Captain America: Civil War (2016)
When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe many of the best moments come when the various characters get together and are able to interact and play off of each other. It is what makes the series of films stand out beyond just that of normal comic book movies. Normally these come in the form of The Avengers films but Captain America: Civil War stands out as an anomaly to nearly any other non-Avengers film in the MCU. Not only does the film feature nearly every major character in the MCU up to this point but it also is the film tasked with introducing the new characters which will lead the franchise going forward and tackling the most complex moral plot to date for the series. Coming off the massive global destruction caused during The Avengers battle with Ultron, the United Nations are ready to take control of The Avengers and direct traffic to hopefully avoid future unnecessary destruction. Where some like Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) understand this and are willing to make the sacrifice of total freedom to avoid conflict with the government but others like Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) are not so quick to accept this change. Mixed with the return of Roger's former friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) who continues to do horrible events under brainwashing splits The Avengers in two which builds to an eventual Civil War between the two parties with the future of The Avengers on the line.
Before anything else, the thing most impressive and memorable from Captain America: Civil War is the depth in the conversation it is having. So many films from the MCU feel like they are simply going through the motions of creating a villain leading to a third act action sequence but Captain America: Civil War throws this away. Yes there is a villain but they are never the focus of the film and instead serve as a catalyst to push the bigger narrative questions the film wants to explore. The conversation of if The Avengers should be regulated is perfectly set up with the two warring sides of the discussion having valid points which feel worthy of being the conflict at the center of the film and the villain plot serves the purpose of not just telling the audience the nuances in the conversation but showing them. Where there are undeniable benefits to having the global government on your side, the film shows how that can get in the way and make it harder for The Avengers to do their jobs. When mixed in with personal arcs such as Tony dealing with his parent's death as new details come to light and Steve having to deal with the death of his former love, Captain America: Civil War easily becomes one of the deepest and most thematically rich films of the entire franchise.
So much of the praise for this has to go to the screenplay from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Not only does the screenplay naturally build this depth and have masterful set up of multiple elements but it handles the size of the film near flawlessly. With so many moving pieces and goals, it is trying to accomplish, it seems near impossible that even with a longer runtime, the final product would be coherent but the film handles every element within it with a sense of grace and control. The introduction of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) flows into the conflict between Tony and Steve which flows into the mystery surrounding The Winter Soldier creating an elegantly woven puzzle of a plot that is damn impressive.
So much of the praise for this has to go to the screenplay from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Not only does the screenplay naturally build this depth and have masterful set up of multiple elements but it handles the size of the film near flawlessly. With so many moving pieces and goals, it is trying to accomplish, it seems near impossible that even with a longer runtime, the final product would be coherent but the film handles every element within it with a sense of grace and control. The introduction of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) flows into the conflict between Tony and Steve which flows into the mystery surrounding The Winter Soldier creating an elegantly woven puzzle of a plot that is damn impressive.
Where the film does have this fantastic depth and thematic purpose, the action also stands on its own plenty. Going for a blockbuster feeling with large scale action set pieces, Captain America: Civil War more than any other film in the MCU gives the obviously appealing action of superheroes fighting against each other. It is exciting seeing these characters who have depth and purpose battle each other going above and beyond the normal hero Vs. villain of the film than is the focus of other films. The action scenes are also of a size that characters can weave in and out of mini battles with each other allowing fresh pairings that you wouldn't expect to be so engaging on paper yet really are fun. The action is so engaging that despite having extended action sequences they never feel like they drag or are distracting from the themes the film is exploring. Where a lot of this as mentioned is because of the screenplay, if the action was not engaging on its own there is no amount of craft in the plot that would make them fit in so effectively.
Captain America: Civil War easily is one of the most impressive films in the MCU. Every single element of the film is turned up to the highest possible degree leading to a blockbuster that both is tons of fun and thematically rewarding. It is a film that knows when to be big and loud and when to small and quiet. Truly a spectacular outing which would start an upwards trajectory which despite leading to other legitimately impressive films still hasn't provided something quite like this.
Captain America: Civil War easily is one of the most impressive films in the MCU. Every single element of the film is turned up to the highest possible degree leading to a blockbuster that both is tons of fun and thematically rewarding. It is a film that knows when to be big and loud and when to small and quiet. Truly a spectacular outing which would start an upwards trajectory which despite leading to other legitimately impressive films still hasn't provided something quite like this.