It seems that Marvel still knows how to impress! This year has been very much about the pressure DC Comics has tried to apply as they’ve dipped into the fantasy comic books film universe in deeper way. However, Marvel has held its head up high and with reason. At the end of the month the third Captain America will be released. There’s this timeline online which shows exactly how Marvel has planned their following years, but no one knew how well they seem to have planned it.
The main plot of Captain America: Civil War is a very simple one. The Avengers keep up the good work and try to save the world, however not everyone seems to be seeing their endeavors as positive ones. When they are asked to submit to the rule of The United Nations, the first crack takes place. Little did they know how much they were actually being played. Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans) goes strongly against signing the treaty, Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), after a confrontation with the mother of a victim, seems, for the first time, to try and make a decision based not only on his personal gain. Even more strange is that the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) backs him up. And they did use the humor of that situation to the best of their abilities.
While all of this decision making process takes place Zemo (Daniel Brühl), the master mind of the Avengers’ break-up, is carefully calculating his steps and making things happen. Principles and friendships are tested and the actual fight between the two Avengers teams is an absolutely brilliant one. Laugh out loud scenes harmoniously combined with action ones and great visual effects put this film at the top.
I will stop with the story telling because I do not want to ruin it for anyone, but I do have a few aspects that I do need to mention, aspects that you might know about already, so no harm done. Or so I hope.
First thing first, we are introduced to a few new characters, wonderfully built, even if we only get a few glimpses into who they are. The first one is Spiderman (Tom Holland), a new and very young Peter Parker, living with his aunt and brought in by Tony Stark only a few months after he has discovered his new powers. The kid, even if he talks a lot, actually way more than it usually happens in a fight, is finally a worthy Spiderman. Not sure about you, but up until this point, I felt that they just did not seem to cast that one correctly. Well, panic no more, because they have finally found a Spiderman worth having on the big screen. We may have waited for quite a bit to get him, but we finally did, which is all that matters! Referring to Iron Man as Mr. Stark, the kid brings a dose of innocent to the team and to the heavy adult behavior scenes.
The second aspect which needs mentioning is another new character – Panther or T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) who is not only a very skilled fighter, but also a king! I know, talk about tricky! The new ruler is as wise as he is brave and ultimately knows better and offers the needed support. Very well cast, Chadwick Boseman does have something royal about him and he manages to communicate that to the audience.
Goofy Ant Man joins the Captain America team and Hawkeye also comes back to support them. The
Scarlett Witch seems to be forming some sort of bond with the all calculated Voice and the Black Widow seems to be caught right in the middle, like a mother trying to make all her stubborn kids get along. Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is also back and ultimately is the final drop when it comes to the split taking place between Tony Stark and Captain America. The two teams were skillfully built, each of the members having a clear role in the new hierarchy, from the leaders to their advisers and to the funny new guys who ease the tension every now and then.
Talking about Cap and Tony, both of them show us vulnerable sides as they lose people close and dear to them. You could actually say it’s a film motivated by the difficult times which human nature goes through when having to deal with loss. And in doing so Marvel sets the base for a different type of superhero movies. It will be hard for you to choose a team as the story develops because you will be able to identify with both and you will constantly second guess the choice or change your mind.
Visually, we all have expectations from Marvel and they won’t disappoint. From well planned and executed fighting scenes in various corners of the world: Berlin, London, Bucharest, Lagos etc., to getting Spiderman out of the onesie he has into a proper costume and to the after the credits scenes which even if on Earth, looks a bit like from another more primal corner of the universe.
Captain America: Civil War is definitely a must see film. Through it Marvel has shown us, yet again, how it’s supposed to be done!
Captain America: Civil War will be released in the UK on the 29th of March.
