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2016 was an odd time for cinema. With both Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice releasing in the same year, it seemed film studios were obsessed with having their cinematic superheroes fighting on opposing sides. One of these films, perhaps unsurprisingly, turned out much more successful than the original, and that was Captain America: Civil War. Unlike Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice's awkward attempt to cram in multiple heroes before laying the groundwork in their own films, Captain America: Civil War came after we'd already had nearly a decade of getting to know these characters, and how they operated. And that's a key factor when constructing a story like this.
As with the other Captain America films, this week I watched this instalment in 3D. Out of the three movies that make up the Captain America trilogy, this one honestly probably has the best use of it, particularly in regards to the characters of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Wanda's magic shoots out of the screen, and Peter Parker's webs fly out right in front of your very eyes. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr) also lends itself extremely well to the 3D effects, with lasers protruding right into your eyeballs. And, of course, Captain America's (Chris Evans) shield provides plenty of moments where it breaks the screen too.
If this film's opening demonstrates anything, it's that Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) has led a tragic life. Things just never seem to go right for this character, and you find yourself feeling somewhat sorry for her when she causes a major catastrophe in Nigeria. She's this character with all this immense power, but she can't control it, and it leads to colossal mistakes like this. This is what makes Wanda interesting as a character, somebody who previously I used to be quite down on. She has all of this pain and anguish that has built up inside, a lost soul searching for a way to be better, and I think we can all relate to that on some level.
It's this event which triggers the main crux of the film, the debate over whether the Avengers should sign the Sokovia Accords and hand control over to the U.S. government, or if they should continue to operate as vigilantes without the need to be regulated. What's great about this dilemma is that both sides have a valid response. Tony Stark/Iron Man believes that as heroes they shouldn't be above the law, whereas Steve Rogers/Captain America, fresh from his encounter with Hydra in The Winter Soldier, fears his trust will be misplaced in the hands of a government body. Personally I find myself siding more with Tony, as I think regulating superheroes in this manner sets a greater example for the everyday civilians in this universe, whereas allowing them to continue unsupervised results in a more murky divide between hero and villain. If heroes don't have to follow the same rules, then what stops them becoming a potential danger to the public?
Sadly Hayley Atwell doesn't feature this time round, as her character Peggy Carter dies off-screen. This sets up arguably one of the saddest scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as we see Steve attend the funeral of his first true love. Peggy was one of the most important people in Steve's live, and as such she gets exactly the send-off she deserves. Whilst I would have liked to have seen Hayley Atwell return, there couldn't have been a more fitting exit for her character than the one featured here, although it does serve to make the romance between Steve and Sharon (Emily VanCamp) feel a bit wrong. I'm not sure anyone was crying out to see Steve engage in a romantic relationship with Peggy's niece, and given Steve's deep feelings for her mother, it does make him come across a bit like a creep.
Two major heroes debut in this film. The first of these is T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), who gets something of a origin story here, with the death of his dad T'Chaka (John Kani) being what leads to T'Challa becoming the new King of Wakanda, and subsequently the new Black Panther. I love how his story directly parallels Tony's here, with both character's fathers having been killed by a brainwashed Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The stakes are personal, and their different attitudes towards the actions of the Winter Soldier speaks volumes about their characters. T'Challa is more restrained in his anger, whereas Tony - being the loudmouth that he is - has a much bigger and exaggerated reaction. What culminates in a fight with a best friend for one (Tony), is a simple conversation unfolding his feelings and coming to terms with the death for the other.
The other major superhero to make his first appearance is Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and he's perfect from the start. Embodying a geeky awkwardness as Peter, and a more outgoing and quippier side as Spider-Man, this feels exactly how a live-action take on this comics character should be. It's the most perfect adaptation of the web-slinger to date, with a note perfect Tom Holland imbuing a crazy degree of screen presence. He manages to stand toe-to-toe with Robert Downey Jnr, Chris Evans and the other more established stars by this point with ease, to the point where it feels like he's always been a part of this shared cinematic universe. The impressive airport fight sequence featuring the heroes coming to blows wouldn't have been the same without this interpretation of Spider-Man, and it's weird to think that there was once a version of the screenplay where Peter Parker was not included.
One character who would go on to become significant within the MCU is one Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), who makes his first appearance here and proves to be one of the shared universe's greatest antagonists to date. Sly and manipulative, Zemo knows exactly how to push the heroes' buttons, and he ultimately becomes the man responsible for splitting up the Avengers to such an explosive degree. You could even argue that it's his actions here that are ultimately responsible for their colossal failure in Avengers: Infinity War, as if Zemo had not caused this rift between the superhero team in this movie then the full Avengers team would have still been formed, and they may have stood a better chance against Thanos.
Overall, 'Captain America: Civil War' is one of Marvel Studios' best sequels to date. Whilst the romantic relationship between Steve and Sharon is somewhat questionable, the rest proves to be one of the studio at its absolute finest, with a thrilling manipulator in Baron Zemo and a perfect introduction for two of the universe's most iconic masked vigilantes. Captain America: Civil War is proof that directing duo the Russo Brothers know exactly how to approach these major superhero team-ups, and we can only hope that after Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame, they will one day make their triumphant return to the universe that defined their directing style.
