Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

2016 PG-13 146 Minutes

Action | Thriller | Science Fiction

Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two fac...

Overall Rating

8 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • WHAT I LIKED: After the Russo Brothers' 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier,' aimed higher than your average MCU venture, the duo returned with 'Captain America: Civil War,' and this time delivered a film that attempted to give the activities of the Avengers real perspective for the first time. That involves a story that's partly about oversight vs freedom, and the way these discussions begin to ground the whole universe in reality is admirable and makes for a rather interesting watch. Outside of that, the film also features some pretty great performances (particularly from Robert Downy Jr.) as well as some fun introductions to new characters Black Panther and Spider-Man.

    WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Unfortunately though, the way that the narrative unfolds is that it begins to use the Avengers as increasingly powerless pawns in an overcomplicated villainous plot to split them all up and turn them on each other, rather than having them in conflict by themselves. In fact when you think about it, the infamous central airport sequence is just a big ugly play-fight based on a misunderstanding rather than a serious conflict of characters or ideals, and the final act is a more personal fight but where the trio involved are actually just helpless puppets with no control over their destinies. In the end this means that the discussion about freedom vs oversight seems to become a fairly obvious choice as the Avengers are effectively portrayed as unhinged and powerful individuals who are easily manipulated and frankly dangerous. That's bold, but it's also rather disheartening to watch, as it belittles the characters we know and love, and leaves little to be properly invested in overall.

    VERDICT: 'Captain America: Civil War,' slowly reduces the Avengers to a group of dangerously powerful and emotionally unhinged individuals caught in a big play-fight with no control over their arcs. That's a bold and interesting move, but it's unsurprisingly not as successful as one might hope.