How entertaining? ★★☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 24 April 2016
A movie review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. |
YouTube review:
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“Our very strength invites challenges,” Vision (Paul Bettany)
Could the deity-like robot actually be talking about Marvel’s rivals? Everything from Warner Bros’ DC and Harry Potter to Disney stablemate STAR WARS are now in the process of creating cinematic worlds that smack of a money-grab rather than any kind of desire to tell a story opus. Now Marvel seems to be a victim of its own early success.
‘Civil War’. Really? A more accurate title would be, ‘Captain America: Superhero Pals Have Mild Playground Falling-Out. No Fatalities. No Peril.’ Admittedly, not as catchy. At one point Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) says to Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), "You're pulling your punches." That statement could apply to the entire Marvel cinema universe. In 13 movies (including THE INCREDIBLE HULK), there has just been one Avenger death and he was part of the gang for just minutes of screen time. His loss does not resonate. So when an endless array of bulletproof superheroes is trotted out, where is the fear for them? Surely a movie monikered CIVIL WAR invited a culling of your ensemble, not only building in emotional weight but a dread heading to the INFINITY WAR project hitting cinemas in 2018/9?
Could the deity-like robot actually be talking about Marvel’s rivals? Everything from Warner Bros’ DC and Harry Potter to Disney stablemate STAR WARS are now in the process of creating cinematic worlds that smack of a money-grab rather than any kind of desire to tell a story opus. Now Marvel seems to be a victim of its own early success.
‘Civil War’. Really? A more accurate title would be, ‘Captain America: Superhero Pals Have Mild Playground Falling-Out. No Fatalities. No Peril.’ Admittedly, not as catchy. At one point Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) says to Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), "You're pulling your punches." That statement could apply to the entire Marvel cinema universe. In 13 movies (including THE INCREDIBLE HULK), there has just been one Avenger death and he was part of the gang for just minutes of screen time. His loss does not resonate. So when an endless array of bulletproof superheroes is trotted out, where is the fear for them? Surely a movie monikered CIVIL WAR invited a culling of your ensemble, not only building in emotional weight but a dread heading to the INFINITY WAR project hitting cinemas in 2018/9?
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CIVIL WAR just seems to be an excuse to introduce/bolster peripheral characters for an even wider franchise. At last, at least, we are finally given an ethnic minority lead (rather than just a sidekick) to eventually get his own movie in 2018. The entire coterie of characters are badasses, charisma overflowing in spades. They prevent boredom going bone deep. (However, the Winter Soldier, a.k.a. Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), is even more personality-less than Hawkeye.) Only the climax of THE AVENGERS, in the entire baker’s dozen of flicks, does it seem they unleash their complete unadulterated skillset.
WATCHMEN is a highly underrated adaptation (check out the director’s cut). That graphic novel and film show, among much else, superheroes falling foul of bureaucracy and coming to loggerheads with each other. CIVIL WAR is relatively cursory in its discussion of the rights and wrongs of unchecked vigilantism. THE DARK KNIGHT managed to apply such a theoretical weighing up to a blockbuster. There is then no excuse for not pondering more.
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Okay, so CIVIL WAR is not going to challenge the mind, what about the combat? This is after all from the directors of previous instalment THE WINTER SOLDIER. The poor 3D distracts here. The fast editing hampers enjoyment of the action choreography, which does not allow adrenaline to build. One fun melee at an airport is the sole standout.
When a massive, quote-unquote, emotional reveal comes, it rings false. The metaphorical bombshell, among the real ones, means re-evaluating the relationship between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), looking back at least one earlier movie, and feels unnecessarily tacked on.
By the way, you may be able to read words "Sokovia", "Wakanda" and "Vibranium" in a graphic novel and happily swallow them, but hearing them spoken out loud in faux overwrought terms can't help but raise a chuckle.
“I could do this all day,” Captain America
Could he actually be talking about Marvel making the same bloodless cookie-cutter movie over and over again?
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