Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Hearing the words "Marvel," "Civil," and "War" used in a titular fashion tends to make me giggle. There are two reasons for this. The first is that I know of the comic series, the ridiculous story, and the rather black and white takes on rather ambiguous stances (Iron Man = Bad! Captain America = Good! Iron Man = so wrong, wrong wrong. Captain America = so right, right, right). The other reason is entirely personal and is a rather amusing memory from a creative writing class in which we had to make plot triangles on stories we liked. One student did his on Marvel: Civil War and I will never forget the gravitas that he possessed as he spoke that title. I had to keep myself from laughing as he discussed the plot elements within the story as if it was Dostoyevsky. I sound like a jerk right now, I know, and I apologize. I was in my early twenties. I have very fond memories of this student and I hope he's doing okay now.
The point is that I have a very difficult time taking Marvel: Civil War seriously. When I started to hear good things about Captain America: Civil War, I had little interest. The last time I saw a film that included Captain America, it was The Avengers and I didn't care for that film at all. In fact, I'm just not a big fan of the Captain America character. And Chris Evans isn't allowed to do much with the character other than crack a few jokes here and there and spew typical American rhetoric about doing what's right. Because those are American values . . . right?
Another factor that bothered me was how the media discussed the fact that there were certain films you had to see before you could fully understand everything discussed in Captain America: Civil War. Fear not. You don't have to see any of the other Marvel films to understand what is going on here. The film explains itself well enough and this is a superhero film. Like we don't know the tropes of these already. The only reason why you would "need" to see any previous films would be to establish characters.
There are a few plot points that are skimmed over but are easy to understand simply by the setting and reactions: S.H.I.E.L.D is gone. The Avengers are now working for the government. Bucky Barnes is the Winter Soldier, who was brainwashed by Hydra, and is now trying to escape notice of the American government and The Avengers. Also The Avengers dropped a few buildings in Sokovia, which resulted in a large number of civilian deaths. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) feels massive guilt for this, particularly in the fact that he created Ultron. New Avenger The Scarlet Witch, or Wanda (Emily Olson), is also becoming aware of just how much power she has and how it can create fear in the public. Knowing that she personally took out a whole group of civilians by sending an exploding grenade into a building weighs heavily upon her.
This is all excellent set-up for a story that is about the consequences of action. Out of all the Marvel films I've seen that are meant to be taken seriously, I found that I could tolerate Captain America: Civil War the most due to the interesting ideas it sets up. This also makes said film one of the most frustrating entries in the Marvel universe in that these ideas trickle away as the film progresses more and more into typical super hero territory. The whole point for the Civil War story is to divide the Avengers and set them against each other. And in the end, that's all this film really cares about.
At a conference held for his new grant, Tony Stark shows off one of his creations, one that allows you to view your memories and manipulate them so that they have the outcome you would have wished for. As an example, he shows the last memory he has of his parents and changes it so that he can tell them what he always wanted to say. This is false, of course, but Tony talks about this invention as a form of therapy. And I had a moment with this scene where I thought, "Can I have a whole film about this?" That's brilliant. What's irritating is that I know this is all going to be set-up for some other film. The entire scene leads to a meeting with a woman in the hallway who shows Tony a picture of her son, who was traveling in Sokovia. Another tragic, innocent death.
Due to far too many incidents in which the Avengers have destroyed countless buildings and infrastructure, as well as the danger they pose to human life, the American government comes up with the Sokovia Accords, a document which ensures that the Avengers will only be sent out to deal with a conflict when the UN agrees to allow them to interfere. Sounds like a decent plan, yes? Tony Stark thinks so. Evans' Steve Rogers doesn't. As the Avengers contemplate the benefits and consequences of such an agreement, a line is slowly drawn between them. Natasha Romanoff, or Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), James Rhodes, or War Machine (Don Cheadle), and Vision (Paul Bettany) are all thinking about agreeing, due to several reasons. James sees it as the "right thing to do." Natasha is always thinking about what is best, strategically. And Vision seems to believe that they should all agree or there will be conflict, and conflict leads to catastrophe.
On Captain America's side are Sam Wilson, or Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and Natasha somewhat (in spirit?). Wanda is unsure, as she is haunted by her actions in Lagos, watching the flames engulf a building. Steve finds her watching the news, where she is lambasted by the media for her actions. The point is constantly made that she's only 18 - both Tony and Steve seem to treat her like a little sister. But this is another reason why Tony is for the Sokovia Accords.
