Real ideas are introduced and discussed, but “theme” never becomes overbearing. Such a crowded story could easily collapse under its own weight, but Civil War is never less than propulsive, weaving efficiently and economically through a rather outrageously complicated plot with clarity and ease. The script, written by Marvel veterans Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, is largely to thank for the film’s success. In the past, Marvel’s films have often undercut pathos with humor, but there are scarcely any laughs to be found in Civil War’s final reel. Tonally, it moves deftly between comedy and tragedy, transitioning between uproarious wit and striking dolefulness. Civil War is an astonishing balancing act. On a filmmaking level, Marvel’s work has never been more polished.
As Devin Faraci wrote in his review, “ Civil War is not great despite being the third Captain America and thirteenth overall Marvel movie – it’s great because of those things.” Civil War’s respectful, affectionate treatment of its many characters would be impressive in a vacuum, but is especially successful primarily because it is counting on viewers’ preexisting connection to them. Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) avowed desire to fight for “the little guy” echoes a repeated refrain from Captain America’s WWII-era origin story. A grieving mother (Alfre Woodard) spits that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) fights only for himself, recalling a similar accusation by Captain America (Chris Evans) in the first Avengers film. The dialogue is peppered with subtle callbacks. Characters’ arcs progress naturally from, and are informed by, their exploits in past films. That sense of history lends weight to Civil War in ways both big – the film’s plot hinges on the aftermath of the various climactic battles that have concluded previous films – and small. This is the third Captain America installment, yes, but it is also building on the Iron Man and Avengers films (not to mention an incursion from Ant-Man). This sense of complexity and fullness comes in no small part from the fact that, perhaps more than any other film in the series, it feels like a direct continuation of all that came before. This model has drawbacks and benefits, both of which I discuss at length in my essay on The Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it has never paid off as well as it does here at the start of “Phase Three.” The simple pleasures of The Avengers may be equally visceral, but they are less substantial Civil War is as well-rounded as Marvel films can get, at least for the foreseeable future. Over the past eight years – a time period winkingly referred to in the film – the studio has built an intricately interconnected “cinematic universe” through thirteen feature films. This is the zenith of Marvel’s storytelling method. Reviewed by Timothy Lawrence on June 27, 2016
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