As in the comic books, nothing really bad happens when the good guys rumble despite the serious issues in play. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, cross-over comic book battles were always big sellers, and this is just the next step in their evolution. The film’s success rests with its ability to match fans’ expectations when it comes to the superhero-on-superhero violence.
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But at least this movie addresses the subject matter rather than continuing to ignore it. In general, the X-Men stories have done a better job of this. Civil War goes down the same road, with William Hurt and Martin Freeman providing the “voices of reason.” The concept of a government body regulating superhero actions is intriguing but it’s neither well considered nor effectively implemented in Civil War. Superman attempted (with limited success) to address the subject of collateral damage from superhero actions - that the number of civilian casualties is unacceptable even when the objective (usually eliminating a supervillain threat) is achieved. Consequences, however, are disappointingly limited. Thus are the battle lines drawn and what starts as a political argument evolves into an all-out war. Newcomers Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) side with Iron Man. Others - Cap, Falcon (Anthony Mackey), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) - believe that autonomy is critical. Several of The Avengers - Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle), and Vision (Paul Bettany) - reluctantly agree. Viewed with increasing distrust by nations around the world, the superhero group is asked to accept oversight by an international commission. Once again captured by bad guys and reprogrammed to kill, The Winter Soldier returns to the nemesis column - at least for part of the movie.Īside from the Cap/Bucky relationship, Civil War is about adding a real-world element to the existence of The Avengers. To the extent that Civil War can be said to focus on any one of a myriad of subplots (there are too many), it revolves around the fractious relationship between Captain America (Chris Evans) and his childhood friend-turned-Manchurian Candidate Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Instead, this is posited as a direct follow-up to Captain America: Winter Soldier.
Although Civil War doesn’t ignore the events of Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (something I’m sure many fans wish was the case), it glosses over them. Those who attend this movie expecting to see a superhero smack-down won’t be disappointed, but anyone partial to Captain America’s saga may feel shortchanged. Depends on your concerns about a “virgin movie-going experience.”ĭespite the name, Captain America: Civil War feels more like an Avengers movie than a Captain America one (not withstanding Cap’s participation in both series). Spoiler Alert! Nothing overt but I hint at some plot developments that some readers may not want to know about until after they’ve seen the movie.