I've read a lot of comic books in my life. A lot. This should not be a big surprise to those who know me, or are faithful followers of this blog. I am not a huge fan of Heroes vs. Heroes storylines. They usually involve a silly misunderstanding that if the heroes had half a brain, or were the good people you think they were, could usually avoid, but because the comic company staff thinks you would really like to see, for example, Thing vs. Hulk, they will convolute a storyline to make it so. Misunderstandings, mind control, you have to fight or some captive(s) get hurt - on and on.
Captain America: Civil War is the exception that proves the rule. There are no misunderstanding or manipulations (with the grand exception of the Winter Soldier). just an important difference in dealing with an essential philosophical and political question - do we subjugate our own judgment in favor of a government(s)? This is not as clear cut a decision as you would think. Super-heroes can take rogue actions that can wind up hurting situations more than they help. They can take actions that damage diplomatic relations and put the world more at risk, They can cause physical damage, or inadvertently put lives at risk. They can unknowingly create adversaries by their actions. They can become vigilantes, using power and force in a way that short circuits the law and reason.
That said, I definitely side with Team Cap, and understand the greater autonomy that true heroes need to have. Sometimes the forces trying to control their actions are corrupt. Sometimes they're just ignorant of the conditions in the field, and the need for flexibility in handling them. Sometimes the heroes see the grays beyond the black and white. And sometimes they see the black and white through the smokescreen of grays that bureaucrats may throw up.
So I bought the premise, which is vital for me in a Heroes vs. Heroes conflict. The highlight of the movie is a five on five battle at an evacuated airport. It's exciting and balanced, watching the characters match up with each other in interesting combinations. Stand outs are the ASTONISHING Ant-Man and the AMAZING Spider-Man, bringing a sense of enthusiasm and humor to their efforts. The humor is balanced with the tremendous risk each side is chancing in gaining their goals. As restrained as they may try to be, what if one of them irreparably harms someone who has been their ally in the past? The movie effectively deals with that as well.
When the Winter Soldier is freed from his mind control, he can be an appealing character, and you can see the camaraderie between him and Cap build back up, as if they were pre-WWII kids again. On the other hand, mind-controlled or not, the Winter Soldier did some pretty awful things, and like Tony Stark, I'm not sure I could forgive all them.
The Marvel/Disney version of Spider-Man (as opposed to the TWO versions of Spider-Man from Sony/ Columbia) comes across as much more youthful and realistic than I've ever seen him visualized onscreen before. Tom Holland is definitely THE Spider-Man, and I look forward to future portrayals. Aunt May, on the other hand - played by the very beautiful Marisa Tomei, is well, a lot more younger and hotter than I've ever seen her before. So is Aunt May getting younger, or am I just getting older?
As usual, this review is late in the game. It's hard for me to get to opening weekends sometimes. And my little blog doesn't get me the creds I need to get into critics' pre-screenings. Nevertheless, I highly encourage you to see it if you haven't yet.
I give this gem 10 big RIPS out of 10.
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