Review of Captain America: Civil War (2016) by Ahnehnois — 05 May 2016

It's pretty much as good as one might have hoped. Unlike the last Captain America, this is basically an Avengers movie with a central thread built around Cap and his bro Bucky. However, it is much, much better than the last Avengers was.

The movie's downsides are its lack of focus; there is a balance between characters and storylines but they all go by really quickly. Also, like its competitor Batman v Superman, this movie is predicated on the odd conceit that the violence of the previous movies suddenly counts. Flipping the switch to suddenly have people care about death and mayhem is a bit awkward, as is the conflict in engenders, but if you're willing to go along for the ride, it's a fun ride.

The movie's upsides include possibly the best superhero action Marvel has put out and some pretty intriguing character introductions. It seems a strange choice to introduce a new Spider-Man by shoehorning him into a movie with a boatload of less popular characters, but the new take on the character is refreshing, genuine, and funny. Finally, a kid playing a kid. Black Panther is slightly less exciting and is walking on ice a little bit, but I felt the character worked and would want to see his solo movie.

The direction is slick, the mix of humor and action should appeal to most any audience, and the effects are great. But perhaps the biggest surprise (and maybe it shouldn't be) is that like the last movie in the series, this one really advances the continuity. The Marvel universe changes after this movie, in ways far deeper than a simple apocalypse averted or character death would suggest. All in all, it's a satisfying ride.