Writing a review for Captain America: Civil War is almost a wasted effort. The internet is crawling with dense and well thought out articles, breaking down Cap’s third movie into chunks of analyzable pieces.
But in all seriousness, any review of Civil War can be summed up with a simple sentiment: The movie is amazing, and it’s ridiculous you haven’t already seen it 37 times.
I absolutely loved Captain America: Civil War. It’s the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron should have been and the movie Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice wishes it was.
I’m not a fan of spoilers, so for those who haven’t seen the movie, don’t worry. You won’t catch any details here. I wouldn’t want to rob you of the joy of experiencing this film spoiler-free.
The movie pits Steve Rogers against Tony Stark in an ideological fight that feels necessary and earned given events of previous films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s the personal relationships that universe has built up until this point that gives the film the emotional weight to turn what could have been just a good superhero movie into a great film.
The Russo Brothers, who direct the movie, cut their teeth on episodes of “Arrested Development” and “Community” (two of the funniest shows to ever be on television). Both shows feature ensemble casts and stories that weave complicated narratives while making sure time is given to fully develop each character. The Russo Brothers brought that aspect to Marvel when they first directed Captain America: Winter Soldier. In Civil War, they are just showing off. It is that good.
You would expect a movie with so many heroes to feel over-stuffed and light on character development, but each of the characters, including the new and improved Spider-man and the finally introduced Black Panther, are treated with such care. Each character gets his or her time to shine. It is almost like each of the characters showed up to steal the show, and they all managed to do it.
Civil War is ultimately about family, the family we are born into and the family we choose. The final act of Civil War pits brother against brother in a heart-breaking battle that exchanges the bombast of end-of-the-world stakes (too common in comic cook movies) for an intimate brawl between characters who care so much it hurts.
Do yourself a favor this week. Carve out some time to see Civil War. If you are a comic book fan, you will love it. It may be the best comic book movie of all time. If you haven’t bought into the comic book movie craze the X-Men kicked off more than 15 years ago, this movie may make you a true believer. I’m not kidding. It really is that good.
