Captain America: Civil War (Russo & Russo) 2016

​While this film has Captain America's name on it, there is definitely a feeling of being an Avenger's film to this one. For the first time, most of the larger team appears in a non-Avenger's titled film, and the results are epic.

Clocking in as the longest Marvel Cinematic Universe film to this point, Civil War sows the seeds that will germinate in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther, only to grow into a full story arc in Avengers: Infinity War and be reaped by the time we reach Avengers: Endgame.

Civil War focuses on the fallout of the actions of The Avengers in Age of Ultron where they saved the country of Sokovia, but their actions resulted in many deaths, even though they saved many more. Secretary of State Ross (William Hurt) arrives at Avengers headquarters with a document called The Sokovia Accords, signed by over 100 countries around the world, and designed to limit "enhanced individuals" using their powers unless designated by a special United Nations council.

There is division among the team with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson), and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) volunteering to sign the accords, with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olson) refusing. When an explosion in Vienna kills the king of the small African nation of Wakanda, the media circulates footage of The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) as the primary suspect, sparking a manhunt for the mysterious assassin.

There is a strong thread of responsibility throughout Civil War. Who is ultimately responsible for the collateral damage caused when they are doing a good deed. Are those deeds truly good if there is so much carnage that follows in their wake? It begins to look at the personal stories of those who would typically be only seen in the margins of the superhero stories.

Additionally, in the previous two Avengers films, we have seen some indications of fracturing relationships, but they clearly come into the open in this film. There are clear sides, and each side understand the consequences of their actions. But they stick to their guns (or shields) and fight for what they believe in, enduring them to the viewer regardless of which side they fall on.

Captain America: Civil War did not receive any nominations for Academy Awards, though it was nominated for a slew of awards for things like Kids' Choice, Teen Choice, and People's Choice.

If there is one good spot to drop into the MCU films and not watch everything that came before it, Civil War might be one of those spots. You will definitely lose a few things here and there without the backstory of the prior films, the film does a decent job of catching you up to the action, even if you don't have the benefit of the history behind each character.

​​10 out of 10

Previous: Ant-Man | Next: Doctor Strange

Get Ready for Endgame

---