Captain America: Civil War - directed by Anthony & Joe Russo
Screenplay: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Music Score by: Henry Jackman
Cinematography: Trent Opaloch
Edited by: Jeffrey Ford & Matthew Schmidt
Running Time: 146 minutes
Rated: M - Violence in line with the previous MCU movies
RATING: 90 / 100
CONCLUSION: More evidence that the Russo Brothers are up among the best action directors in the business. I am still giving the edge to The Captain's last movie but this one is one of the three best Marvel movies to date - an exceptional piece of entertainment filled with excitement and a surprising amount of emotional resonance.
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie. Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Bruhl, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, William Hurt, Frank Grillo, Martin Freeman, Marisa Tomei, John Slattery, Hope Davis, Alfre Woodard, Julianna Guill, Kerry Condon
Screenplay: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Music Score by: Henry Jackman
Cinematography: Trent Opaloch
Edited by: Jeffrey Ford & Matthew Schmidt
Running Time: 146 minutes
Rated: M - Violence in line with the previous MCU movies
There is a very interesting issue of timeliness with this movie.
Not only does it employ much of the central story idea of conflict between heroes that the recent "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" had but I saw it only a few hours after checking out "Eye In the Sky" - a movie about the implications of direct, violent action in the name of preventing terrorism.
In "Captain America: Civil War" however the two plot lines are a result of one another.
After the destruction of New York in "The Avengers", Sokovia in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and a decent chunk of Washington DC in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" it is decided that a measure of control needs to be placed upon the superhero Avengers.
Half of the team agrees... half don't and so - Civil War.
The big question going into this one - for me at least - is could the brothers Russo deliver up another film as damned great as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"?
When they were given Cap's second feature to direct Joe and Anthony Russo were known for a bunch of tv shows (mainly comedies) and a feature - "You, Me and Dupree".
And direct it they did - they directed the hell out of it and delivered the leanest, tensest and most finely crafted action flick of the MCU.
When it came out it took only the first of my four big screen viewings to announce it the best Marvel movie to date.
Even with the excellence of "Guardians of the Galaxy" it has remained the clear frontrunner in my eyes.
I am seeing "Captain America: Civil War" a second time tomorrow and I may need to hold off until then to declare a new title holder.... or not.
It isn't as lean as Winter Soldier and the requirement to juggle a huge number of old and new characters has forced the running time up to two and a half hours but still- in the quality stakes it is close.... very close.
This is a very, very good movie indeed.
The opening scene finds us back in time to 1991 and it is a trick that will be employed a few times.
Much of the action in the present of this movie is driven by events from years and even decades earlier.
Many questions left hanging in previous MCU instalments are directly addressed here and I was surprised at how much is filled in.
One of the complaints levelled at "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" was that the conflict between the two lead characters never felt like it should have occurred.
"Captain America: Civil War" is far more successful in this regard without being completely so.
There is still the tendency for the big fight when it comes to seem like a pro wrestling match where the combatants don't really want to hurt each other.
The script writers are smart enough to realise that this is a tough sell and there is a lot of build up to it in the service of making it seem like Tony and Steve could end up enemies.
A lot has been done in previous movies too- mostly the first Avengers film- to get a running start but there is a lot in this first hour of this movie.
Obviously Bucky is a major part of it but Tony Stark gets a hefty pile of backstory and issues piled onto him that re-emerge later at a key moment.
I was perfectly happy with the way it played out and would be surprised if there were too many complaints about this aspect.
I would also imagine no one will be dissatisfied with the action scenes.
The central airport set piece is a gem and if you are lucky enough to see it in IMAX 3D it is full frame and really quite glorious.
There are no less than a dozen players in this scene and every single one of them gets plenty of screen time.
The Russo's are incredibly talented at stringing together an action scene and this one is a masterclass in both choreography and characterisation.
All of the characters are allowed to use their particular skills and a lot of the fun is seeing how Cap handles Spider-Man's web shooters or how Ant-Man deals with Iron-Man.
Even a shout out to "The Empire Strikes Back" serves not only as a joke but as a character building moment.
There is an abundance of humour in this scene but then that is true of the entire movie.
For a film about such lofty themes as vigilantism, revenge and the limits of friendship I found myself laughing an awful lot.
And in a good way too- you should not fear that this is as dark and un-fun as "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice".
(note that I liked that film a lot but 'fun' wasn't the prime directive for it and that is fine- it has other things on its mind)
This isn't to say that it isn't a 'serious' film - it certainly is.
There is a weight to it that was present in Winter Soldier and like that film this one feels like a 1970's era espionage thriller.
It's more than just the flashbacks and the title cards naming the cities we visit or the sense that we don't know everything that is going on in secret.
It is in the tone and the look.
This film uses music really well and production designer Owen Paterson and director of photography Trent Opaloch give it a cold look that fits really well.
