CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR has lots going on, but it manages to balance story and character development to provide an entertaining and satisfying sequel to previous Marvel movies such as CAPTIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER and AVENGERS; AGE OF ULTRON.  It is also a love letter to longtime comic book fans who know their Marvel comics history and characters.  This movie also sets the stage for events to be resolved in the AVENGERS: THE INFINITY WAR movies and introduce The Black Panther (before his own solo movie) and the new rebooted Spider-Man (before the SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING movie coming soon from Sony/ Columbia Pictures).   Spider-Man has some great lines, you get to see Ant-Man be Giant Man (along with an AT-AT reference from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK), a little romance for Steve Rogers, chemistry between Vision and Wanda, Tony Stark feeling guilty, and Steve Roger debating with Tony Stark on why superheroes shouldn’t be regulated. 

The newest CAPTAIN AMERICA movie could also be seen as an AVENGER 2.5 movie in addition to the latest CAPTAIN AMERICA sequel.  It has some great ethical debates along with some great action sequences (despite too much shaky camera use which may be hard on some eyes watching this movie on the big screen), and remembering the history of what happened in previous marvel movies (IRON MAN 3, CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER, and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON).  It also seems they want to make Aunt May more attractive with each reboot of the Spider-Man character (with Marisa Tomei playing Aunt May this time). CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR works because the script is able to build on the history of the various characters and give each of them their own moments while movies like BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE just crams too much plot without developing from a series of previous movies (with the exception of MAN OF STEEL) and serve as a big info dump.   The movie should be called something else since CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR is just more of a gimmick title and just a diversion from what the movie is actually about.   It is a movie that continues CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER while also addressing the fallout from AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.  The hero characters are written very well while the villains again get the shaft (this seems to be a constant problem with many of the Marvel movies).  The post credit scenes are great (with one being an epilogue while the other is just a fun bit with Peter Parker).  Now I wish Marvel would make a BLACK WIDOW movie sooner than later (even though Scarlet Johnasson has a very busy schedule, but a BLACK WIDOW movie sounds more exciting than the planned CPATIN MARVEL movie).  

Do I hope Marvel makes another CAPTAIN AMERICA movie with Chris Evans?  Absolutely since there are so many comic book storylines they could draw from.  Do I feel there needs to be another IRON MAN movie?  Not really since I have heard the ego of Robert Downey Jr. basically had Tony Stark ending up in the CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR in the first place (Kevin Feige basically telling the scriptwriters to adapt the Civil War storyline from Marvel Comics).  A good script did make the movie work wonders, but I am curious what the third CAPTAIN AMERICA movie would be like without including Iron Man and a slew of Avengers.  Here’s hoping the next CAPTAIN AMERICA movie will be a standalone affair without having to forward the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary with Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo and screenwriters Christotpher Markus and Stephen McFeely

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL- THE MAKING OF CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR- a two part making-of documentary that covers the development of this movie, the production, and the characters with various interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and clips from CPATAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE ROAD TO CIVIL WAR- a recap of the events in the CAPTAIN AMERICA and AVENGERS movies that led to this movie

IRON MAN: THE ROAD TO CIVIL WAR- a recap of the events in the IRON MAN and AVENGERS movies that led to CAPTAIN AMERICA; CIVIL WAR

A few deleted scenes and one extended scene (of Peggy’s funeral and the cut scenes after it)

Gag reel

OPEN YOUR MIND: MARVEL’S DOCTOR STRANGE which is a brief look at the upcoming movie with interviews and footage from the movie.  A trailer for Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE plays before the main menu and as part of the previews option on the disc

Code for a digital HD copy of the movie

Theatrical trailers for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR aren’t included on this disc

FINAL ANALYSIS: CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR does a great job of tying in various elements from previous Marvel movies while also addressing the issue of collateral damage from all of these fights out Marvel heroes are involved in.  The making-of documentary is a great look at the making of the movie and the extended scne is worth a watch.

This review is ©9-12-2016 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

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