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Most of the old gang (sans Thor and Bruce Banner) and a few new faces are
present and accounted for in "Captain America: Civil War," the fully realized,
character-centric crowd-pleaser 2015's lackluster, convoluted "The Avengers: Age
of Ultron" never quite was. Returning to helm following 2014's superhero ode to
'70s paranoid thrillers "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Anthony Russo and
Joe Russo pick back up without missing a beat, managing what Joss Whedon failed
to achieve in "Ultron:" They handily juggle an ever-expanding ensemble without losing
sight of their established relationships and camaraderie. The Russo's and
screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (2013's "Thor: The Dark
World") also don't skimp on a quality storyline, one offering a politically and
morally incisive debate (not unlike 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice")
on the culpability of planet-saving superheroes in the wake of unavoidable
destruction and human sacrifice.
When a battle against bio-terrorists in Lagos ends in an accidental death toll
at the telekinetic hands of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), the
Avengers find themselves under increased scrutiny by the United Nations. The
proposal of the Sokovia Accords—a legal document backed by 117 countries binding
the Avengers to closer government supervision and great accountability for their
actions—divides the team down the middle. Haunted by a chance run-in he has with
the mother (Alfre Woodard) of an innocent victim who perished under his watch,
Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is supportive of the legislation. While
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Lt. James Rhodes/War Machine
(Don Cheadle), and philosophical humanoid Vision (Paul Bettany) join Tony in the
pro column, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is stridently against it,
believing this increased control will ultimately hinder their duties. With
Wanda, Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and newly un-retired Clint
Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) backing Steve's cause, allegiances on both sides
are formed as the threat of criminal penalties loom. Further complicating
matters is a deadly bombing claiming the life of the peace-seeking leader of
Wakanda, King T'Chaka (John Kani). Steve's former friend, the mind-controlled
Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), is suspected of the attack, but a
sneakier foe in the form of string-pulling, vengeance-hungry Helmut Zemo (Daniel
Brühl) waits methodically in the wings.
Many of the actors left stifled by the clumsy, unfocused writing in "Age
of Ultron"—here's looking at Chris Evans's (2014's "Snowpiercer") freedom-fighting
Steve Rogers, Scarlett Johansson's (2016's "Hail, Caesar!") smooth operator
Natasha Romanoff, and most notably Robert Downey Jr.'s (2014's "Chef") droll,
emotionally plagued Tony Stark—return to their glory as they meaningfully
interact with each other and are given their own personal viewpoints. The film,
delving deeper into Tony's past and the loss of parents Howard (John Slattery)
and Maria (Hope Davis), could just as easily have been the fourth "Iron Man"
installment without a frame of footage having to be changed. Moreover, an early
flashback to Tony's young-adult self may be the most stunning special effect of
all, with Downey Jr. de-aged to look exactly as he did in his
late-teens/early-20s.
By taking the time to further develop their protagonists, directors Anthony
Russo and Joe Russo allow the viewers to see them as people and not just
super-powered icons. A scene between Wanda and Vision where he attempts to cook
for the first time, for example, has little to do with the central plot but is
the sort of special observational touch that we rarely see in a superhero film.
The centerpiece set-piece everyone will be talking about—a mano-a-mano
airport-set showdown between the squabbling heroes—is total fun in spite of its
insignificance; for all their disagreements, they are still friends who wouldn't
seriously harm each other. More provocatively enticing are the verbal debates
igniting from both corners, the squad wanting to do what is best for the world
while regaining the trust of citizens who have begun to perceive them as
vigilantes rather than selfless good guys.
Also a rousing success are the key introductions of two new players who, in the
coming years, will be receiving their own standalone features. Skepticism over a
third actor in the span of nine years portraying a new incarnation of Peter
Parker/Spider-Man (following Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield) vanishes in an
instant as the immensely likable, youthful, genuine Tom Holland (2012's "The
Impossible") walks onto the screen; he is fantastic, and so is Marisa Tomei
(2015's "Love the Coopers") in her brief appearance as Aunt May. Also mightily
impressing is Chadwick Boseman (2016's "Gods of Egypt") as Prince T'Challa, the
grieving, embittered son of the ill-fated King T'Chaka. Boseman charismatically
embodies this role with hints that much, much more is yet to come with him. If
any subplot suffers as a result of so much going on, it is T'Challa's evolution
into Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Without warning or explanation, he pops
up in costume, able to claw his way down buildings and jump from one moving
vehicle to the next as if he's been doing it forever. A couple of other nits to
pick: the lack of a strong antagonist in recent Marvel films continues with this
films Helmut Zemo. Daniel Bruhl's Zemo (no longer a Baron here) joins the
increasingly crowded ranks of underwhelming villains played by fine actors.
Marvel movies just don't seem that interested in antagonists other than Loki,
putting the emphasis on their heroes' conflicts with each other instead. While
Zemo's motive is very human and compelling, his actual scheme doesn't hold up
under scrutiny and relies on a few too many coincidences. Also, the way Steve
Rogers finds out about the fate of his former love Sharon Carter, comes across
as perfunctory.
For a film with a daunting amount of ground to cover, "Captain America: Civil
War" never feels overstuffed. Exhibiting command, focus, a sprite rhythm, and
more on its mind than the next obligatory fight or explosion, the Russos ensure
the picture never lags throughout its 147-minute running time. The inaugural
chapter in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Captain America: Civil
War" has been made with a clear-cut vision and a reverence for its broadening
mythology. As long as talented, passionate filmmakers continue to be brought
aboard to take these stories and characters in fresh directions, there is no
reason to expect this massive franchise will grow stale or lose its vitality
anytime soon. It may not quite land in the top tier of superhero movies but it
comes a lot closer to hitting that mark than most of the other efforts of the
last few years have done because it is the rare film of its type that feels like
an actual movie and not just an excuse to sell toys and T-shirts. This is the
best “Captain America” film to date and the best “Avengers” film to date. “Civil
War” doesn’t bring anything significantly different to the MCU, but it doesn’t
have to. Instead of radically altering narrative directions, it maintains the
ongoing evolution of these characters, adding to the engaging soap opera
atmosphere with new challenges, darker reflections, stranger characters, and
enough dramatic heft to feed additional sequels and spin-offs, adding more width
to this widescreen world.
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