The relationships between Steve Rogers and both Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier are stronger than ever and come with considerable investment and stakes.
I tensed up every time Steve and Bucky shared the frame - the Winter Soldier still comes off as very intimidating.
And his method of mounting a motorcycle has to be seen to be believed!
Also it is easy to forget that Flacon is only one movie old - such is the bond between Sam and Steve.
The banter between the pair is some of the best in the film.
I was also pleased to see that Sharon Carter (the gorgeous Emily VanCamp) is given a lot more to do this time.
Her screen time bears fruit late in the piece with a crowd pleasing moment that hopefully is a sign of things to come.
Of the new characters both Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland shine as Black Panther and Spider-Man.
Neither is given more than a scene or so of build up before we see them in costume and in action but it works.
After this I am filled with hope for both solo outings for these characters.
Ant-Man fits in nicely too and the humour from his successful first outing last year carries over seamlessly.
There is a special surprise in store for fans of Scott lang / Ant-Man too..... a big reveal of sorts...
There honestly isn't a weak link in the cast even for one so large in number.
Alfre Woodard is only in one scene but is highly effective.
Martin Freeman doesn't get much more time but is very good and appears to be setting up something to come later.
William Hurt is typically great and I loved Marisa Tomei as Aunt May.
She is far and away the best looking one to date too - something that is commented on by the character that you would expect would.
Like Whedon's Avengers movies this film is very good at juggling a large number of characters.
Much of it smacks of setting up the upcoming solo movies but nonetheless when it is done this well who cares?
Obviously I cannot go into too much detail about the plot for fear of spoiling anything.
What I will say though is that my concerns going in that the conflict would come off as a big fake out to make way for something else were put to rest nicely.
There are several gasp-worthy moments too - one of which threatened to bring a tear to my eye.
This film also forever changes the franchise with some major developments much like the last Captain America movie.
Also like that one as the credits rolled I was entirely satisfied and gagging for more.
Not from this film- it delivers plenty in its own right- but for future instalments in the MCU.
As much resolution as there is here there is an equal amount of set up for more to come.
We have four movies in the pipe for the next 18 months - "Doctor Strange", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" and "Thor: Ragnarok".
It may be that these films answer few of the questions raised here and that we will have to wait for the Russo's one-two punch of "Avengers: Infinity War" parts one and two for the answers.
Regardless they have set the bar very, very high with their first two turns at bat.
The only real criticisms that I can level at "Captain America: Civil War" are that it feels an awful lot like an Avengers flick with its enormous roster of characters and it is possibly slightly long in the running time.
Seeming like an Avengers flick isn't a criticism as such - I mention it merely to point out that the Marvel Universe is rapidly turning into one big movie.
And the latter point is more of a concern for younger viewers I would think- 146 minutes is a long time for a young viewer to sit.
And when the quality is this high these are bordering on nit-picky.
I loved every single character and would have happily sat there for another 15 or thirty minutes.
It's just great character work, great action, great direction.... just all round great.
Not only does it employ much of the central story idea of conflict between heroes that the recent "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" had but I saw it only a few hours after checking out "Eye In the Sky" - a movie about the implications of direct, violent action in the name of preventing terrorism.
In "Captain America: Civil War" however the two plot lines are a result of one another.
After the destruction of New York in "The Avengers", Sokovia in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and a decent chunk of Washington DC in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" it is decided that a measure of control needs to be placed upon the superhero Avengers.
Half of the team agrees... half don't and so - Civil War.
The big question going into this one - for me at least - is could the brothers Russo deliver up another film as damned great as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"?
When they were given Cap's second feature to direct Joe and Anthony Russo were known for a bunch of tv shows (mainly comedies) and a feature - "You, Me and Dupree".
And direct it they did - they directed the hell out of it and delivered the leanest, tensest and most finely crafted action flick of the MCU.
When it came out it took only the first of my four big screen viewings to announce it the best Marvel movie to date.
Even with the excellence of "Guardians of the Galaxy" it has remained the clear frontrunner in my eyes.
I am seeing "Captain America: Civil War" a second time tomorrow and I may need to hold off until then to declare a new title holder.... or not.
It isn't as lean as Winter Soldier and the requirement to juggle a huge number of old and new characters has forced the running time up to two and a half hours but still- in the quality stakes it is close.... very close.
This is a very, very good movie indeed.
 |
| The central tension resides right here.... |
Much of the action in the present of this movie is driven by events from years and even decades earlier.
Many questions left hanging in previous MCU instalments are directly addressed here and I was surprised at how much is filled in.
One of the complaints levelled at "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" was that the conflict between the two lead characters never felt like it should have occurred.
"Captain America: Civil War" is far more successful in this regard without being completely so.
There is still the tendency for the big fight when it comes to seem like a pro wrestling match where the combatants don't really want to hurt each other.
