Captain America: Civil War

The makers of Captain America: Civil War understand an important component of storytelling, and it’s something that not every filmmaker gets – especially when it comes to superhero movies. The thing they understand is this: audiences only care about what happens if they care about who it’s happening to.

The size of the explosion, the intricacies of the special effects, the A-list talent in front of or behind the camera – none of it matters to audiences if they don’t care about the characters involved. It’s this component that makes Captain America: Civil War not just a very good superhero movie, but a very good movie period.

On a large scale, the movie is about the clash between those who want security and those who want liberty. Tony Stark/Iron Man played by Robert Downey Jr. is haunted by the collateral damage left in the wake of all the catastrophic super battles that have taken place since super heroes came on the scene. He wants his super team, the Avengers, to become a managed government entity. He doesn’t trust himself or his pals without some oversight. Steve Rogers/Captain America played by Chris Evans believes the Avengers need the flexibility and liberty to act independently so they don’t become mired in politics and bureaucracy. It is basically a riff on post-911 security issues but with capes.

The film takes its questions about freedom and government oversight seriously, but it doesn’t overdo it or allow its seriousness to drag the movie into gloominess and faux grittiness as has happened with other major tentpole superhero movies recently. Instead, it leavens its heaviness by making characters and relationships that actually matter.

The Russo brothers, who deftly took Captain America from the 1940s into the 21^st century in Winter Soldier, return here directing a large ensemble of characters, giving each one his or her own organic moments of affection, loss, fear, and joy. In other words, they allow these superhumans to be human before they are super. Amid all the action, there are small moments of great warmth and humor. The Winter Soldier and the Falcon fight over legroom in a crowded VW bug. The super powerful android The Vision attempts to cook a meal in order to impress a girl he has a crush on. Captain America loses someone he has loved for decades simply because she kept aging when he didn’t. When Captain America and Agent 13 finally kiss after two movie’s worth of tension, the camera cuts to Falcon and Winter Solider looking on, each one with a “yeah, you go, pal” look on his face. Each of these moments carries an emotional heft and a humanity that makes it matter when these people begin splitting apart on two sides of an ethical issue. 

Now don’t get me wrong. Civil War is not some light hearted rom com. It’s an exciting action picture with visceral fights and exhilarating chases. The special effects are elaborate and impressive. No comic book movie fan is going to go away from this movie unimpressed. But what sets it apart from Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and some other big budget spectacles is that you may find yourself actually caring about the characters and how they relate to each other. Thanks to the Russo brothers and the screenwriters, Captain America: Civil War is more than just a movie – it’s a good story.