Review: Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War (12A)

USA 2016 147 mins Dir: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Don Cheadle, Daniel Bruhl, Paul Bettany, Tom Holland. Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner

It’s hard to imagine, eight years ago, that relatively unassuming superhero movie Iron Man would single-handedly shape the future of 21st century blockbusters, inaugurating the world-dominating Marvel Cinematic Universe and all of the dazzling characters contained within.

2016’s Civil War picks up with one of the franchise’s most unfairly derided characters, Chris Evans’ eponymous, star-spangled super-soldier who, it can be argued, is one of the very few Marvel heroes to have gained in stature across three excellent movies. From his pulpy, retro World War II origins in The First Avenger to his modern day unthawing in the shades-of-grey infused The Winter Soldier, the Captain has arguably had a more consistent batting average than the likes of Iron Man, Thor and Hulk. And if Civil War is very much the lesser of the Captain’s trio, that’s less a reflection of its own qualities and more a sign of the formidable standard set down by franchise high-points Iron Man, Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Building upon the schisms that first started to show in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Civil War sets up an ideological conflict between the eponymous Steve Rogers and his cohort Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr, effectively darkening his signature character), intelligently imagining why it would be that two former allies would find themselves on opposing sides. With the former advocating a no-holds-barred approach to world saving (a position seemingly untenable following the death of several civilians during an opening Lagos action sequence), the latter stresses the importance of limitations on the Avengers.

As a compromise, the Sokivia Accords are drafted (referring to the country upon whom so much destruction was wrought during the climax of Age of Ultron) but Rogers is wary of signing off too much control to government forces. When, during the later ratification of the Accords in Vienna, the King of Wakanda is killed in a bombing that implicates Rogers’ pal (and former Winter Soldier) Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the rifts deepen even further, our title character compromising the future of the Avengers in a bid to defend his friend’s name.

One of the problems the later phase Marvel movies have (let’s not forget, Civil War opens the all-important Phase III) is the sheer weight of baggage that comes with alluding to the future of the MCU, something that proved particularly damaging to the lumpen Age of Ultron. Although Civil War is much lighter on its feet than that movie, largely thanks to the sprightly efforts of returning Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo, there’s an awful lot of clock watching in the first third as the various chess-pieces are manoeuvred into place, multiple characters and storylines all jostling for position.

In addition to the central Rogers/Stark and Rogers/Bucky storylines, the movie must also find room for a host of returning faces and newcomers, all of whom split into Team Cap or Team Iron Man factions. In the former: winged Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and, most joyously, the miniscule Ant-Man (a welcome Paul Rudd). In the latter: Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Vision (Paul Bettany), the King of Wakanda’s vengeful son T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and a brilliant new Spider-Man (played with gawky, infectious enthusiasm by young Brit Tom Holland).

It’s a lot of plates to keep spinning and the movie initially struggles under the weight of getting everything established. Come the central airport battle however and the shackles are visibly lifted, the Russos and the cast unleashed on the tarmac at Leipzig Airport for what is possibly the most gleefully entertaining Marvel set-piece to date. Funny, thrilling and imaginatively staged, it’s what every comic book fan wants from the leap from page to screen whilst also serving as a neat set-up for aforementioned scene-stealers Black Panther and Spider-Man.

The increased confidence around the midway point of the movie yields a much more dramatically engaging second half as the connections between the Captain and Iron Man are intelligently deepened in a manner that’s intense without resorting to the self-serious murk of Batman v. Superman. Certain shots are pure visual nirvana, the placement of the Captain’s shield yielding one of the most provocative images in the entire franchise during the climactic face-off (a battle whose darker, more fraught tone neatly complements the lighter action of earlier). The presence of Daniel Bruhl as quietly insidious new villain Zemo is also a welcome change of pace from cackling world domination.

Although there are far too many characters (in particular, Martin Freeman’s fleeting cameo as Everett Ross will prove bewildering to the uninitiated) and the political nuances aren’t as intelligently expressed as in superior predecessor The Winter Soldier, this is more than Avengers mach III. Still fundamentally centred around Rogers’ journey it’s a Captain America movie first and foremost, continuing to explore this potentially queasy superhero’s relevance in an ambivalent era that threatens his unerring sense of idealism. By juicing the pulpy action with just enough thoughtful moments the Russos make this world, flaws and all, a pleasure to be part of.