Captain America: Civil War
2016 was an odd time for cinema. With both Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice releasing in the same year, it seemed film studios were obsessed with having their cinematic superheroes fighting on opposing sides. One of these films, perhaps unsurprisingly, turned out much more successful than the original, and that was Captain America: Civil War. Unlike Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice's awkward attempt to cram in multiple heroes before laying the groundwork in their own films, Captain America: Civil War came after we'd already had nearly a decade of getting to know these characters, and how they operated. And that's a key factor when constructing a story like this.
As with the other Captain America films, this week I watched this instalment in 3D. Out of the three movies that make up the Captain America trilogy, this one honestly probably has the best use of it, particularly in regards to the characters of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Wanda's magic shoots out of the screen, and Peter Parker's webs fly out right in front of your very eyes. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr) also lends itself extremely well to the 3D effects, with lasers protruding right into your eyeballs. And, of course, Captain America's (Chris Evans) shield provides plenty of moments where it breaks the screen too.
If this film's opening demonstrates anything, it's that Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) has led a tragic life. Things just never seem to go right for this character, and you find yourself feeling somewhat sorry for her when she causes a major catastrophe in Nigeria. She's this character with all this immense power, but she can't control it, and it leads to colossal mistakes like this. This is what makes Wanda interesting as a character, somebody who previously I used to be quite down on. She has all of this pain and anguish that has built up inside, a lost soul searching for a way to be better, and I think we can all relate to that on some level.
It's this event which triggers the main crux of the film, the debate over whether the Avengers should sign the Sokovia Accords and hand control over to the U.S. government, or if they should continue to operate as vigilantes without the need to be regulated. What's great about this dilemma is that both sides have a valid response. Tony Stark/Iron Man believes that as heroes they shouldn't be above the law, whereas Steve Rogers/Captain America, fresh from his encounter with Hydra in The Winter Soldier, fears his trust will be misplaced in the hands of a government body. Personally I find myself siding more with Tony, as I think regulating superheroes in this manner sets a greater example for the everyday civilians in this universe, whereas allowing them to continue unsupervised results in a more murky divide between hero and villain. If heroes don't have to follow the same rules, then what stops them becoming a potential danger to the public?
Sadly Hayley Atwell doesn't feature this time round, as her character Peggy Carter dies off-screen. This sets up arguably one of the saddest scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as we see Steve attend the funeral of his first true love. Peggy was one of the most important people in Steve's live, and as such she gets exactly the send-off she deserves. Whilst I would have liked to have seen Hayley Atwell return, there couldn't have been a more fitting exit for her character than the one featured here, although it does serve to make the romance between Steve and Sharon (Emily VanCamp) feel a bit wrong. I'm not sure anyone was crying out to see Steve engage in a romantic relationship with Peggy's niece, and given Steve's deep feelings for her mother, it does make him come across a bit like a creep.
Two major heroes debut in this film. The first of these is T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), who gets something of a origin story here, with the death of his dad T'Chaka (John Kani) being what leads to T'Challa becoming the new King of Wakanda, and subsequently the new Black Panther. I love how his story directly parallels Tony's here, with both character's fathers having been killed by a brainwashed Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The stakes are personal, and their different attitudes towards the actions of the Winter Soldier speaks volumes about their characters. T'Challa is more restrained in his anger, whereas Tony - being the loudmouth that he is - has a much bigger and exaggerated reaction. What culminates in a fight with a best friend for one (Tony), is a simple conversation unfolding his feelings and coming to terms with the death for the other.
The other major superhero to make his first appearance is Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and he's perfect from the start. Embodying a geeky awkwardness as Peter, and a more outgoing and quippier side as Spider-Man, this feels exactly how a live-action take on this comics character should be. It's the most perfect adaptation of the web-slinger to date, with a note perfect Tom Holland imbuing a crazy degree of screen presence. He manages to stand toe-to-toe with Robert Downey Jnr, Chris Evans and the other more established stars by this point with ease, to the point where it feels like he's always been a part of this shared cinematic universe. The impressive airport fight sequence featuring the heroes coming to blows wouldn't have been the same without this interpretation of Spider-Man, and it's weird to think that there was once a version of the screenplay where Peter Parker was not included.
One character who would go on to become significant within the MCU is one Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), who makes his first appearance here and proves to be one of the shared universe's greatest antagonists to date. Sly and manipulative, Zemo knows exactly how to push the heroes' buttons, and he ultimately becomes the man responsible for splitting up the Avengers to such an explosive degree. You could even argue that it's his actions here that are ultimately responsible for their colossal failure in Avengers: Infinity War, as if Zemo had not caused this rift between the superhero team in this movie then the full Avengers team would have still been formed, and they may have stood a better chance against Thanos.
Overall, 'Captain America: Civil War' is one of Marvel Studios' best sequels to date. Whilst the romantic relationship between Steve and Sharon is somewhat questionable, the rest proves to be one of the studio at its absolute finest, with a thrilling manipulator in Baron Zemo and a perfect introduction for two of the universe's most iconic masked vigilantes. Captain America: Civil War is proof that directing duo the Russo Brothers know exactly how to approach these major superhero team-ups, and we can only hope that after Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame, they will one day make their triumphant return to the universe that defined their directing style.