NOTE: Mr. Williams has been tasked with reviewing “Captain America: Civil War” as the rest of the staff is currently finalizing our sixth issue of the Roar (out this Friday!).
“Captain America: Civil War” is the best movie Marvel Studios has produced, and arguably the best superhero movie yet.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) film seamlessly integrates almost every established Marvel movie hero (Thor and the Hulk are MIA) into a compelling and thrilling story; it is truly quite a feat that it works so well, as it also manages to introduce both Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), two characters not seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe until now.
By this point in that universe, super powered beings are both lionized and feared: they’re praised for their heroics but the destruction that accompanies their actions leads to a call by the United Nations to set them under watch and control their responses. Captain America (Chris Evans) is hesitant to relinquish what he sees as personal liberty – the events of “Winter Soldier” have taught him to be wary of government control/bureaucracy. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr), however, is convinced that some oversight is needed, particularly when the aftermath of “Age of Ultron” hits him on a personal level. Further complicating matters is the apparent resurgence of the Winter Soldier (Stan Sebastian), who is blamed for various acts of terrorism and must be brought to justice. Sides are taken, heroes are recruited by both sides, and the war is on.
As for those battles: they are a joy to see. Despite the accumulation of heroes on the screen, the movie never feels cluttered and each hero has his or her moments. Admittedly, Spider-Man steals the show in the half hour he appears – finally we have a web-slinger who talks and jokes while fighting, much to the consternation of Cap’s team. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is also back, and he and his abilities are a huge surprise for Stark and his squad. There’s also a humanizing scene between the android Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), perhaps suggesting something more to come between these two.
By the end of the film we are not left with a tidy “We won!” moment – both sides are justified in their stances, and it’s a credit to the writers and the Russos that it feels so even-handed. The balance between personal liberty and security has long been a divisive issue among Americans – Marvel’s “Civil War” raises the question for a world in which individuals have the power to level cities. Walking out of the theater, you and your friends will be split on which side is right.
Even though it’s Cap’s.
