Captain America: Civil War – Film Review

It is extremely rare that a third entry in a film series is by far the best one, but in the case of Anthony and Joe Russo’s Captain America: Civil War, it definitely is the best of the three released thus far.

Some time has passed since last year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it is clear that the events that transpired during the battle in Sokovia have taken a humongous toll on the world. The heroic Captain America (Chris Evans) believes that the Avengers should have the absolute freedom to operate whenever a new villainous threat arises, and that the team should not have restraints on them. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). His belief is that there should be some restraints put on the Avengers, mainly because he wants to ensure that another incident like the battle of Sokovia does not occur again. He wants to make sure that the world will be protected from damage, and says that the Avengers should only operate when it is absolutely necessary.

From that point on, the two mighty superheroes form teams and battle it out for close to two and a half hours.

In terms of the Captain America film series, the first film, The First Avenger, was only a mediocre experience, as is typically the case for origin story superhero films. That film was mainly about his journey to becoming the superhero known as Captain America. The second film however, The Winter Soldier, I found to be riveting. It was one of those rare comic book blockbusters that took itself seriously, while also managing to have an abundance of fun as well. The story of The Winter Soldier was incredibly suspenseful, and when certain events transpired, it was truly shocking.

Now with Civil War, this story is the most compelling of the three films. We have not really seen our heroes have such opposite opinions on the state of their team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America’s team believes in the Avengers’ freedom – being able to go into battle whenever need be. Whereas Iron Man’s team thinks that a battle is not always necessary. Severe damage and catastrophic events happened in the past due to the Avengers team fighting in places such as New York and Sokovia. Many innocent civilians have been affected by this, and Iron Man and his crew have taken notice. This is mainly why Civil War works so well, and why it is extraordinarily suspenseful. The banter between these two teams feels fresh – it feels like something truly unique in a world full of comic book films that feel relatively the same. Some of the most entertaining sequences in the film are just Iron Man and Captain America bickering on who is right about the situation they are all faced with at the moment.

That being said, this is a Marvel superhero film, which means that action and chaos is sure to ensue – and it does. The stunt team behind this film crucially needs to be noticed and praised. There is one scene in Civil War that is sure to please nearly every audience member. A plethora of fun is had during the entire running time of the film.

Furthermore, new faces appear along the way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Tom Holland’s Peter Parker / Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa / Black Panther. Firstly, Holland is great as Parker and Spider-Man. His portrayal of the iconic hero works much better than Andrew Garfield’s version of the web-slinger. Also, Boseman’s Black Panther is genuinely a standout here. His character is full of mystery. You learn certain things about him in the film, but you do not learn too much. That being said, when specific events occur, you do feel sincere sympathy for him.

Civil War also boasts an incredible soundtrack, composed by Trent Opaloch, and is edited in a masterful way.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo inject a sense of true tension and a gripping story with Captain America: Civil War. In addition, some of the best action sequences in the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe take place here. Rarely is the third entry in any film series the best, but in the case of this film, it truly is.