The film proper starts some months after Age of Ultron, with the new team (sans Vision for some reason) working to take down Crossbones and his crew. Things don't go so well...But if you've read any of the synopsis or plot run downs that have been around for a while, you already know that so I'm not going to do a scene by scene breakdown which spoils the entire film. So, instead I'm going to talk about the various characters featured in the movie.
I realize the film is called 'Captain America' but I really want to start by discussing Wanda aka the Scarlet Witch. This film looks to be establishing just how strong she truly is and laying the groundwork for things to come. One scene at the tail end of the film hints at horrors to come. That said, the best thing about Elizabeth Olsen is seeing her play opposite Paul Bettany's Vision in some of the most grounded and human scenes in the film. The two discuss cooking and the nature of their powers and abilities, freedom versus safety and I for one couldn't look away. It was effortless and sweet. Sweet until battle lines are drawn and things turn sour rather quickly.
Speaking of the Vision, seeing him emote throughout the film really lent itself to some great small moments where Bettany reacts to his human companions in various ways, something I was hopeful the films would touch upon. Vision is one of those characters that needs to be portrayed as smart, but also somehow naive. His feelings for Wanda are obvious here and make for excellent scenes of tension. Plus he wears people-clothes.
T'Challa gets what has to be the best first-film appearance showing of any of the supporting characters in any of the Marvel films to date. Debuting the Black Panther was always going to be a delicate trick to pull off amidst the myriad of other supporting players, but I thinks the film gives him enough characterization, screen-time, presence and frankly coolness to make him stand apart from the crowd. I'm now more excited for Chadwick Boseman's solo outing than I was before, something I didn't think was possible. With the Black Panther being a force for vengence in this film, he plays into the themes of many characters, but divines his own path and sometimes seems seperate from the rest of the proceedings. I wouldn't say it was a bad thing, it helps set T'Challa apart from the other main players, but also above the bit players in the plot, which -as I already mentioned- gives him his own unique place in the proceedings.
Playing the thankless part of caught-between-loyalties with aplomb is Scarlett Johansson as the increasingly complex and intriguing Black Widow. I'll be honest, I didn't think much of Ms Johansson when she debuted back in Iron Man 2 but ever since the Avengers gave her something other than 'sexy spy' to play with, she's been on a roll, taking the role and running with it. It's no surprise that her relationships with Tony and Steve put her in an unenviable position. Natasha's changing loyalty is something I love to see explored and in Civil War it's interesting to see where she draws the line and what it takes for her to change her mind. It's a relatively small part, but in this film everyone gets a good showing.
Speaking of small parts, Paul Rudd takes his fairly brief time and makes a big, big impression. Whether it's fanboying over meeting Captain America or pulling out the occasional one-liners or proving his worth in a team of exceptional individuals, Ant-Man was a treat and I think he's more than demonstrated why he's a fit for the Avengers.
If I'm being brutally honest, I've never warmed to Jeremy Renner's depiction of Hawkeye and I still feel his first two film appearances squandered a classic Avenger by either briefly cameoing him or by sidelining him in favour of characters who (apart from Black Widow) already had their own films to showcase their talents and personalities. That said, Avengers: Age of Ultron did show why Hawkeye stood with gods, monsters and geniuses. Small moments of levity and the mentoring established between Clint and Wanda and the ill-fated Pietro transformed a flat gimmick character into the most human member of the team. Having Hawkye come out of retirement for this film helps lend weight to the proceedings, because it's something he believes in and cares enough about that he's willing to stand against friends to defend it. So, do I love Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton? No. But that won't stop me appreciating the character's purpose and place in events. He's not integral to the plot, but he enriches it by simply showing up. If he's willing to put himself on the line, with nothing more than his quiver of arrows, a bow and a stick, then things must be serious.
War Machine has never really had a story arc on the big screen, beyond Tony's friend who gets his own suit because everyone was expecting it. I think Don Cheadle's Jim Rhodes bounces off of Tony Stark so well he sometimes doesn't have to act. This time around, I think he fills the character with something more than comic timing and charm. This time Rhodey not only stands up to the Avengers regarding what's right and wrong, he backs it up by putting his all behind what he believes and makes a personal sacrifice for his beliefs. Rhodey wasn't just Tony's side kick or his best friend, he was his own person and showed this in his decisions.
Sebastian Stan doesn't say a great deal, but when he talks, you tend to listen. Despite the previous Captain America film being subtitled 'Winter Soldier', this film offers more from Bucky aka Winter Soldier. It doesn't really need to be said that the films plot revolves around the actions of James Buchanan Barnes in some way, shape or form, though perhaps not in the way you might initially think. I'm pleased Bucky got to transition a bit further, coming back around more from his Winter Soldier programming, which allows for some lighter moments with the characters interactions with others in the group, particularly Captain America's current companion, Sam Wilson. That said, the film doesn't shy away from depicting the nastier aspects of Bucky's time as the Winter Soldier. The conclusion to Bucky's story arc depicted in this film is somewhat satisfying, though somehow leaves something to be desired.
