It's fair to say, straight up that Captain America: Civil War is an incredible movie. It's rarely you find a movie that you can't pick faults with, the Russo brothers got everything spot on from Spidey's costume to the nobleness of T'Challa. What makes Civil War so compelling is that you can see the reasoning behind both sides. Normally with battle movies the audience is given one team to root for an one takes on the role as the enemy. However in this case, you can see both sides, no one is necessarily wrong, the majority of fans do have a preference but it wasn't an easy decision. Civil War got everything right that Batman vs Superman got wrong. Marvel having been building up to this for 13 movies! DC tried to achieve this with just one movie being released before Batman vs Superman. This should be proof at how Marvel are knocking it out of the ball park and are taking their time to get everything right. DC are just trying to compete when they aren't even in the same league.
The airport fight scene is in my opinion the most well choreographed, large-scale action sequences that I have ever seen, not just included comic book movies. It's not only action packed but it's rather humorous at some points and fun, for example Giant-Man and when they take him out like a AT-AT on Planet Hoth or when Spidey goes after Bucky and Falcon and fanboys over Bucky's arm. Even though this fight is such a huge spectacle it doesn't lose the little personal moments like Hawkeye and Black Widow or Vision and Scarlet Witch. I did expect, before seeing the movie that someone would die for example Cap like he did in the comics and then Bucky takes over his role. I was rather shocked when no one died although War Machine does become paralyzed.
Chadwick Boseman gives a stellar performance as T'Challa and steals every scene he is in, he quickly became my favourite character in the MCU. I do think it's because he does such a regal, noble and powerful performance that he is like Thor in that sense who of course I love.
Tom Holland as the new Peter Parker, is the Spiderman audiences always wanted. We finally get a version of Peter that actually a teenager, not 30 years old. He talks and acts like a teenager, he's a dumpster diver just like he is in the comics, he makes his own rather terrible costume and a realistic way he gets a fancy new suit instead of a teenager having professional style sewing skills we've seen in the previous adaptations of Spiderman. Not to mention Aunt May, she is FINALLY a realistic age for an Aunt of a teenager instead of an elderly, helpless old woman.
In the beginning of the movie audiences are re-introduced to Rumlow from Captain America: The Winter Soldier who has a vendetta against Cap. The only gripe I have against the movie is that Rumlow coming back as Crossbones is such a great aspect of the movie and shows he is a worthy villain to fight Captain America, but because he was killed early on in the movie, we can't see him challenge Steve again in another movie. I rarely find Marvel villains that interesting but I really liked Crossbones and it's a pity we couldn't see more of him. The main villain throughout the movie is a scorned Helmut Zemo whose family was killed in Sokovia. Although Zemo was compelling, he doesn't get an awful lot of screen time but I do think that worked in their favor as it puts more focus of the breakdown of the Avengers and how Zemo tore them apart.
The final fight between tony, Steve and Bucky is one of the most intense and emotional moments in the whole MCU. Every moment on from Tony watching the video of his parents is heartbreaking, the guilt on Bucky's face, the horror on Tony's, it's all horrible to watch. During this fight non of theme hold back, the shock moment is when Tony has his Iron Man mask off and he thinks Steve is about to decapitate him but he rams the shield into his arc reactor. The moment in this movie where you know things have changed is the moment Steve drops his shield before leaving with Bucky.
One of the concerns I had before watching the movie was that it would just be an Avengers movie, not a Captain America movie, but after watching it is definitely a Captain America movie. Audiences get more development of the Bucky story arc and Steve's character development from a soldier following the government's orders to a fugitive fighting for his views. I think the more he is developed the more likable he becomes, in the beginning of Captain America: The First Avenger he was too perfect, and I think that's the reason I didn't warm to him much.
#1 En-Vision-ing a future
Even non-comic book fans must have noticed that Vision and Scarlet Witch have developed a close bond. This could be foreshadowing a future romantic relationship between the pair. This would certainly be true to the comics as they eventually get married and even have babies. Another fun fact is that we see Vision wearing much more casual clothes, this is so he wouldn't freak out his other teammates and so he could blend in, another aspect taken from the comics.
#2 The Dora Milaje
After King T'Challa is released from custody, Black Widow is waiting to meet him by a car; something that doesn't go over too well with the woman accompanying T'Challa. This character might go over most peoples heads but fans of the comics will recognise her as one of the members of the Dora Milaje, the personal bodyguards of the King of Wakanda. Their storyline in the comics is that both women were the daughters of each tribe in the country, offered as an example of their culture to not only protect the King but to seek to become his queen. I doubt they will follow this storyline in the MCU exactly, but it's a great nod for what's to come in the future Black Panther movie.
#3 Ant-Man catches a ride
During the airport battle scene, Ant-Man really proves why shrinking is a great asset to a team. One of the attacks comes when Hawkeye releases an arrow with Scott Lang hanging on to the tip of the arrow. This tactic is a great nod to the comics as it is taken right from the cover of "The Avengers" #223.
#4 Bringing comics to life
Nearly every movie in the MCU have references to moments in their respective comic book conterpart, but Captain America: Civil War has plenty of nods to the comics. One of the most iconic is the battle between Tony and Steve at the end of the movie, this particular shot was a slow motion shot that was focused on for quite a while, maybe so comic book fans would pick up on the imagery.
#5 Stan Lee Cameo
As always, Stan Lee makes a memorable cameo appearing as a delivery man bringing Tony Stark a package from Steve Rogers. The memorable factor of this cameo is that he mispronounces the billionaires name as "Tony Stank".
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