This is a new side to Iron Man that I like immensely - he's growing old. He has aches and pains after missions. He's tired. But he's also afraid. When one of the other super heroes are placed in danger, he's afraid for them. He's afraid they'll be hurt or killed in battle. And while that is their duty, Tony can't forget their humanity, what they mean to him. He cares for their safety and he seems to think that the Sokovia Accords will provide for that. Steve is in the same boat, as he can't forget what Bucky (Sebastian Stan) means to him. While the others see the Winter Soldier, Steve sees Bucky and continually tries to appeal to his memories. By signing the Sokovia Accords, this means that the UN will decide what to do with Bucky. Not Steve.
This is when Captain America: Civil War surprised me and seemed to incorporate a certain amount of ambiguity about these two positions. Tony stands for allowing the UN to decide when to send out the Avengers and what to send them out for. This means that if a problem didn't seem worthy of Avengers intervention, the country would be left to fend off whatever catastrophe it was facing by itself. Steve, Captain America, stands for the Avengers interfering whenever they see a problem in a country and decide they are needed. While this doesn't represent the entirety of America, this is exceedingly relevant to the way America has acted in the past, when consequences in other countries arise. We need to go out and stop it. We know what's best. All the while, we don't realize how patronizing we are to other countries, bringing our "free-world" "democratic" banter when we're not even a true democratic country.
Unfortunately, this is a super hero film. This is all dropped for a free-for-all brawl and the unread lines in the Sokovia Accords that allow the UN to police the Avengers when they see it necessary, thus placing Tony in the wrong category.
In Vienna, at the signing of the Sokovia Accords, Natasha meets the son of the Wakandan King T'Chaka (John Kani), T'Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. Before they know it, a bomb goes off and T'Challa is holding onto his dying father as he swears revenge. Boseman is too good for this film in the same way that Javier Bardem was too good for Skyfall. Boseman's face is constantly filled with complex emotions - he expresses pain without even voicing it. His very presence makes everyone else seem dull in comparison. That being said, I am so, so glad to see him receive exposure in a big release like this. He's such an excellent actor and I want to see him in more films.
Later, the recorded footage reveals who set us up the bomb - who could it be, but BUCKY! Steve races after Bucky to protect him as the Avengers are held back from interfering, allowing the Bucharest authorities to do what they will. Bucky doesn't appear to want his help and, in escaping, a new superhero appears, one who is not affiliated with the Avengers. It is the Black Panther, whose identity is unknown. Could it be someone who swore vengeance earlier in the film? This leads to a long, drawn-out action scene which causes more destruction than Steve ever wanted and ends with Bucky in the hands of the U.S. Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt). They want to psychologically evaluate Bucky, unknowingly placing him in the hands of one scheming Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), who has been hopping the globe and collecting old Hydra artifacts.
Steve, Bucky, and Sam figure out Zemo's plan once it's revealed that Bucky wasn't the only Winter Soldier. Zemo plans to travel back to Sokovia and use the other soldiers to bring down an empire. While they're all in hiding from Tony and Ross, Sam makes a few calls. Knowing that he's going to have to bring in Steve and the others, Tony makes a visit as well.
Tony's visit is perhaps the best moment of the entire film. In fact, this very visit includes the best break-out character in a Marvel film. Where is Tony off to? Queens. To find who? A young teenager enters his apartment to find Tony Stark schmoozing with Marisa Tomei, telling her that he can't believe she's an aunt. Tony wants to speak with this teenager alone, locking the door as he plays Youtube videos in which said teenager is swinging through New York with cobweb. When the teenager denies any part of the video, Tony finds his hand-made costume, mocking its antiquated design. "Spider-Boy," Tony calls him as the teen corrects him in a whisper with stuttering, "Spider-Man."
Yes, this is Peter Parker (Tom Holland) redesigned as a teen from Queens, with the accent to match, an excellent touch. He's a dumpster diver, creating all of his gadgets out of trash. When Tony asks him how he received his powers, Peter's only response is, "It's a long story." Holland's appearance adds so much life and humor to the film. It's a breath of fresh air when Spider-Man is introduced. He acts like a fan-boy around the other Avengers, gushing when he sees Captain America even though they have to fight. He has a tendency to talk too much. As he's swinging around a giant Ant Man's legs, he asks Tony and the other Avengers, "Hey, you guys ever seen that really old film, The Empire Strikes Back?" Tony's response is, "You're killing me, kid." There's even a joke in this film - every Spider-Man film with Tobey Maguire shows said character next to the American flag, equating Spider-Man with America. At one point, Spider-Man catches Captain America's shield and it's quick, but fairly amusing.