The script writers are smart enough to realise that this is a tough sell and there is a lot of build up to it in the service of making it seem like Tony and Steve could end up enemies.
A lot has been done in previous movies too- mostly the first Avengers film- to get a running start but there is a lot in this first hour of this movie.
Obviously Bucky is a major part of it but Tony Stark gets a hefty pile of backstory and issues piled onto him that re-emerge later at a key moment.
I was perfectly happy with the way it played out and would be surprised if there were too many complaints about this aspect.
 |
| Sharon Carter gets an expanded role this time |
The central airport set piece is a gem and if you are lucky enough to see it in IMAX 3D it is full frame and really quite glorious.
There are no less than a dozen players in this scene and every single one of them gets plenty of screen time.
The Russo's are incredibly talented at stringing together an action scene and this one is a masterclass in both choreography and characterisation.
All of the characters are allowed to use their particular skills and a lot of the fun is seeing how Cap handles Spider-Man's web shooters or how Ant-Man deals with Iron-Man.
Even a shout out to "The Empire Strikes Back" serves not only as a joke but as a character building moment.
There is an abundance of humour in this scene but then that is true of the entire movie.
For a film about such lofty themes as vigilantism, revenge and the limits of friendship I found myself laughing an awful lot.
And in a good way too- you should not fear that this is as dark and un-fun as "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice".
(note that I liked that film a lot but 'fun' wasn't the prime directive for it and that is fine- it has other things on its mind)
This isn't to say that it isn't a 'serious' film - it certainly is.
There is a weight to it that was present in Winter Soldier and like that film this one feels like a 1970's era espionage thriller.
It's more than just the flashbacks and the title cards naming the cities we visit or the sense that we don't know everything that is going on in secret.
It is in the tone and the look.
This film uses music really well and production designer Owen Paterson and director of photography Trent Opaloch give it a cold look that fits really well.
 |
| The airport sequence is one of the finest Marvel action set pieces to date |
I tensed up every time Steve and Bucky shared the frame - the Winter Soldier still comes off as very intimidating.
And his method of mounting a motorcycle has to be seen to be believed!
Also it is easy to forget that Flacon is only one movie old - such is the bond between Sam and Steve.
The banter between the pair is some of the best in the film.
I was also pleased to see that Sharon Carter (the gorgeous Emily VanCamp) is given a lot more to do this time.
Her screen time bears fruit late in the piece with a crowd pleasing moment that hopefully is a sign of things to come.
Of the new characters both Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland shine as Black Panther and Spider-Man.
Neither is given more than a scene or so of build up before we see them in costume and in action but it works.
After this I am filled with hope for both solo outings for these characters.
Ant-Man fits in nicely too and the humour from his successful first outing last year carries over seamlessly.
There is a special surprise in store for fans of Scott lang / Ant-Man too..... a big reveal of sorts...
There honestly isn't a weak link in the cast even for one so large in number.
Alfre Woodard is only in one scene but is highly effective.
Martin Freeman doesn't get much more time but is very good and appears to be setting up something to come later.
William Hurt is typically great and I loved Marisa Tomei as Aunt May.
She is far and away the best looking one to date too - something that is commented on by the character that you would expect would.
Like Whedon's Avengers movies this film is very good at juggling a large number of characters.
Much of it smacks of setting up the upcoming solo movies but nonetheless when it is done this well who cares?
 |
| The newish and all new characters all get good screen time with Black Panther a standout in the action stakes |
What I will say though is that my concerns going in that the conflict would come off as a big fake out to make way for something else were put to rest nicely.
There are several gasp-worthy moments too - one of which threatened to bring a tear to my eye.
This film also forever changes the franchise with some major developments much like the last Captain America movie.
Also like that one as the credits rolled I was entirely satisfied and gagging for more.
Not from this film- it delivers plenty in its own right- but for future instalments in the MCU.
As much resolution as there is here there is an equal amount of set up for more to come.
We have four movies in the pipe for the next 18 months - "Doctor Strange", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" and "Thor: Ragnarok".
It may be that these films answer few of the questions raised here and that we will have to wait for the Russo's one-two punch of "Avengers: Infinity War" parts one and two for the answers.
Regardless they have set the bar very, very high with their first two turns at bat.
The only real criticisms that I can level at "Captain America: Civil War" are that it feels an awful lot like an Avengers flick with its enormous roster of characters and it is possibly slightly long in the running time.
Seeming like an Avengers flick isn't a criticism as such - I mention it merely to point out that the Marvel Universe is rapidly turning into one big movie.
And the latter point is more of a concern for younger viewers I would think- 146 minutes is a long time for a young viewer to sit.
And when the quality is this high these are bordering on nit-picky.
I loved every single character and would have happily sat there for another 15 or thirty minutes.
It's just great character work, great action, great direction.... just all round great.
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