Before I touch on the two leads in the film, I think I should mention Sharon Carter, played by Emily VanCamp. The acknowledgement of her characters relation to Peggy in this film was nicely handled and made a good deal of sense in context. One of the nicest aspects of a shared cinematic universe is being able to see smaller characters grow, almost through the background, into fully fledged characters who we want to see more from. Phil Coulson was arguably the first to do this, Peggy Carter is another great example. I hope we see more of Sharon Carter. I base that solely on her depiction in this one film. Yes, she appeared in Winter Soldier a few years ago, but she didn't leave much of an impression. But much like Black Widow, Sharon grew into more than her beginnings. I still think we need to see more of VanCamp, but what we got was enough for now.
I'm not going to touch upon the villains who appear in this film, because aside from giving away plot points, I really felt they weren't at all the focus of the film. Marvel Comics has some of the greatest villains of all time. Marvel Movies....not so much. With very few exceptions, the villains in Marvel films tend to be the weakest point of any of the movies. While I appreciate the nods and references in this outing, I think I would have preferred they used a made-for-film villain in the same vein as Alexander Pierce in Captain America:Winter Soldier, rather than use an established arch villain in a diminished role. Moving on.
Tony Stark started this all those years ago. It's a nice real-world meets fictional-world reference to how events have culminated in this Civil War. Robert Downey Jr gives his most mature, dower and sobering performance as Tony Stark, a man who seems haunted by his actions as Iron Man. It's rewarding seeing all the actions of previous movies, not only in his own films, but also his actions in Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron lead into this. Better still, it feels like far more of a natural progression of Stark's character when compared to the sudden 180 degree turn that was the conclusion of Iron Man 3. In fact, Tony addresses this in a conversation with Steve wherein he drops his usual facade and we see Tony as the flawed, damaged and haunted person that he is. Tony's not the villain in this piece. That right there is a great achievement, considering this isn't his film and he could have easily become the big bad rich guy for Captain America to sock in the jaw. But, unlike the comic the film is loosely modeled after, Tony's point of view doesn't come across as unreasonable or, frankly, fascist. In fact, this is the best Iron Man movie since the first one. We get more of who Tony is and why he is the way he is than Iron Man 2 or Iron Man 3. Tony's learned a real lesson from Ultron. It's cost him. But further more, he's learned the cost it had on others. There's a lot to discuss here, but I don't want to ruin your viewing experience.
So, how about Captain America himself? Chris Evans and Steve Rogers have become one and the same for me. Evans is probably the closest a human being can come to actually becoming the Super Soldier himself. But Steve Rogers doesn't really go through character progression. He's a good guy before he gets his abilities and he's a good guy afterwards. But the way in which Steve interacts, reacts and conflicts with authority and concepts of morality, justice and accountability is where the crux of his character lies. For me, the arguments between the characters about what the right course of action was in light of the Accords where some of the best moments of the film. But because of the more personal nature of the film, I have to wonder if somewhere along the line, Steve loses his perspective and fights along because of loyalty to his friend. It's not something I would suggest lightly. I consider Steve Rogers to be the most Paragon of Paragon's. But it's just ever so slightly possible and I love that it can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
What else is left to say? The personal conflicts drive this film. It's not truly about politics, it's about friends falling out with one another. It's glorious and terrible to behold. It's perhaps a smidge clunky at the tail end of the film, but it wraps up nicely and doesn't leave me sour at all. The big splash page fight scene is everything you wanted in a big superhero smackdown and then some but the real fight is at the end of the film and it's much smaller and far more personal. I highly recommend this film. But please, go and judge the movie for yourself and get back to me with your own thoughts.
Oh, yeah. Almost forgot. Spider-Man also shows up. But it's no big deal......which is the reason it's such a big deal. Jury is still out on whether I love Tom Holland as Peter Parker. I need to see more first, because this was his first big super dust up so naturally he was hyper-excited and it showed. I enjoyed the humour. I enjoyed the fanboy moments. I enjoyed the obvious references to his intelligence. I enjoyed the interactions with Stark, though I don't want him to steal screen time in Homecoming either. I enjoyed his desire to prove himself. I do fear this becoming a running characterization for Peter Parker, as he is far more than this. Aunt May didn't do it for me. I think the fact that Tony Stark would be interested in her probably demonstrates my reasoning. But we'll see, everyone. Chill out. He makes his own webshooters!
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