CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
Film Review by Fiore
It is with
trepidation and remorse I write this review for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR.
It’s not because the movie is poor.
Just the opposite; it is exceptionally well made and entertaining. It is, however, the last Marvel superhero
script written before the Disney take-over.
This final script, by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, was not
completely done when Disney arrived, so it does contain a few Disney agenda
inserts, and they are definitely noticeable; like the demonization of American
values, and the righteousness of the noble savage. I fear the excellence shown in the Marvel
films, particularly in the Captain America series, will now be reduced to
Disney-esque storylines and social commentary.
Viewers can already spot aspects in CAPTAIN
AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. Paul Rudd as
Ant-Man is once again more comedic than adult graphic novel in content; a
similar mien is established for the new version of Spider-Man; and, though this
script has him as correct in concept, Cap himself is portrayed as a
representative who will not kowtow to unified diplomacy as he opts to retain
his status as a symbol of American justice.
This, in only a way Disney could pervert, makes him the bad guy.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR begins with the aftermath of THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. In this beginning, the film bears a striking resemblance
to DC’s BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF
JUSTICE. You simply can’t spend
millions of dollars on the SFX guys to drop cities out of the sky and not
expect people to be injured. Nevermind
the Avengers saved the world from two virtual take-overs, people were hurt or
killed in the battles and therefore the superhero team must be held
accountable. These are favorite themes
of progressive liberals: there is always
someone accountable (usually a patsy, and never the right person), and wars can
be fought and won without civilian casualties.
The
governments of the world, or at least 117 of them, decide they can appoint a
committee to oversee the Avengers and they will decide when and where their
talents are used. Tony Stark, on a guilt
trip over the creation of Ultron is all too eager to sign the accord and remove
himself from responsibility for the group’s actions. Sounds very similar to our current
administration, doesn’t it? Captain
America wants no part of it. He is
ingrained with American values and exceptionalism, and they serve as his moral
compass. It is a good one, and others in
the group agree with him. Thus, we have
a chasm in the world of superheroes which results in a momentous battle
between, essentially, the word vs. the
spirit of the law.
Luckily for
all involved, both Thor and Hulk have mysteriously disappeared. Either one could have tipped the scales in
this conflict, but the film did have a budget.
This allows Directors Anthony and Joe Russo to concentrate on the feud
brewing between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers over the past two Avenger films.
The plot
becomes more complicated when Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, is thrown into
the mix. Stark wants him prosecuted in
lynch mob style, while Rogers is determined to stand by his friend. While Bucky is made the issue, the crux of
the problem is really the Avengers autonomy.
Back for
another go-round are: Robert Downey, Jr as Iron Man; Chris Evans as Captain
America; Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow; Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye; Paul
Bettany as Vision; Don Cheadle as War Machine; Sebastian Stan as Bucky; Paul
Rudd as Ant-Man; Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch; and Anthony Mackie as
Falcon. New to the mix are Tom Holland as Spider-Man, and Chadwick
Boseman as Black Panther. Non superhero
stars include William Hurt, Martin Freeman, Hope Davis, Alfre Woodard and
Marisa Tomei, who is poised to give a whole new persona to Aunt May.
KEY SCENES TO LOOK FOR:
1.
The opening
battle in Lagos
2.
Chasing
Bucky
3.
Airport tag-team
match
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR boasts spectacular SFX, though a
chink in Marvel’s armor is showing. The
fight sequences are more stilted. Usually, the stars are filmed in key action
shots, and then the animators connect the shots to make the sequence. In this movie more than previous endeavors,
there is a noticeable difference between the two forms. It is slight, but it is definitely
there. Trent Opaloch served as
Cinematographer, while Owen Paterson handled the production design. Both are quality craftsmen and with a budget
upwards of $250 million, they should not have been hampered. Hopefully, it is not a harbinger of things to
come.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR also serves as a nice set-up for ANT-MAN 2, THE BLACK PANTHER and the new SPIDER-MAN redo. It also makes way for Chris Evans’ exit. But the writing is already on the wall for
Marvel’s future under Disney. In this
film, the big drag down battle at the airport is not something Geoff Johns
would write, but rather something Vince McMahon would orchestrate for Monday
Night Raw. In fact, the entire scene, given
prominence in the movie’s trailers, serves as the film’s comic relief.
Ant-Man and
the new Spider-Man are showing a more humorous, very family friendly twist as
the first true creations, along with Black Panther, under the Disney
umbrella. Black Panther serves to
bolster the minority participation, and box office, while representing an
independence free from vengeance and based on a social democratic ideology. All hail Disney! This is obvious banality; the stuff you will
not see on Netflix’s DAREDEVIL.
So, we close
the book on Marvel’s filmmaking, and turn the reigns over to the mouse. The kids will love it. This film actually had key dialogue scenes,
and a development of argument in its script.
However, in any film, that takes time, and many of the youngsters were
getting antsy in the theatre. Most
muttonheads want superheroes joking and whirling around and not stories. I fear the upcoming Marvel movies will offer
just that.
THE GRADE FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL
WAR = B
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