Civil War: Review [No Spoilers]

Marin

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Captain America: Civil War - Spoiler Free Review
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Hello fellow forumers, having written a review on the hot topic that was Batman v Superman, I decided to give my two cents on the hottest thing in the cinema at this moment - Captain America: Civil War. Just like last time, it's gonna be completely spoiler-free so even if you haven't seen the film (and I mean what are you waiting for?) you can read without any danger. I'll be going over the movie's individual elements and talk about what I did and didn't like. So without any more delaying let's get to it.

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Ok, so first off, I gotta say. This is a different Marvel movie. It may be just me, but the feeling and tone of this movie is a bit different compared to the previous entries in the Cinematic Universe that it really speaks loud and clear "Hey, this is Phase 3 here. Prepare to be amazed." and it really delivers. While some may not appreciate the more serious and gritty approach, I sure consider it a welcomed change after a wave of cartoonish villains, predictable twists and all the other things that made some of the Phase 2 movies a bore to watch.

Don't get me wrong tho, I'm not talking about going all DC dark and serious. This is still a Marvel movie and you can clearly see their magic touch in this, just a bit stepped up with a more mature plot that touches on some suprisingly thought-provoking themes. Now, I mentioned Phase 2 movies, and one of the things that definitelly bothered me the most was the occasional forced humour that would ruing an otherwise intense scene. Here, while scattered, humour is timed perfectly. And when it hits, it hits great. I've laughed my butt off (pardon the term) on every joke and none of them were cheesy at all which is more than what can be said for the previous titles.

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Now, with such a good balance between the serious and the funny, we have a great foundation to tell a good story. So, how good is it? Pretty damn good if you ask me. Captain America always had good movies, and this one is no exception. The story is pretty complex and involves mainly 2 things:

- the world being fed up with the destruction Avengers cause, forcing the goverment to sign a document that would make Avengers a tool of the United Nations
- Captain's struggle to find what's left of his old friend Bucky while protecting him from both the world that sees him as a threat and Bucky himself

The political aspect was finally done well. Up until now, the goverments of the MCU were a total joke to me for everything from not being able to take Stark's suit way back in Iron Man 2, all the way to present day. Here, tho, the joke stops. Politicians finally act as they would in the real world and the army isn't interested in excuses. Arguably, the main focus of this movie are consequences. Dealing with what your actions bring. The consequences of reckless actions fall on the back of the entire Avengers which is a deciding factor in driving them apart. This happens pretty early and sets the tone for the whole movie.

The images really have impact and will not leave you cold-hearted. Besides that, there wouldn't be a movie had the characters not have any struggles themselves. The main one resolves around Captain's quest to save Bucky, but he's not the only one with a seperate reason to fight. The new face, Black Panther has a very good reason for being in the film and, while his presence may be unclear to those unfamiliar with the comics, when he appears things only get more intense.

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Speaking of new faces, we get an old-new player here - Spider-Man. For some, one of the main reasons why they went to see the film, this Spider-Man is by far the best one. While I'm not really sure just yet how I feel about the actor, Spider-Man as in the character, truly lives up to the "amazing". He's a perfect balance of childish innocence and superhero power house as he can do more than hold his ground in a fight. The chemistry between him and other characters really makes the movie a lot more enjoyable than it would be without him.

I spoke about the motives of Black Phanter, so I might as well go into that field some more. The characters, and I mean all the characters, have a very good and clear reason for joining the fight. For some it's personal, for others its political, but they all undeniably have a reason to be in the film and don't feel stuffed in at all. The drama and their interactions in the most painful and hard moments is flawless and seriously makes you feel what they feel. It makes you so engaged in the film that you really feel bad for both sides. Atleast I did.

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That said, the characters writing would be meaningless if the actors did a bad job of bringing it to life. Here, the acting is great. Every actor truly did the best they could to present the moral dilemmas and the inner demons they face, especially Robert.

Now, what about the technical aspect? Well, as usual, Marvel's CGI is top-notch. The editing is good, although the tendency to shake the camera that the Russo brothers have is still present so I had a hard time getting what's going on at some parts, especially the beginning fight sequence. Despite this, the visuals are great.

Much like the visual aspect, the soundtrack is pretty much what we already expected from Marvel. It's mostly the same/similar OSTs we've heard in the previous movies. They sound nice and make for a good background, but really don't feel memorable and are easy to forget.

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Now, it may seem like this is the best Marvel movie ever and an absolute masterpiece, but honestly that would depend on what you wanted to happen. While the movie absolutely delivers on all it's points, some of the details bugged me too much to let them slip. I can't really say them as it would spoil the movie, but I wasn't really satisfied with some of the moves they made regarding the already established characters. Some of it simply takes away from the point of their respective movies and nullifies a lot of the development they went through. Maybe it's just me, but those who saw the movie probably know what I'm getting at.

Anyway, to put it simple.

Conclusion:

Captain America: Civil War is definitely an excellent movie, with interesting and complex plot, a different villain and fully used potential it's sure to please all those who had the patience to stick with Marvel for so long. Certainly a great lead on to Infinity War which will serve as the final chapter for our original hero line-up.

Pros:

- Interesting and different plot
- Great presentation
- Mature tone

Cons:

- A few details regarding the treatment of some characters that may take away from your enjoyment of the overall excellent movie

SCORE: 4.8/5
 
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Marin

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Good review but as you said it is spoiler free XD which makes it sound like beating around the bush to those who've watched it XD
Well tbh I really wanted to spoil as the review would be a lot more detailed both on the good and the bad stuff, but for those who haven't seen it. It's enough reason to know it's a good movie.

It's off to the cinema then :hs:
You won't regret it. It's spectacular. ^^
 
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