Earlier this week, I was decked out in my Team Cap clothes and screening the new Captain America Civil War. I'm a huge Captain America fan, Marvel nerd, and overall comic book lover. My favorite movies in the MCU so far are the original Avengers, Captain America Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ant-Man. I would now add Civil War to the list. It encompasses the reasons I love all of those into one. The depth of the storyline like Winter Soldier combined with the fun and sheer awesomeness of the others makes Civil War a must for any fan.
Get ready for the epic superhero showdown of Captain America Civil War!
This is what a battle between two superheroes should look like. The pacing, story, direction, and characters were all amazing. Each fight scene captures your attention and you won't want to even blink for fear of missing something. The conflict between Steve and Tony has really been simmering since they first met in the original Avengers, possibly longer in Tony's case. They have contrasting viewpoints on the world, hold to distinct values, look for solutions in different ways, and it all finally comes to a breaking point in Civil War.
We catch up to some of our favorite Avengers when a confrontation with a bad guy goes awry. People are scared, governments upset, and that leads to over 100 countries drafting the Accords (mentioned in one cut scene of Ant-Man). Iron Man and Captain America stand divided on this issue. Tony feels that the path of least resistance, signing the Accords, is the best option for the team, basically giving the UN control over when and where the Avengers save the world. Steve however is reluctant to sign, knowing that from experience, Organizations mean agendas. What will happen if they are called into a scenario they don't believe in? Or forbidden to intervene when they know they should? A line is drawn in the sand and we are taken on a journey to see the consequences of both their decisions.
Almost like the mascot to this turmoil is Bucky. He is back but we need to know, is he Bucky the guy who pulled Cap out of the Potomac or the Winter Soldier, a cold blooded assassin? With only Steve standing between him and an angry world, Bucky's fate hangs in the balance.
One things for sure, Bucky has some serious motorcycle chase scene skills.
Captain America Civil War introduces us to two newcomers: Black Panther and Spiderman. When I first saw Black Panther in the trailer I just knew he was going to be good addition. From what I know of his Comic Book self, I understood this dude was not one to mess with. Chadwick Boseman has a commanding presence both as Prince T'Challa and Black Panther. He is strong in body as well as mind, and a man who realizes there is a time for talk and a time for action.
Confession: I have never liked Spiderman. Before you sling webs at me, I just never liked his onscreen movie presence. In the cartoons? Sure. But what I enjoyed about his cartoon, comic book self, it just never seemed to come across in the movies. So when Tom Holland was cast, I thought he looks the part. But will he pull it off? Will he finally be the Spiderman that makes me like Spiderman? He rocked it. From the introduction of the character to his final scene, Spidey was great. There is one dialogue sequence that probably was my favorite of his. It brought 2 fandoms into the same movie and it was pretty legendary. I can't wait to watch his stand alone movie and to see where else he shows up in the MCU.
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Scarlett Witch, War Machine, Vision, Ant-Man, and Falcon round out our teams. Ant-Man shows up definitely ready to be just as super as the rest of Team Cap. Seriously, it is hard to talk about Paul Rudd's Ant-Man without gushing about him.
Falcon brings it, not only in his fight scenes but his interactions with the team. I adore how he and Bucky have this love-hate-dislike-I don't know about you but you're Steve's BFF but I don't trust you-likewise dude- thing going on.
If you remember Vision just came to being in Age of Ultron so it is interesting to see him try to acclimate to human-ish life. Also, could some of those acclimations be foreshadowing what might go down in Infinity Wars in terms of Vision?
Scarlet Witch was pretty impressive in Age of Ultron. The filmmakers really gave her a chance to shine in this movie. Watching her and knowing her origin from comic book lore, wow! The way she wields her powers is insane! It is like watching an intricate dance, a deadly dance, but a dance nonetheless.
Can I sign up for team Maximoff??
I'm also throwing in this screen shot because, umm well I'm sure you can figure it out.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a non-stop thrill ride of cinematic awesomeness you have got to see Captain America Civil War in theaters tomorrow!
