Captain America: Civil War
Cast includes: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, and many more
Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo
Screenplay by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Review by Hafsa Alkhudairi
Before I lecture you on the merits of this movie and how amazing some of the messages and idealisms in the story are, I would like to you all to know this may be very biased! Also, before I wax poetry about the Black Panther, the Vision, and Spider-Man, I will say that I went into the theatre not a part of #TeamCaptain nor #TeamIronMan. I saw their points and understood what they were aiming for. However, I came out of the showing as a part of #TeamBlackWidow! Her point of view and her admittance of a skew in her perception shows that she was the only one who is sane!
The movie, Captain America: Civil War, was an amazing superhero movie. It went beyond that and tried to understand the magnitude of the events they had to face and the repercussions of such actions. Obviously, that is not the villain nor their purpose, but it is a motif that many characters are exploring. The villain became both more and less important because of that. There is so much more at stake for everyone involved and this story’s conclusion has been coming for a while. I’m glad the director ended it as he did because there was no way one movie can resolve all the issues raised. With the changes to the next Avengers movie titles, the resolution will be happening slowly until the next movie where it will conclude.
The characters in the movie were portrayed amazingly and written beautifully. They were all true to character and did not act in ways that would be weird for them. There were many epic moments with these characters. Many of them show how much potential the characters have in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I highly enjoyed seeing them interact in such interesting ways and develop singularly and together.
*Begin Spoilers*
Plot wise, Captain America: Civil War‘s concept of having a governing body for the Avengers is good conceptually. The idea of the United Nations being the governing party is also a good idea conceptually. However, the Avengers weren’t answering to the UN. They answered directly to general Russo. He is a part of the American government. Also, the UN is not as unbiased as it should be. Hence, the plan is flawed. If the concept is implemented, it should have been with a system made of people nations to make an informed decision. I do believe that both Captain America and Iron Man were wrong. Tony Stark should not have to pressure or fight the Captain without hearing his side of the story. Steve Rogers should have not disregarded the others’ arguments without discussing the issue. I believe at some point they both realized that they weren’t completely right. However, if they did talk it out, it would not have as compelling a story!
Also, the villain’s simplicity in both plan and motive in Captain America: Civil War reflects that not all plans have to be elaborate or complicated to be effective. Because of its simplicity, it was actually successful!
*End Spoilers*
I appreciate how Captain America: Civil War answered questions raised from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also opens the door for the rest the universe to develop beyond just entertaining movies. There will be more multi-dimensional storylines than the basic hero defeats villain archetype that we’ve seen so far.
Verdict:
Watch it! Captain America: Civil War was outstanding. It provided the best characterization and the movie was arguably one of the best superhero films I’ve seen and it was great to see the question of responsibility going under scrutiny. I found the experience very enlightening. Especially, after seeing how torn apart the characters are over their mistakes in the past. I highly encourage those who go see it have an open mind and to see the many perspectives presented to then formulate your own.