Ant Man, or Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), is also a great addition. He's so amusing that it makes me want to watch the Ant Man film. He fights differently from everyone else and it makes some of the scenes far more interesting with his combative efforts. And the fact that the worst insult Tony could throw his way is, "Who is this guy again?" is fantastic.
Ultimately, what is inspiring about Captain America: Civil War is that there are three - not just one, but three - African-American superheroes. It makes me so happy to see this. And Wanda's inclusion bumps up the Avengers' female count to two. I would love to see more females in the Avengers. I would love to see Hispanic superheroes and Asian superheroes. I would love to see this inclusion expand. It's just so incredibly refreshing.
Zemo is perhaps one of my favorite villains I've seen in a Marvel film, if you can call him a villain. There have been much more powerful characters who have tried to take out the Avengers, beings from other dimensions, other super heroes, but no one comes as close as the mere mortal Zemo. Zemo knows better than to oppose the Avengers with strength - he manipulates emotions. His mental prowess is in knowing these super heroes are human, and that they can be beaten like any other human. His reasoning is yet another consequence due to the actions of the Avengers.
There is so much good going on with Captain America: Civil War that it's frustrating to see this film transform itself back into a superhero film, with all the cliches involved. A certain traumatic moment for Tony leads him to a cliched response, which is only for the sake of setting the Avengers up against each other rather than actually delving into the subject of pain and how we deal with the past.
The film also spends too much time on this theme of vengeance, which is tired and done to death, as well as what is right and what is wrong. There is no right or wrong in the decisions that Tony and Steve are making. Tony is right in that there is a danger to be controlled by what you think is right and forcing that upon other countries. Steve is right in that allowing the Avengers to be controlled by the UN means that they will rely on the opinions of others and what they deem to be a necessary action. Isn't Steve also relying on his opinion? They all what the path of least consequence. But here's the rub.
Every action has a consequence. Non-action has a consequence. Every action of the Avengers will have a consequence. Whether Disney knew that they were entering the realm of Buddhism with this idea, I don't know. They pull their punch at the very end though and that left a very sour taste in my mouth. There's always the set-up for another film. To continue the franchise. And that, in its very presence, assumes that what the Avengers are doing is good.
Good and bad do not exist. There are only consequences.
The point is that I have a very difficult time taking Marvel: Civil War seriously. When I started to hear good things about Captain America: Civil War, I had little interest. The last time I saw a film that included Captain America, it was The Avengers and I didn't care for that film at all. In fact, I'm just not a big fan of the Captain America character. And Chris Evans isn't allowed to do much with the character other than crack a few jokes here and there and spew typical American rhetoric about doing what's right. Because those are American values . . . right?
Another factor that bothered me was how the media discussed the fact that there were certain films you had to see before you could fully understand everything discussed in Captain America: Civil War. Fear not. You don't have to see any of the other Marvel films to understand what is going on here. The film explains itself well enough and this is a superhero film. Like we don't know the tropes of these already. The only reason why you would "need" to see any previous films would be to establish characters.
There are a few plot points that are skimmed over but are easy to understand simply by the setting and reactions: S.H.I.E.L.D is gone. The Avengers are now working for the government. Bucky Barnes is the Winter Soldier, who was brainwashed by Hydra, and is now trying to escape notice of the American government and The Avengers. Also The Avengers dropped a few buildings in Sokovia, which resulted in a large number of civilian deaths. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) feels massive guilt for this, particularly in the fact that he created Ultron. New Avenger The Scarlet Witch, or Wanda (Emily Olson), is also becoming aware of just how much power she has and how it can create fear in the public. Knowing that she personally took out a whole group of civilians by sending an exploding grenade into a building weighs heavily upon her.
This is all excellent set-up for a story that is about the consequences of action. Out of all the Marvel films I've seen that are meant to be taken seriously, I found that I could tolerate Captain America: Civil War the most due to the interesting ideas it sets up. This also makes said film one of the most frustrating entries in the Marvel universe in that these ideas trickle away as the film progresses more and more into typical super hero territory. The whole point for the Civil War story is to divide the Avengers and set them against each other. And in the end, that's all this film really cares about.
