Friday, April 29, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW: CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

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From IMDB:

Storyline

After another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps, one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark's surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

Captain America: Civil War (2016) on IMDb


Reviews 92 user | 108 critic



MOVIE INFO

Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps-one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark's surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

Rating: PG-13 (for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem)
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
In Theaters: May 6, 2016 Wide
Runtime: 2 hr. 26 min.
Walt Disney Pictures - Official Site


TOMATOMETER 98%
Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 59
Fresh: 58 | Rotten: 1
Critics Consensus: Captain America: Civil War begins the next wave of Marvel movies with an action-packed superhero blockbuster boasting a decidedly non-cartoonish plot and the courage to explore thought-provoking themes.
WANT TO SEE 99% want to see
User Ratings: 103,523

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR OPENS ON THE 6th MAY IN THE US AND ON THE 28th OF APRIL IN MALAYSIA. TO FIND OUT WHEN IT OPENS NEAR YOU CLICK HERE

Believe it or not this guy is the guy that starts the mess in this movie. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures


The Marvel movie where your favorite heroes spend more time fighting each other than the bad guy...

Okay, so I went to watch Civil War last night and after that I discovered on IMDB that this movie doesn't open in the US until May 6th so I'm going to try to keep this review relatively spoiler free.

So Civil War, defined as a war between citizens of the same country and in the Marvel comic book universe it was a seven issue limited-series crossover storyline that featured a whole bunch of Marvel characters written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven and released between 2006 - 2007. But it wasn't a one-off thing, the Civil War storyline actually builds upon events in previous Marvel issues namely, Avengers Disassembled, House of M, and Decimation. But it doesn't end with the seven issue series either, there is a planned sequel supposed to be released in 2016. I never read a single page of any of it. I just read the Wiki for it. Sounds like it's a good read. 

Later on this guy shows up and gets blamed for everything. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

So what was the Civil War in the comic book all about? Well, according to the Wiki page for it it started after several superhuman-related events caused massive destruction, damage and death of civilians after these events the public weren't too happy with the Superheros and the Government decided to do something about it but it really didn't come to pass until the one particular event, when a group of young Superheros calling themselves the New Warriors, who have a reality TV show tried to capture a group of Supervillains to boost ratings. Instead of capturing them one of them named Nitro ends up blowing up several city blocks including an elementary school and killing 600 people, 60 of them kids. 

Which results in a little bit of this. But don't worry it doesn't last long. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

After this event the Government decided to pass a legislation requiring Superhumans to register themselves with the Government and stop playing vigilante and instead become something like a special task force under the Government with salary and all. But once they signed up they'd have to follow the rules set by the Government as well as reveal their secret identities. This didn't sit well with some of them which led to them splitting into two factions, one led by Tony Stark who actually didn't agree with the legislation at first but changed his mind after the events that lead to those 600 deaths and the other led by Captain America who of course didn't agree with the legislation since it would mean that the Government would now know who they really are which also means that anyone could find out who they really are and who their loved ones are. 

Eventually he gets caught but that doesn't last too long either. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

So both sides battle each other and some of your superheroes die. There's also a couple of issues that come after the seven-issue series where Tony Stark gets to explore alternate outcomes of the Civil War in different realities. Sounds like fun especially the one reality where civil war was avoided completely because in that reality Tony Stark is a woman named Natasha Stark and she marries Captain America, Steve Rogers. So instead of a civil war I guess they just had couple fights which were solved through couples therapy. 

Because this guy wants to ask him a few questions. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

In the movie version of Civil War directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, picks up of course after Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) but it also references all the other events in past Marvel movies particularly Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and The Avengers (2012) and more specifically the massive death and destruction that surrounds the events in those films. But those events merely planted the seeds of doubt, distrust and displeasure in the governments of the world. In the opening sequence to Captain America: Civil War you'll discover the event that pushes things too far which leads to the Government of the World to come up with the Sokovia Accords, a legislation that requires all enhanced individuals to register themselves with the United Nations and work under them in the future answering to the Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) . Tony Stark/Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.) becomes the man who pushes the others to sign the agreement. Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) refuses and cites his distrust of politicians and agendas and the inability to act on situation due to those agendas. 

But not before Vision gets his ass kicked. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The Avengers are split between the two with Vision (Paul Bettany), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and War Machine/Lt. James Rhoades (Don Cheadle) agreeing with Stark and Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) agreeing with Captain America. Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) is at this point undecided. But soon events are soon made worse when during the signing of the Sokovia Accords a terrorist attack happens and the main suspect turns out to be Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) which now draws the interest of Prince T'Challa rom the nation of Wakanda who is also Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). In the ensuing disagreement between Ironman who is trying to arrest Captain American and those who support him Ironman enlists the help of a young boy named Peter Parker/Spiderman (Tom Holland) while Captain America gets Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) to enlist Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff and Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Black Panther is at the moment pursuing his own interest but temporarily sides with Team Ironman until he discovers the whole story. Thor meanwhile is back home in Valhalla and Bruce Banner is holidaying somewhere trying to meditate the Hulk into submission. Maybe.

Then they have a big fight in an airport where apparently no flights are scheduled to take off and is relatively deserted.. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

So here's the things that I liked about Captain America: Civil War

  1. Directed by the same guys that did Captain America: The Winter Soldier and written by the same guys it has the same intense and tight story. If you enjoyed that movie, you will most definitely enjoy this one.
  2. The story which is the most adult and relevant of all the Marvel movies taking it out of the comic book and the cartoony supervillains and problems.
  3. The fact that there is a bad guy in this movie but he isn't an enhanced or powerful one and how his agenda pushes Captain America and Ironman towards different directions causing them to clash.
  4. The way the disagreement is handled between the two sides. They fight yes and don't hold their punches back but in the end they understand where each is coming from. It's a gentlemanly disagreement.
  5. The action sequences which are incredible and incredibly impressive to watch and nothing like you've ever seen before in some cases.
  6. The camera work which is tight and gritty making the most of the action scenes as well as the dramatic ones where you get to experience the conflict they're feeling emotionally. 
  7. The way each character is handled. You get to enjoy each one sufficiently without feeling that anyone was truly left out, even the new ones, Black Panther and young Spiderman. 
  8. The way the new superheroes are introduced. Just enough to give some meat to the characters and put them in the story. As well as Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) who will be appearing more in the upcoming Marvel films I'm guessing.
  9. The way this story ties in with a lot of the other Marvel movies and how it'll jump start the next one namely the Black Panther movie and of course the new Spiderman reboot being done by Sony which will include Ironman. 
  10. The performance of each actor in their respective roles. Especially Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and Robert Downey Jr. Also enjoyed Chadwick Boseman and the new Spiderman Tom Holland. Looking forward to their respective upcoming movies. 
So that's all I can think of for now. I really enjoyed the ride this movie took me on. 

A fight that Ironman invited some kid to to steal Captain America's shield. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I've heard from a few of my friends that they're experiencing a little burnout from watching all the Marvel movies, that they're getting tired of Superhero movies but I think this will change their minds. I also think this movie raises the bar for the other Marvel movies coming up this year and the next. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) will have its work cut out to impress when it opens this coming May 19th. Doctor Strange might fare a little better considering it opens later in the year and has a fresh new character for us to get to know. The only thing that movie has to worry about is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story but that opens a month after Doctor Strange so maybe there's nothing to worry about there. 

So since I enjoyed this movie and plan to watch it again, I am going to agree with everyone and give this movie a solid 4.5 out of 5. 

Here's the trailer for you to check out. 



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