Spoiler Free Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016) · 5:21am May 6th, 2016

Captain America: Civil War is, to put it simply, the best film the MCU has given us so far. Picking up in the wake of the utter complete disaster that was Age of Ultron, Civil War works not only to restore the damage that Age of Ultron caused, but also follow up on the remaining plot threads from The Winter Soldier, while also laying groundwork for Phase Three of the MCU, while also standing as a strong film in it's own right.

The Russo Brothers once more firmly establish their ability to helm a superhero film with expert and precise skill. Perfectly balancing intense emotional drama with witty humor, and brilliantly constructed action sequences, they helm the film with confidence, keeping the pace direct, and allowing all of the characters room to breathe and shine, without overshadowing the other characters. This is no doubt helped by screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, whose screenplay equally balances character development and relationships with the duties of building the broader MCU, and keeping the conflict evenly balanced and emotionally arresting for the 147 minute running time.

The cast is a true ensemble, with no actor unnecessarily outshining the other. Instead, everybody gets a moment to shine, and establish themselves on screen as a character, and the interactions and chemistry of the cast is top notch. Furthermore, the central conflict of if there should be oversight for a team like The Avengers is a logical one, given the events of the MCU up to this point, and on top of that, both sides have valid reasons for being at odds with each other. The conflict is organic, and is played straight, without demonizing either side, or relying on shoddily written conflict balls or idiot plots to manufacture drama like Age of Ultron did. Instead, the conflict makes perfect sense, and the way the cards fall also makes sense.

Chris Evans continues to prove that he is a pitch-perfect Steve Rogers, and, most interestingly, isn't entirely in the right. His support of a totally independent Avengers, who work entirely free from any higher authority, has logic in the concept of being able to rapidly intervene in any potential conflict or villain plot, without having to file through a potential political/bureaucratic circus. However, at the same time, his steadfast, rock solid belief in the black and white nature of good and evil becomes a disadvantage. In his determined quest to find his long lost friend Bucky Barnes, and make sure he's not demonized for the actions he committed while brainwashed (as detailed in The Winter Soldier), Steve Rogers alienates his team-mates, and in his stubborn refusual to compromise in the slightest and agree to at least some degree of oversight, means that he steadily digs his own hole deeper. However, Rogers remains sympathetic, and raises several good points about remaining true to one's belief system, and not allowing the popular opinion unjustly warp one's personal sense of right and wrong. But at the same time, the film shows the consequences of this steadfastness, in that he very nearly destroys all he fought to protect. Also, his relationship with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is a true fire forged brotherhood, and one the audience accepts wholesale. Heck, even his budding, supremely subtle romance with Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) is given a nice and proper treatment. It's not trying to sell itself as the True Romance™ of Steve Rogers' life, but at the same time, the relationship makes sense, and is unobtrusive. Unlike the horrific Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanoff romantic plot tumor that hung around Age of Ultron like a mill stone.

Tony Stark is finally redeemed from the wayward character disasters that Joss Whedon's Age of Ultron and Shane Black's Iron Man 3 heaped upon his character. Instead of a self righteous douchebag who is right because the plot says he is, Tony is forced to come to terms with his selfishness, and in doing so, finally acknowledge his flaws, and once more take true responsibility for the problems he no doubt caused. In doing so, Tony returns to the man we knew and loved in Iron Man, eight years ago in 2008. And Robert Downey Jr. does it flawlessly. His backing of the accords to provide The Avengers with oversight feels like a genuine sense of needing to fess up to one's actions, and admit responsibility and pay for the consequences their actions might cause. And the film doesn't demonize him either, but instead shows a man who sincerely wants what's best for both the team, and the innocent people who may get caught in the crossfire of their battles against evil. This is a man who has learned from his mistakes, and now seeks to truly make restitution. Rules are there for a reason, and one cannot simply run around, doing whatever they feel is right without a broader perspective or anchor. And that's what Tony stands for.

The rest of the returning cast, such as Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner are all spot on, and all make their roles in the ensemble work perfectly. They all dutifully and ably provide support for Evans and Downey Jr., while still feeling like fully fledged characters, and not just window dressing.

Among the new faces are Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa (aka Black Panther), and Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, who is finally where he belongs, in the MCU. Of the two, Bosesman has the larger role, and he gives us a T'Challa I can easily see leading a great sub-franchise within the MCU. His T'Challa is a man of integrity and nobility, and his role in the conflict is very much on his own terms, and his beef with the Winter Soldier is one that, again, makes perfect sense for his character AND the story. Holland meanwhile, is easily the absolute best Peter Parker ever put to screen. No longer a mopey teen or a emo hipster, this Peter Parker is a fun, happy kid who just wants to do what's right, and is able to have fun doing it. His innocence and positive nature feels genuine, and while his part his small, it doesn't feel tacked on. Instead, it perfectly sets the tone for this Spider-Man, and for how he can indeed fit into the MCU.

Furthermore, Daniel Brühl is awesome in his role as Zemo, and since it's a rather spoiler heavy role, I can't really go into details (much of the charm of this film is seeing how the conflict plays out and the surprises it brings for us in the audience). Suffice to say, he's possibly the most finely textured and complex villain the MCU has had to date.

On the technical side of things, Trent Opaloch's lensing isn't flashy or overly flamboyant, but remarkably solid. The cinematography doesn't draw attention to itself, nor does it seek to grab our attention either. Instead, it fits the film's narrative and tone perfectly, and helps maintain a stylistic consistency with The Winter Soldier, which this film is without a doubt, tightly connected to. It helps that Opaloch was the cinematographer on that film as well.

Henry Jackman returns to score, following up his pitch-perfect score for The Winter Soldier with an equally solid and appropriate score. Like Opaloch, Jackman doesn't wish to draw attention to himself, but instead provide the perfect underscoring and emotional foundation for the film. His action music is perfectly timed to the action and a great way to get the blood pumping, while the more emotive moments feel warm and truly emotional. He's also to fully break himself away from the "Zimmer Sound" that plagues so many an action film score, instead relying on more organic, and at times, avant garde elements to make his music (such as the dissonant industrial sounds that go with The Winter Soldier)

So, suffice to say, this film is easily the best in the MCU so far. Properly building on all the previous films, both good and bad, and rightly improving on them and further building the universe, Civil War perfectly sets the stage for Phase 3 of the MCU, and now I'm quite happy to have my faith restored in superhero films.

Also, I feel I should say that, when you really think about it, the MCU isn't really about the events as it is about the characters. It's more about creating a broader, singular universe, then creating a stand alone film. Some films of the MCU, such as Iron Man 2 or Thor: The Dark World, have focused too much on the world building, at the expense of the characters. Others, such as Age of Ultron or Iron Man 3, were too locked into their own microcosms, but were unable to understand what made the characters tic, so instead, they felt like needless diversions. Civil War, however, finds that perfect balance, just like The Winter Soldier did, between world building, and character building, and it does so with wonderfully flying colors.

5 out of 5 stars, and the official Best Film of the MCU™...for now at least. Keep up the good work Russo Brothers. Keep up the good work.

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