Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Captain America: Civil War sets a new benchmark for comic book inspired films

If you didn't make it out to the movie theater to see CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR during its opening weekend make sure to see it while you can can on the big screen because it is definitely worth the price of admission.  The brother duo of Anthony and Joe Russo teamed up to co-direct this newest addition to Disney's Marvel super hero inspired film universe which does a stellar job of making the movie's audience feel as if they've actually been immersed into the pages of a comic book as they watch it.  This film is full of epic scenes which are amazing to see on the silver screen and demonstrates that while most motion pictures are easily available within a few months of their theatrical release to watch on dvd or via digital download going to the movies can still be a great experience that can't always be replicated on a television or mobile device screen.

This movie has it all ... a dynamic script that provides a serious dramatic tone to the film, action scenes that are sure to entertain you, special effects that provide a wow factor, plus humorous moments and one liners that cause the whole theater to erupt with laughter.  Captain America: Civil War does a nice job of making its cast of larger than life super hero characters relatable to viewers with its plot themes of loss, fear and revenge and great visual elements that absorb you into their story.  With such a large cast of prominent Marvel super heroes featured in this film, it was a nice spin on things that a lesser known character such as Ant-Man becomes the biggest hero of them all. I really enjoyed the Ant-Man solo movie and am looking forward to its sequel even more after seeing the great role  Scott Lang played in Civil War.  While Captain America and Iron Man are without a doubt the two main characters of the film, the directors really did a nice job of finding screen time and a role in the plot for everyone.


Two new heroes, Spider-Man and Black Panther, are added to the film franchise in Captain America:  Civil War and they really are provided impressive introductions that do their comic book characters justice in how they are portrayed and exceeded the expectations I had going into the movie.  I am looking forward to seeing the upcoming Black Panther solo movie after seeing Chadwick Boseman's performance as T'Challa the ruler of Wakanda in Civil War, while prior to seeing Captain America it wasn't of that much particular interest to me.  Tom Holland does a nice job of portraying the wise-cracking, teen age side of Spider-Man from the comic books that hasn't been highlighted as much in previous film versions of the character while his Aunt May goes in another direction not being a grey haired elderly lady in this new take on Peter Parker's adventures.


While the first two Avengers movies were great when it came to action scenes, special effects, and comedic scenes, Captain America: Civil War creates a new benchmark for the quality of a comic book inspired movie by incorporating a nice script with a plot that adds a sense of drama to the movie while also including all the elements that have made the Avengers movies incredibly enjoyable to watch.  Yes there are some plot flaws and other aspects of the film that make it far from perfect but this is an action movie not a documentary and it fulfills its mission of transporting its audience away from the reality of their own lives and entertaining them within one filled with super heroes that awe and amaze.  The tension between Captain America and Iron Man's feud leaves you on the edge of your seat while Ant-Man and Spider-Man provide comic relief that breaks the tension of the serious elements of the movie's plot.  The CGI effects continue to be very well done with one particular scene standing out in which a 20-year old Robert Downey Jr. appears on screen alongside his modern day self.  Watching theses special effects it really appears as if Iron Man is flying through the sky or Vision is walking through someone which is a big part of what makes watching these takes on Marvel's comic books so fun. Heading to see this movie, I had reservations about whether this movie could continue the momentum of the last two Avengers movies and was pleasantly surprised to leave the theater considering this my favorite film in the Marvel cinematic universe yet.


Captain America: Civil War follows the aftermath of the incidents in Avengers: Age of Ultron where the European nation of Sokovia was devastated with death and destruction by the conflict that occurred in that film.  Combined with the civilian death toll from incidents involving the Avengers in the original Avengers movie and in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the world has become afraid of this team of super powered individuals led by Steve Rogers (Captain America).  The countries of the world come together to sign a treaty called the Sokovia Accords which would have the United Nations oversee and direct the team.  The new status quo fractures the Avengers resulting in two camps, one led by Captain America and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference and the other following Tony Stark's decision to support government oversight and accountability.


This movie absolutely did not "stank" and you'll want to keep an eye out for comic book publishing icon Stan Lee's appearance in this film which is one of his best movie cameos yet.  Also stick around after the movie ends for a special post-credit teaser for the upcoming Spider-Man movie.  Captain America: Civil War gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because I frankly thoroughly enjoyed the movie theater viewing experience and am looking forward to adding it to my home video library when it arrives on blu-ray and dvd later this year.  This is one of those movies though you really should make an effort to see on the big screen to enjoy the expansive battle scenes as you won't regret going to the theater to see it.

For more information about the movie, visit Marvel.com/CaptainAmerica


A Geek Daddy was invited to a free screening of this movie by Walt Disney Studios.  Opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

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