Marvel’s Best Action Ever
To say that the first battle between all of our superheroes in Captain America: Civil War is the best action sequence Marvel Studios has ever created is not hyperbole or grandstanding. In fact, this is just some of the best action in movie history. The scene is that good. The way our heroes fight against and with each other on the airport tarmac delivers exactly what fans have always wanted out of a comic book movie of this scale. Whether it’s Spider-Man swinging fast off of a flying War Machine, or Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) firing a tiny Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) towards Iron Man, the way these heroes engage each other is creative and endlessly entertaining.
Bringing Ant-Man and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) into the mix, you’ve never seen our heroes fight like this, not even inThe Avengers before they all had to work together. Each of the insect-named heroes have their scene-stealing moments, making the fight massively exhilarating. But just as quickly as this sequence lifts you up with huge action, it tears you down when the consequences of a fight like this become all too real. Ultimately, it’s the impact that the action in this movie has which makes the movie as substantial as it is enjoyable.
Spider-Man Swings into Action Superbly, But a Bit Clumsily
Speaking of Spider-Man, the inclusion of the character in the Marvel cinematic universe for the first time is a little conflicting in Civil War. Tom Holland plays the character effortlessly and with an affable personality that makes this iteration of Peter Parker/Spidey a promising addition to the MCU when he gets his own franchise. His interaction with the various heroes during his action debut contains just the right amount of teenage sarcasm and nerdiness as he geeks out over their various abilities and superhero suits. Even though he has to fight some of these heroes, he’s just happy to be there.But I couldn’t help but feel like his recruitment into Civil War was merely added into an already stuffed movie instead of being part of the story from the beginning (and we’ve heard that’s kind of how it played out behind the scenes anyway). Don’t get me wrong, Stark shares a fantastic scene with Peter Parker where we come to understand who he is as a hero, sort of a variation on the “with great power comes great responsibility” sentiment from the kid himself, but it still feels tacked on. So while he’s easily one of the most exciting and fun aspects of the first major battle between the Avengers, it’s not as smooth as it could have been.
Black Panther Is Kingly and Has a Bright Future
On the other end of the spectrum, the introduction of T’Challa, aka Black Panther, is perfect and feels completely organic. The hero makes for a fantastic contrast the quick wit and smart mouths that most of the Avengers have in the heat of the moment. T’Challa is filled with such confidence and conviction that you get the feeling this is a man who has been a hero to his people for awhile. Nothing will get in the way of the safety of his people, and the world in general, but he’s not without his own flaws. Thus, his character arc, all while being a new addition to a crowded MCU, is all the more impressive, and it should be interesting to see how he evolves in his own film series.
On the final page, we praise the performances and direction of Civil War.
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