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Captain America: Civil War

May 31, 2016 - - -

It took me about three weeks longer than I'd have liked to see Captain America: Civil War, but I guess the plus side is that fewer people will care now about me writing spoilers, which I intend to do. You have been warned.

Captain America: Civil WarSo much happened in the movie that I just know I've forgotten a ton. I was commenting while in the theater that I'd need to see it again. So many things about the movie were great, but I'm realizing now that one of the big ones was one of the same things that made me love the first Avengers movie so much. They took a bunch of characters from a number of movies and brought them together for the first time. Enter Antman. Enter Spiderman. Enter Black Panther. And those characters really belong together. And it's soo good. #fanboy

There were so many character moments showcasing individual relationships between the characters. It's astounding that they were able to fit such things into a movie this big. And those moments weren't just Tony Stark and Steve Rogers or Steve and Bucky. We had great moments between The Vision and Wanda, between Bucky and The Falcon, between Natasha and Tony, and even a great one between Spidey and Cap. Queens. Brooklyn.

Even though they were all fighting, it was clear that nobody really wanted to hurt anyone else. To the point that when Rhodey started going down, not only Iron Man dived to save him. Falcon did too.

I loved that they brought in General Ross, acted by the same guy from the Ed Norton hulk film, which pre-dates Iron Man 1.

The superheroes were so insanely cool. Look at Black Panther for starters. Chadwick Boseman did a great job in the role. I loved the character and his accent, and I loved his realization towards the end that it was vengeance that was really doing them in. It was his strength of character that really turned things around.

The Vision was so good. I especially loved the scene in which Hawkeye was trying to kick his ass and he calmly stood there and took the hits without flinching, and phased through some. It was like a parent fighting a child, and it really showcased what The Vision can do.

The Falcon was so good. And I'm not just talking about the Redwing drone, although that was a nice touch. His agility with the wings and his use of them as a shield really puts him over the top and brings him from just a guy who flies to a seriously powerful hero.

Ant-man was so good. I'm a huge fan of Paul Rudd, and he continued in his role of comic relief. His reaction to first meeting Captain America was great, and when he became GiAnt Man, he stole the scene.

Spider-man was so good. He was my favorite superhero when I was a kid, and they showed well that he's a serious contender for most powerful. He took on two of the others at once and didn't even seem to be trying hard. He's stronger than Bucky's metal arm, and easily the most agile of any of the others. It's also an interesting angle that Tony Stark's entire control over Peter Parker is his blackmail - telling Aunt May would be devastating. I think I'd heard that Tony Stark will be showing up in the next Sony Spiderman movie, Spider-man: Homecoming in 2017. I also just found out that Michael Keaton is going to be a villain in that film. Interesting. 2017 might give us our first good Spider-man film.

Tony Stank?

Captain America. So good. It really says something that with how amazing everything else was, Chris Evans still shone as the title character. He really might be my favorite character in the MCU. As they did in Winter Soldier, they really showcase his powers. He runs about 45mph chasing a car. He shows insane strength. And amidst everything else going on, he holds to his values. The guy is a paladin. And I've always had a soft spot for the supervirtuous character. That's probably the main reason why I'm with Cap. Besides, Tony Stark is kind of an asshole.

An interesting tidbit - he gave up his shield at the end of the movie. Could this be leading to a point where Falcon picks it up and becomes the next Captain America?