Film

Review: Captain America: Civil War

by / May. 6, 2016 1pm EST

At this point it’s evident the superhero movie boom is no fad, but a full-blown cinematic genre akin to the American western. Captain America: Civil War, which could have been called Captain America v. Iron Man, is the latest and best of the Marvel Universe films. It’s a film so jam packed with super-powered beings you’ll be forgiven for keeping a scorecard even if you’ve followed all of the previous films. This “issue” finds Cap and his fellow Avenger, Iron Man (Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr.), at odds over the government’s decision to regulate and limit heroes following civilian casualties caused during previous battles. All of the supers are forced to choose sides, and half the fun is in seeing who aligns with whom. The character interplay is strong, the emotional underpinnings of the story surprisingly powerful, and the action scenes spectacular, especially the epic set piece in which the heroic factions square off against each other. The smart script not only introduces Black Panther and re-introduces Spider-Man, but manages to give the many characters some of their best moments, and directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s use of the 3D format is often breathtaking. To be continued.

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