Captain America: Civil War

This movie has a fantastic plot and brings all these characters perfectly on screen. The conflict between Steve and Tony is written so well. Zemo is also a good side villain in this movie. The action scenes were well-made.

What impresses me about this movie is how much good was done in a short amount of time for each character. There are really clever time-saving 'tricks' like Tony using the broom to bust open the hatch that caused the Spidey costume to come dangling down. That saved them minutes of precious dialogue; it just cut straight to the point. And during that whole scene in Peter's place, almost every line of dialogue counted toward something important, with just enough 'fluff' to make it sound like a real conversation instead of 'movie dialogue' (the funny asides like 'please move your leg' and 'your ridiculously hot aunt'), etc.

The same is true about the scene near the beginning with Tony's holographic 'flashback' . That scene served so many purposes at once - first, it got me caught up in the background story; then, it gave me an insight into Tony's attitudes and regrets concerning his parents; then, when it was shown that it was a therapy technique, it showed me that Tony still has unresolved emotional issues concerning his parents, which then set up the stage for a reveal that causes Tony's later actions.

These two previously mentioned scenes took about four or five minutes tops, and many other scenes in the film managed to squeeze in a half-hour's worth of material (per scene) into 5-minute snippets by accomplishing a lot of stuff simultaneously (story-building AND character-building AND plot development) , and making it feel natural and not rushed or forced.

This film serves as a great example for others to study when it comes to screenwriting effectiveness. Something really remarkable was done here. And it was very refreshing after seeing so many big-budget blockbusters with horrible screenwriting.

Captain America Civil War is a gripping, bold, smart and awesome superhero movie. It boasts of a talented cast, a great direction and awesome action sequences. Matching spectacular and epic moments with the smarts of a great, grown up thriller, Captain America Civil War is a fun, epic and emotional ride that you won't miss.

Rating: 8,8.

At the start, the film finds Captain America yet again adjusting to working under the increasingly morally ambiguous ways of the new Avengers structure. The set up is masterfully done. This is the fifth time we've seen the character and it's remarkable how complex and how much depth has been layered on to developing this icon. The Avengers film touched a bit with his feelings of what it was like to be in the modern era, and Winter Soldier drove the point home. Following that classic sequel, Civil War is a wonderful character study to go along with a purely thrilling plot. This was exactly the perfect vehicle to deliver a film to advance the character of Captain America but also give Tony Stark a perfect finishing arc and more development himself. What makes BOTH Steve and Tony interesting aren't their abilities or weapons but the men themselves. Steve's moral code and "man out of time" elements are tested in this film but not in a way anyone saw coming. The viewer that normally would trust that Cap is doing what's right can look at his actions in a different light. He is still coming to terms with a past that is long gone and he is still longing for a better more decent era. Putting Bucky back in the mix clouds his judgment. Dealing with the shades of grey of the modern era and being part of any controlling organization after the events of the Winter Soldier movie has changed him. It's exactly like all the epic events and decisions Tony Stark has made over five films has changed the character of Iron Man. The resulting conflict between the two is as epic as can be.

Like in Steve's last solo movie, his past comes back and explodes all throughout his new life. Tracking down his old pal Bucky, who was once an amoral assassin and a mind controlled Russian thug, proves to be a catalyst to everything that happens. Everything happens and unfolds in a believable and an intelligent manner. Every single ultimately cool character gets a chance to shine including Bucky but also incredible new characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man. Each one is fleshed out wonderfully for their supporting roles. Again, beyond cool.

I really enjoyed both previous Captain America films but this movie is as dark and exciting as Winter Solder but also adds a degree of depth. This movie has a whole new flavor and that's exactly what was needed and what Marvel does so well. The 1940's romance and even the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" tone fit the first film quite nicely. The conspiracy thriller vibe of the second film was refreshing and so well done. Here, just like the Cap character, adaptation is a key. What they deliver with this Civil War feels fresh and is certainly amazing. Steve is still a patriot but he's continuing to question authority. His old-fashioned values pay off in many cases but here, are they leading him astray? Questioning what is wrong and questioning what is morally cloudy is a test of true character. Yet, being old school stubborn can result in missing key points and can result in bad consequences. That is exactly why the character of Steve Rogers is so interesting. He's so much more than a super soldier boy scout. There's depth, angst and pathos and we all can relate to him. He is out-of-place and he is old-fashioned but proud of that in a way. In a movie like this, pride comes before the fall. Tony Stark is ahead of him on that curve. Tony knows the price of arrogance and even the price of acting unilaterally with the best of intentions. He knows the road to hell is paved with those best of intentions. When these two philosophies and life lessons collide, that's as cool as the superhero brawl that accompanies it.

The story itself is an amazing action thriller with a ton of intrigue and psychological issues. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be this clever and this deep. I did expect it to be exciting and it certainly delivers on that. Each new character and each hold over Avenger character works in to the story perfectly. Everything about this movie is a joy to watch. The cast is perfect and everyone is used exceptionally well. This IS the best sequel the genre has ever seen and I know tat's saying a lot. It could be Marvel's best effort ever.

Captain America: Winter Soldier was everything I wanted from a superhero movie. It was well directed, written and acted, and I was very excited for the next Captain America movie. And this movie most definietly delivered in quality. Is it as good as its predecessor? No, definietly not. There are a few flaws, which I'll talk about later. With that being said, this movie gets 4 things right for every one thing it does wrong. The plot is engaging and for the most part easy to follow and the pacing is solid. The characters all feel very 3-dimentional and fleshed out, and none of them feel different from what we already know. The movie's biggest strength is the interactions between the characters, and the different arguments presented by both sides. I love that despite obviously wanting us to side with Cap's team, the movie doesn't really make one side the "correct" one. Both sides present reasonable and logical arguments, and there is no right answer to what the Avengers should do. The new characters such as Black Panther and Spiderman are both very interesting and compelling, and both feel like a natural inclusion to the character list. All this is of course helped by some excellent performances as usual. The direction and cinematography are also both really good, and the action scenes are almost just as good as in Winter Soldier, even though some feel a little meaningless. And, while it might not be a big deal, MAN was it good to see a truly great antagonist in Zemo. He's well written and very well played by Daniel Brühl, and he challenges the ideological perspectives of our hero in a way no other villain in the MCU has done before. With that being said, his plan is somewhat ridiculous, and felt a little too complicated. The movie also feels a little dumb sometimes. It feels like Cap and Stark could've solved the issue much sooner had they just communicated better. Those are my main complaints, and while there are a few other things I could nitpick, nothing really ruins the film by any means. It's a more mature take on the Marvel formula, and while it's the best movie in the franchise, it's still more than good enough for me to recommend it.