Director(s): Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Brühl
Please note I have done my very best to keep this review SPOILER FREE, hope you enjoy!
The Overview
After the Avengers are called into question, a rift starts to appear between Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) and Steve Roger (Evans), as they disagree on how they should be held accountable. A face from Cap’s past also comes between the two, as they face off for the ultimate showdown.
The Good
I’ve just got back from my second screening of this in the last 12 hours, so that might tell you where this review is heading! Expectations before this film were incredibly high, and I was so happy that they were not just met, but surpassed on every possible level.
I adored this film; already I’m thinking I might need to rewrite my prestigious top 3, which is high praise indeed! I have to really try hard to put all my Marvel Fangirling aside here, but DAMN this film is good.
Ok, breathe, let’s get into the nitty gritty now; although entirely spoiler free nitty grittiness! Picking up the good work started in The Winter Soldier, this film, with the Russo brothers once again in the chair, continues to impress in the action, and particularly the hand to hand combat scenes. It’s hard hitting, every punch feels real and forceful, and the dynamic camera movements add a frantic energy to the already exciting sequences. The opening chase is wonderfully shot, the camera leaping and running with each character really throws you into the action and was pretty breath-taking in places.
I really don’t want to spoil anything here, but that airport fight scene we saw teased in the trailers is possibly one, if not the, best scene in all of the Marvel movies. It really needs to be seen and enjoyed fully. I could watch just that bit over and over again!
I had concerns before the film came out that there would be too many characters involved, that it would feel like an “Avengers-lite” film and this would detract from Cap’s storyline. I shouldn’t have worried, despite the extra cast members, this still very much remains Cap’s story. This is thanks in large part to the pivotal relationship between him and Bucky (Stan) which has remained a constant thread throughout the solo Captain America movies. I’ve mentioned before that I find Cap’s story arc the most interesting, and the Civil War storyline is a very satisfying conclusion/continuation of this plot.
I also had concerns about how the new characters would be worked in without too much time being spent on their origin stories. This was the first time we’d see Black Panther (Boseman) and the latest Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and I wanted both to be done justice. Again, I shouldn’t have worried here, we’ll get to Spidey soon, but I absolutely loved how deftly and quickly Black Panther was set up. Immediately I was on board with the character and left excited to see his solo movie. He found his place immediately and his presence never seemed out of place. Can I also be the 1000th person to say that that vibranium suit is badass!!
I’ve probably already said lots of things about the existing cast members, they continue to do what they do, and do it well, so I won’t delve into this too much. However I will say that Anthony Mackie really stood out for me as Falcon and I love how he’s grown into this role; he no longer feels like a sidekick but a fully fledged avenger! The real surprise for me was Tom Holland as Spider-Man. Announcing any new Spider-Man casting or film immediately makes me feel nervous, but I can confidently say this is the best Spider-Man we have seen so far, by a country mile! Firstly, thank you for FINALLY casting someone the right age, and secondly for doing the damn character justice. This is the Spider-Man we’ve always wanted to see on film, and Holland totally nails it.
Civil War doesn’t quite have the quips that the Avengers movies have, but personally I think this is a good thing. Age of Ultron was a little cheesy in places, but Civil War just seems to handle the humour better. It is still very funny in places, but serious when it needs to be as well, striking the balance perfectly. The airport fight scene will make you laugh more than you think it might, and it totally works.
The Bad
Whilst I think Brühl does an excellent job as the bad guy, my only gripe is that his motives were not really explored as fully as they perhaps could’ve been, and his storyline whilst it was intertwined with the Cap vs Iron Man showdown, never fully meshed for me. This in no way hampered my enjoyment of the film, and I did still enjoy what he brought to the film, particularly towards the end.
The Verdict
I saw this movie and you should too. Of course you should see this movie! This film totally blew me away and I wish I could go fully in depth in this review and spoil the heck out of it, but I really think it’s good to go in blind. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, because it’s one hell of a fun ride.
Agree with everything I’ve said or am I a terribly misguided idiot who has got it all wrong? Let me know in the comments below, but please keep the comments spoiler free!
Sarah Saw a Movie 