Captain America: Civil War (2016) Mini-Review — The Analytic Critic
Though Age of Ultron was a solid Avengers film, it had its fair share of flaws. Captain America: Civil War is essentially the third Avengers film in disguise, yet it features a couple of major positive changes — it’s focused and full of strong character development for its three central characters, as well as its two supporting ones. This is definitely one of the MCU’s best movies. How so? Let’s take a look.
WRITING:
After the disaster that took place on Sokovia, the United Nations has decided to have the Avengers sign the accords and lose control over their international superhero business. Basically, it makes sure that the Avengers are the property of the government, restricting their missions to ones approved by the U.N.
While many Avengers are willing to sign away their autonomy, others are not. At the head of those in favour of security is Tony Stark, while Steve Rogers commands the group in favour of freedom. As a result, a violent chase ensues, one that threatens to tear the Avengers apart forever.
The plot is actually more complex than this, though not so much that it winds up being convoluted. Despite featuring a multitude of characters, Civil War is an incredibly focused narrative. This is because the film wisely chooses to center on three particular characters: the Winter Soldier, Captain America, and Iron Man.
The pace is brisk, yet there are several character moments that are key to illustrating the main theme. The choice of security over freedom is made by many Avengers, and it’s one that highlights the dangers of giving in to fear. Ultimately, Civil War is very much a Captain America film with a lot of Avengers sprinkled in to add to the fun and diverse roster.
New to the Avengers is Black Panther, who actually gets enough screentime for a full subplot and character arc. This is counter to his solo film, which I’ll be getting to soon enough. My only issue with the script is that the humour doesn’t land that often. Marvel really needs to learn when and how to implement comedy relief.
CAST:
Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are played by Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. respectively. Evans is fantastic with his more natural method of acting, while RDJ is equally awesome with his theatricality. The two also have an interesting chemistry that compells the viewer to participate in the conflict and choose a side.
The Winter Soldier is played by Sebastian Stan, who believably seems torn apart by his past with Hydra and his friendship with Rogers. Stan is excellent, just like Evans and RDJ.
There are way too many side characters played by solid actors to mention. Just know that the majority of them are well-cast. I’ll focus on a couple of standouts.
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panthere and Anthony Mackie as Falcon demonstrate superior acting chops and constitution that most of the cast. Period. They’re just that good.
Then you have Paul Rudd and Tom Holland. Rudd plays Ant-Man surprisingly well; he makes the only actually funny quips in Civil War. And Holland is the best , most energetic Spider-Man we’ve ever gotten. I look forward to roles these two men take on in the future.
Now for the weaker performances. Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner just aren’t up to par with the rest of the cast. If MArvel had its time back, they should have cast more capable actors for these significant characters in the MCU.
PRODUCTION:
Most of Civil War’s production is top notch or at least competent. Between the awesome editing and colour correction, the immaculate set design, and realistic costumes, every secondary element of production is crafted with love and an attention to detail. If I have one issue, it’s with Spider-Man’s costume: it’s much too vibrant, cartooney, and fake-looking to fit Civil War’s darl tone.
The cinematography, however, is PERFECT. The Russor brothers deliver the best action sequences, every well-choreographed move having impact. The fact that they are also amazing at character moments is just icing on the cake.
Special effects are also quite immersive, as is the CGI. Combined with the cinematography, they could potentially hold up for decades to come. Another minor complaint I have is with the soundtrack — it’s certainly good, but not epic enough to capture the spirit of the Avengers.
SUMMARY:
The Captain America movies are proving time and time again to be examples of brilliant filmmaking, and this one’s no different. The talent behind every element of production almost always elevates Civil War beyond the limits of the superhero blockbuster genre.
Captain America: Civil War gets an 8.5 out of 10.
