Captain America: Civil War- A Classic Clash Of Titans

It is high time since we realized that superheroes are different, not only from the rest of us ordinary folk but also from each other.

Differences emerge inevitably from a certain ideology, a certain opinion or the way of doing things right, saving the world. And while most assembles of heroes might eventually gel together like a good team to kick evil in its nuts, when pushed to edge, we might eventually see the cracks in their group dynamic that might eventually lead to a clash of ideas and personalities.

The Russo Brothers, continuing a smashing run with their deft hand on the superhero genre after 2014’s tautly thrilling ‘The Winter Soldier’, have taken this central premise and woven around it a fascinating, solidly conventional (or even unexpected unconventional) superhero yarn that lets our favourite screen heroes- and intriguing newbies- duke it out in a battle, which lets them decide what is right and what should be done.

It is the most classic of all superhero templates and while ‘Captain America: Civil War’ is also bursting with layers of wacky wit, much excellent daredevilry and even flashes of unexpected emotional baggage, it never really strays from its main objective- to let us sigh and gasp (and yes, even have a ball) as we see once-teammates taking on each other, each endowed with style, snap and superpowers that makes him or her really special and crucially different from the others. Hell, this is the film that ‘Batman Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ could have been. 

Comic-book movies might deviate from actual plots of the paperbacks and even tweak the origins here and there but what makes a good comic book movie is how it lets its men and women in tights to keep on their true selves. Nothing is taken away from any of the masked and caped heroes in this film- and that itself makes the entire clash intriguing. We always need to see whether these oddballs can actually fit in with each other when it comes to big choices and it is exactly this shred of conflict that makes the actual smack-down a worthy debate that lets you pick sides. Or rather, even both sides.

The big choice in this case is what the great Alan Moore described some of in his seminal series ‘Watchmen’- the public exploits of heroes need to be controlled- or even subdued- by a ruling political authority. The United Nations steps in to restrain these bushy-tailed adventurers who might have saved the day but have also created collateral damage. Tony Stark, now visibly greying at the edges and palpably defeated, agrees but his perfect opposite, the evergreen Steve Rogers won’t really take it lying down. 

And that is all you need to know, really. ‘Civil War’ skimps on the weightier narrative elements and instead decides to pile up the fun. The build-up before the big clash towards the climax is a tightly plotted game of move and countermove-deftly laying the bones of the central debate between Captain America and Iron Man, whilst letting in irresistibly interesting characters with their motives and affiliations into the narrative. The action comes in incidentally, intuitively- slick, frenetic yet often punchy and coherent. The fresh faces- the embittered African prince T’Challa, a trusty Falcon, a slippery burglar who starred in Marvel’s most low-key venture and a kid from New York whom you know too well- step into ‘Civil War’ in unexpected and strategic ways, the result being that the director-duo along with their writers keep everything on an even keel. Everything- from the shifting allegiances to the main gist of a whodunit plot involving Bucky Barnes to the entry of the afore-mentioned characters- fits in like clockwork. 

When the big battle eventually erupts, it is time for both nostalgia and novelty. ‘Civil War’ smartly pits together two teams- Captain’s ensemble of mostly mercenaries, both old and new, pitted against Iron Man’s team of reliable allies and yes, of course that kid. It could have been an overblown battle of incoherence- yes, but in the hands of a director like Zack Snyder. In more capable hands, the battle turns not only into a classic standoff of heroes laying down friendships for a greater cause but also witty, often ingenious and enthralling. Yes, the action actually delights because it never digresses into redundant hokum and the film sticks with both teams- letting each hero have both a moment in the sun as well as a mighty fall. It is also incredibly hilarious at times- the visual daredevilry often amuses as does the verbal banter amidst the chaos. I cannot forget the sight of Ant-Man doing his greatest trick- no spoilers, I assure you- or both Spiderman and Captain America pausing for a breath to talk about from where in good old New York did they come. 

Is it all fun and games? As the film reaches a head in a sobering climax in Siberia, the film smashes the ground rules and turns darker but it never feels indulgent or overdone. Most importantly, we never forget who the heroes are and what makes them different.

Keeping the superhero style and snap firmly in their tights and spandex are the actors, all better than ever. Chris Evans makes for a solid Captain America, a bit out of league of the big stakes the game requires but nevertheless soldiering on with true-blue diligence and determination. Scarlett Johannson still kicks ass as Natasha Romanoff, here divided between a natural liking for Rogers and a logical allegiance to Stark while Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany add wonderful side-turns as Wanda Maximoff and Vision respectively. Paul Rudd is a stellar Ant-Man, carrying off goofy charm effectively while Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is the film’s biggest surprise- a dark-edged Avenger in the literal sense. And finally, we have Tom Holland playing a Spiderman that we always wanted but never got till now: low-key, wet behind his ears yet a load of swinging fun.

As the film’s central antagonist, Daniel Bruhl is quietly chilling as he plots and carries out the film’s chaos with the elegance of a tragic villain done wrong. Old faces like William Hurt and Don Cheadle are a delight, though more could have been done with Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, and Marisa Tomei still manages to look great with the man who fell in love with her in a film called ‘Only You’.

That man- who is actually Robert Downey JR’s Tony Stark- often steals the film. This might be a franchise film for Captain but it is Iron Man who emerges, unexpectedly, as the film’s moral compass and its emotional core. Downey’s Stark is here a man mostly beaten down on all levels and even his constant barrage of wisecracks lacks the punch that it once had. But then, that is the deal- this is a Stark losing it all- Pepper Potts is gone, his well-intentioned inventions have failed and all his demons are tumbling out of that iron suit. Downey gets the snappy banter right as always but he also digs beneath the armour and comes up with a vulnerable, damaged soul that we have never seen before. It is clearly the performance of the film.

Is ‘Civil War’ the finest superhero film out there? It is definitely one of the finest, for here we have all the ingredients in place- well-picked characters oozing with charisma, enough meat for the plot and enough hard-boiled action to satisfy the boys. But like the much-loved ‘Star Wars’ sequel it references hilariously at a point, this is also a brave superhero yarn that refuses to end on a happy note but instead leaves a cliff-hanger and us hungry for more. Imagine Christopher Nolan taking on the Marvel series and giving us something for everyone. Now that is really smart. 

My Rating- 4 and a half stars out of 5