Captain America: Civil War (2016)

 

'The Winter Soldier' was a most excellent addition to the MCU, a fun film that tried things a little differently. It wasn't an easy act to follow, and 'Civil War', though still highly entertaining, does indeed fall a little flat in comparison. But let's get to the why and how, shall we?

After a mission in Lagos goes a little south (especially with civilian casualties) the world has turned on the Avengers. We all know how fickle people can be, so this is actually fairly realistic. Not only do the Avengers doubt if their way of working is the right one, they are now under close scrutiny from politicians. General Ross explains that they either submit to the Sokovia Accords, which will bring them under control, or they will be branded criminals. Of course, there are two sides to this. Tony Stark and several others, being more inclined to the militaristic idea, think it is a good idea, but Captain America has doubts. Makes sense, as who's to say what they will be used for and who will decide when to engage in activities, as this idea makes them no more than puppets to whomever is in charge. 

The real rift comes when during the talks in Vienna to get these accords approved, a bombing kills the king of Wakanda, T'Chaka. It seems as if Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, is responsible for the attack, but when Steve Rogers goes on the hunt, he discovers Bucky is actually innocent. There is a Sokovian soldier by the name of Zemo that orchestrated it all, because he wants nothing more than to rip the team apart. He very nearly succeeds, in fact, so the plan isn't as far-fetched as would seem. 

But what mysteries from the past will come to the surface to haunt the members of Earth's mightiest heroes? 

The idea of using this storyline (somewhat adapted for the big screen, of course) is a good one. Conflict within a team is something that hasn't been done on this level and the stakes feel real. You of course get the old opposition between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, but that is because they are pretty much two sides of a coin. It works, because Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans sell it so well. You also get to know a little more about Wanda Maximoff, which is fun, as they are setting her up for bigger things in the future, and if you know the comics, you know she is one of the most powerful mutants out there, so... This film also introduces T'Challa, the Black Panther and even though he isn't on screen that much, the late Chadwick Boseman steals the scenes he's in, because the man had quite a lot of presence. 

But then there are the few problems that this film also has. Mainly that there is way too much going on and that this very obviously feels like a set-up for 'Infinity War' (which it of course is). That makes this one feel unfocused and at times like almost an afterthought. A lot of characters are dumped in this film and they don't get that much time to shine. That is hard to pull off, and the Thanos-saga does pull that off better, but here, it feels as though thery are still finding their footing with all these characters. 

Actually, that is probably the best way to describe this one: the segue for 'Infinity War'. Not that it's bad; heck, this is still highly enjoyable for the fans, but mostly for fans, not necessarily for the casual moviegoers. 

It does make you want to see 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' again, though. So well played.