CAUTION: FILLED WITH SPOILERS!
I’ve seen Captain America: Civil War twice now; first at a midnight release showing, and then again a few days later. Even so, it’s taken me almost a week to get my thoughts together and form a coherent response other than OMGSLVMNF. This will be definitely be a spider spoiler filled article, so proceed with caution if you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want it ruined for you. It will also be less of a balanced review and more of a list of reasons why this film is just so damn awesome, becuase I found very little fault with it even after a second viewing through a more critical eye. Let’s begin.
P.S. For those wondering, I didn’t pick a side/team. I did a comic-book Spider-Man and kept changing throughout, seeing the merits to both arguments.
1. Plots and sub-plots were balanced perfectly – Marvel have clearly upped their game for phase three.
Firstly, I tip my hat off to them for the way they weaved in the death of Tony’s parents. While the flashback near the opening seemed out of place at first, the realisation of its significance in the film’s climactic ending making it all the more heartbreaking. The first half built up tension as we’re reminded of the cause of the conflict, seeing the teams emerge, enemies pan out, the second half being where most of the fighting is at. It was clever at holding back sometimes from pulling out all the stops, making other scenes stand out for their emotional impact. Perhaps more importantly, they moved away from the standard ‘lets fight the bad guy and have a big battle scene then show a reasonably happy ending’. What made this film pack a punch was how, this time, the good guys were fighting each other, pulled along like puppets by bad guy Baron Zemo. In what I think was the most powerful scene in the film, Captain America and Iron Man are in brutal lockdown, resulting in an iconic moment straight out of the comic. I’m not ashamed to say I had tears in my eyes, wondering how far either of them were willing to go. The ending felt bittersweet, a reminder that it was exactly what it said it was going to be; a civil war. The game has well and truly changed.
2. Black Panther, you bad ass.
New characters are always exciting, and I walked away very impressed with how big a role they’d allowed Black Panther to play. He’s not a character I’m very familiar with, so I was interested in how he’d come across. Whilst he never officially sides with Iron Man, it’s very clear from his personal vendetta against Bucky that his anger spreads to Cap too, especially in the airport battle. His outfit is hands down the coolest one we see, and his graceful, cat-like landings and movements make him seem more animal than human. And to top it off, a king aswell? Again, very impressed.
3. Ladies, you bad ass too.
Spotlight was rightfully given to Wanda’s (Scarlet Witch) powers, albeit not always in a good way. Seeing her bedroom was a subtle way of reminding us of how young she’s supposed to be, and yet her interactions with Vision showed a certain maturity that comes with responsibility. Black Widow was her usual sassy self, although like Wanda showing a sombre side in response to the division of the Avengers. A particular stand out moment for me was realising how, in the first action scene of the film in Wakanda, she walks into the fight unarmed – Cap has his shield, Wanda her powers, Falcon his new toy ‘Red Wing’, but she uses physical strength until taking a gun at the last minute. A similar moment occurs later on when she takes on Bucky with Sharon Carter, another strong lady who pops up now again and who ran straight in with her fists. I’ll admit, Sharon’s kiss with Cap was a bit of a “oh come on, seriously?!” moment that got a few groans in the cinema, but it did kind of make sense. And let’s not forget Peggy’s funeral, a nice nod to continuity.
4. Speaking of continuity, loose ends were tied off, whilst new doors opened.
The whole film felt like the end of an era. The winter soldier story arc felt resolved, not just in terms of Bucky’s memories coming back, but through wider knowledge that filled in the historical gaps in the timeline. With Peggy gone and Sharon in the picture, finally having Bucky back but also giving up his shield in another climactic moment, it was as if Marvel wanted to tie things up on this one – although there’s no doubt that Steve Rogers will show up again, as that final rescue scene suggested, even if he’s not the Captain America we’ve known him as over the years. Nods to future films were made throughout; Vision contemplating what we know as the infinity stone in his forehead, settings such as Wakanda and the cool underwater prison Raft, the introduction of Everett Ross who’s set to play a significant role in Black Panther, Ant-Man turning into ‘giant man’, references to Hulk and Thor’s unknown whereabouts, the list goes on and on. But frankly, there was only one person I really cared about…
5. SPIDERMAN <3
Can we just?
Like seriously?
Is my heart melting?
Yes. Yes it is.
Ugh, all the heart eye emoji’s.
It’s no secret that I am obsessed with Spider-Man, as I sit here sat in a Spider-Man t-shirt, drinking coffee from a Spider-Man mug, staring at my Spider-Man screensaver. When the trailer was first released I almost broke down my flatmates door in excitement, and walking into the midnight viewing his appearance was all I could think about. As soon as “QUEENS” came up on screen, I’m pretty sure I started hyperventilating and wouldn’t let go of my poor flatmates arm (sorry dude). I never even doubted that Marvel would give us anything less than the perfect Spider-Man, and oh man did they deliver. His comic quips were on point, his spidey reflexes on point, his suit on point. Everything was wonderful. Tom Holland really stole my heart in my favourite scene of the film, when Tony visits his apartment uninvited and interacts with him for the first time. He’s the kid who aces his algebra tests, digs in dumpsters for tech gear, fixes up old computers in his spare time, and can’t go and fight some superhero war because, like the rest of us, he’s got homework! Tony is to thank for the suit upgrade, particularly the moving eyes that narrow to stop him from having a spider-sensory overload. It’s no secret now that “Spider-Man Homecoming” is the title of his newest film, so the fact that “Homecoming” was one of Bucky’s trigger words was very exciting. I just can’t wait to see what they do next.