At a conference held for his new grant, Tony Stark shows off one of his creations, one that allows you to view your memories and manipulate them so that they have the outcome you would have wished for. As an example, he shows the last memory he has of his parents and changes it so that he can tell them what he always wanted to say. This is false, of course, but Tony talks about this invention as a form of therapy. And I had a moment with this scene where I thought, "Can I have a whole film about this?" That's brilliant. What's irritating is that I know this is all going to be set-up for some other film. The entire scene leads to a meeting with a woman in the hallway who shows Tony a picture of her son, who was traveling in Sokovia. Another tragic, innocent death.
Due to far too many incidents in which the Avengers have destroyed countless buildings and infrastructure, as well as the danger they pose to human life, the American government comes up with the Sokovia Accords, a document which ensures that the Avengers will only be sent out to deal with a conflict when the UN agrees to allow them to interfere. Sounds like a decent plan, yes? Tony Stark thinks so. Evans' Steve Rogers doesn't. As the Avengers contemplate the benefits and consequences of such an agreement, a line is slowly drawn between them. Natasha Romanoff, or Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), James Rhodes, or War Machine (Don Cheadle), and Vision (Paul Bettany) are all thinking about agreeing, due to several reasons. James sees it as the "right thing to do." Natasha is always thinking about what is best, strategically. And Vision seems to believe that they should all agree or there will be conflict, and conflict leads to catastrophe.
On Captain America's side are Sam Wilson, or Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and Natasha somewhat (in spirit?). Wanda is unsure, as she is haunted by her actions in Lagos, watching the flames engulf a building. Steve finds her watching the news, where she is lambasted by the media for her actions. The point is constantly made that she's only 18 - both Tony and Steve seem to treat her like a little sister. But this is another reason why Tony is for the Sokovia Accords.
This is a new side to Iron Man that I like immensely - he's growing old. He has aches and pains after missions. He's tired. But he's also afraid. When one of the other super heroes are placed in danger, he's afraid for them. He's afraid they'll be hurt or killed in battle. And while that is their duty, Tony can't forget their humanity, what they mean to him. He cares for their safety and he seems to think that the Sokovia Accords will provide for that. Steve is in the same boat, as he can't forget what Bucky (Sebastian Stan) means to him. While the others see the Winter Soldier, Steve sees Bucky and continually tries to appeal to his memories. By signing the Sokovia Accords, this means that the UN will decide what to do with Bucky. Not Steve.
This is when Captain America: Civil War surprised me and seemed to incorporate a certain amount of ambiguity about these two positions. Tony stands for allowing the UN to decide when to send out the Avengers and what to send them out for. This means that if a problem didn't seem worthy of Avengers intervention, the country would be left to fend off whatever catastrophe it was facing by itself. Steve, Captain America, stands for the Avengers interfering whenever they see a problem in a country and decide they are needed. While this doesn't represent the entirety of America, this is exceedingly relevant to the way America has acted in the past, when consequences in other countries arise. We need to go out and stop it. We know what's best. All the while, we don't realize how patronizing we are to other countries, bringing our "free-world" "democratic" banter when we're not even a true democratic country.
Unfortunately, this is a super hero film. This is all dropped for a free-for-all brawl and the unread lines in the Sokovia Accords that allow the UN to police the Avengers when they see it necessary, thus placing Tony in the wrong category.
In Vienna, at the signing of the Sokovia Accords, Natasha meets the son of the Wakandan King T'Chaka (John Kani), T'Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. Before they know it, a bomb goes off and T'Challa is holding onto his dying father as he swears revenge. Boseman is too good for this film in the same way that Javier Bardem was too good for Skyfall. Boseman's face is constantly filled with complex emotions - he expresses pain without even voicing it. His very presence makes everyone else seem dull in comparison. That being said, I am so, so glad to see him receive exposure in a big release like this. He's such an excellent actor and I want to see him in more films.
Later, the recorded footage reveals who set us up the bomb - who could it be, but BUCKY! Steve races after Bucky to protect him as the Avengers are held back from interfering, allowing the Bucharest authorities to do what they will. Bucky doesn't appear to want his help and, in escaping, a new superhero appears, one who is not affiliated with the Avengers. It is the Black Panther, whose identity is unknown. Could it be someone who swore vengeance earlier in the film? This leads to a long, drawn-out action scene which causes more destruction than Steve ever wanted and ends with Bucky in the hands of the U.S. Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt). They want to psychologically evaluate Bucky, unknowingly placing him in the hands of one scheming Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), who has been hopping the globe and collecting old Hydra artifacts.
