly ineffectual officer of the Joint Counter Terrorism Center.
It probably won't make much sense to the uninitiated but Captain America: Civil War masterfully resolves plot threads established in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron while it organically introduces T'Challa and Peter Parker to the MCU. It features solid character arcs for all twelve heroes, often leading to some truly inspired action that speaks louder than words. It's a miracle this movie works as well as it does - not unlike the first Avengers film but with even more moving pieces.
MID-CREDITS STINGER
Bucky agrees to be cryogenically frozen until a way is developed to undo Hydra's psychological programming still present in his mind. Steve Rogers fears for his safety but T'Challa assures him that Bucky will be safe in Wakanda.
POST-CREDITS STINGER
Nursing his injuries from the battle in Berlin, back in his room in Queens, Peter Parker discovers Tony Stark gifted him with a sophisticated computer system hidden in his new web-shooters.
STAN LEE CAMEO
Stan the Man plays a FedEx delivery man with a package for Tony "Stank"
FRAGMENTS
- Damion Poitier, who plays the mercenary threatening to drop the vial containing the virus during the opening Lagos action sequence, previously appeared as Thanos in The Avengers before Josh Brolin was cast in the role
- Writer and comedic actor Jim Rash, perhaps best known as Dean Pelton on Dan Harmon's Community, is featured in a cameo as a similarly eccentric MIT faculty member
- Alfre Woodard also appears on the Marvel Netflix show Luke Cage as Mariah Dillard
- Co-director Joe Russo appears briefly as the real Dr. Theo Broussard, murdered and impersonated by Zemo