Steve, Bucky, and Sam figure out Zemo's plan once it's revealed that Bucky wasn't the only Winter Soldier. Zemo plans to travel back to Sokovia and use the other soldiers to bring down an empire. While they're all in hiding from Tony and Ross, Sam makes a few calls. Knowing that he's going to have to bring in Steve and the others, Tony makes a visit as well.
Tony's visit is perhaps the best moment of the entire film. In fact, this very visit includes the best break-out character in a Marvel film. Where is Tony off to? Queens. To find who? A young teenager enters his apartment to find Tony Stark schmoozing with Marisa Tomei, telling her that he can't believe she's an aunt. Tony wants to speak with this teenager alone, locking the door as he plays Youtube videos in which said teenager is swinging through New York with cobweb. When the teenager denies any part of the video, Tony finds his hand-made costume, mocking its antiquated design. "Spider-Boy," Tony calls him as the teen corrects him in a whisper with stuttering, "Spider-Man."
Yes, this is Peter Parker (Tom Holland) redesigned as a teen from Queens, with the accent to match, an excellent touch. He's a dumpster diver, creating all of his gadgets out of trash. When Tony asks him how he received his powers, Peter's only response is, "It's a long story." Holland's appearance adds so much life and humor to the film. It's a breath of fresh air when Spider-Man is introduced. He acts like a fan-boy around the other Avengers, gushing when he sees Captain America even though they have to fight. He has a tendency to talk too much. As he's swinging around a giant Ant Man's legs, he asks Tony and the other Avengers, "Hey, you guys ever seen that really old film, The Empire Strikes Back?" Tony's response is, "You're killing me, kid." There's even a joke in this film - every Spider-Man film with Tobey Maguire shows said character next to the American flag, equating Spider-Man with America. At one point, Spider-Man catches Captain America's shield and it's quick, but fairly amusing.
Ant Man, or Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), is also a great addition. He's so amusing that it makes me want to watch the Ant Man film. He fights differently from everyone else and it makes some of the scenes far more interesting with his combative efforts. And the fact that the worst insult Tony could throw his way is, "Who is this guy again?" is fantastic.
Ultimately, what is inspiring about Captain America: Civil War is that there are three - not just one, but three - African-American superheroes. It makes me so happy to see this. And Wanda's inclusion bumps up the Avengers' female count to two. I would love to see more females in the Avengers. I would love to see Hispanic superheroes and Asian superheroes. I would love to see this inclusion expand. It's just so incredibly refreshing.
Zemo is perhaps one of my favorite villains I've seen in a Marvel film, if you can call him a villain. There have been much more powerful characters who have tried to take out the Avengers, beings from other dimensions, other super heroes, but no one comes as close as the mere mortal Zemo. Zemo knows better than to oppose the Avengers with strength - he manipulates emotions. His mental prowess is in knowing these super heroes are human, and that they can be beaten like any other human. His reasoning is yet another consequence due to the actions of the Avengers.
There is so much good going on with Captain America: Civil War that it's frustrating to see this film transform itself back into a superhero film, with all the cliches involved. A certain traumatic moment for Tony leads him to a cliched response, which is only for the sake of setting the Avengers up against each other rather than actually delving into the subject of pain and how we deal with the past.
The film also spends too much time on this theme of vengeance, which is tired and done to death, as well as what is right and what is wrong. There is no right or wrong in the decisions that Tony and Steve are making. Tony is right in that there is a danger to be controlled by what you think is right and forcing that upon other countries. Steve is right in that allowing the Avengers to be controlled by the UN means that they will rely on the opinions of others and what they deem to be a necessary action. Isn't Steve also relying on his opinion? They all what the path of least consequence. But here's the rub.
Every action has a consequence. Non-action has a consequence. Every action of the Avengers will have a consequence. Whether Disney knew that they were entering the realm of Buddhism with this idea, I don't know. They pull their punch at the very end though and that left a very sour taste in my mouth. There's always the set-up for another film. To continue the franchise. And that, in its very presence, assumes that what the Avengers are doing is good.
Good and bad do not exist. There are only consequences.