Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Frank Grillo, Daniel Brühl, William Hurt
OUR RATING: ★★★½
Story:
Marvel’s superhero third sequel to the Captain America movies and the thirteenth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.
The story picks up after Avengers: Age of Ultron, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to call in the Avengers. This results in fracturing the team while they try to protect the world from a new enemy, Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl).
Our Favorite Quotes:
'An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That's dead. Forever.' - Zemo (Captain America: Civil War) Click To Tweet 'In my culture, death is not the end.' - T'Challa (Captain America: Civil War) Click To Tweet
Best Quotes
[first lines; 1991, Bucky Barnes is defrosted by HYDRA and is brainwashed, an operative reads to him from a book]
Karpov: [in Russsian] Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight Car.
[he shuts the book]
Karpov: [in Russsian] Good morning, Soldier. Ready to comply? I have a mission for you. Sanction and extract. No witnesses.
[then see him crash a car in the middle of the night and take a case from the boot which contains the Super Soldier serum taking it back to Karpov]
Karpov: [in Russsian] Well done, Soldier.
[Present Day, Lagos Nigeria – Steve, Natasha, Sam and Wanda are on a mission to capture Brock Rumlow]
Wanda Maximoff: You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?
Natasha Romanoff: Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature.
Sam Wilson: Anybody ever tell you you’re a little paranoid?
Natasha Romanoff: Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?
[as Steven and Rumlow are fighting]
Brock Rumlow: This is for dropping a building on my face!
[he extracts a blade from his suit and goes to stab Steve with it but Steve moves his head in time]
[Rumlow takes off mask in defeat allowing Steve to see his face for the first time]
Brock Rumlow: I think I look pretty good, all things considered.
Steve Rogers: Who’s your buyer?
Brock Rumlow: You know, he knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky.
Steve Rogers: What did you say?
Brock Rumlow: He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in a blender. He wanted you to know something. He said to me, “Please tell Rogers, when you gotta go you gotta go.”
[he smiles]
Brock Rumlow: And you’re coming with me.
[we see Rumlow click a switch which makes him explode in a suicide bombing; Wanda tries to contain the blast but sends it inside a building, killing innocent civilians]
[we see a young Tony at his parents home]
Maria Stark: Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father.
Howard Stark: Who’s the homeless person on the couch?
Tony Stark: This is why I love coming home for Christmas, right before you leave town.
Maria Stark: Be nice, dear, he’s been studying abroad.
Howard Stark: Really? Which broad? What’s her name?
Tony Stark: Candice.
Howard Stark: Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday.
Tony Stark: Okay, so it’s Monday. That is good to know, I will plan my toga party accordingly. Where you going?
Maria Stark: Your father’s flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway.
Howard Stark: We might have to make a quick stop.
Tony Stark: At the Pentagon. Right? Don’t worry, you’re gonna love the holiday menu at the commissary.
Howard Stark: You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that’s true, you’ll be a great man someday.
[to Maria]
Howard Stark: I’ll get the bags.
[he leaves the room]
Maria Stark: He does miss you when you’re not here. And frankly, you’re going to miss us. Because this is the last time we’re all going to be together. You know what’s about to happen. Say something. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.
[just then Howard enters the room]
Tony Stark: I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could.
[Maria kisses Tony on the cheek; then we see older Tony standing behind them in the scene]
Tony Stark: That’s how I wish it happened.
Tony Stark: Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF. God, I gotta work on that acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to clear traumatic memories.
[at this point Tony tries to blow out the candle on the piano and we see that this is clearly a fake scenario and it disappears]
Tony Stark: It doesn’t change the fact that they never made it to the airport, or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but plus six hundred and eleven million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment, no one in their right mind would’ve ever funded it.
[we see Tony is on a stage giving a speech at MIT]
Tony Stark: Help me out, what’s the MIT mission statement? “To generate, disseminate and preserve knowledge. And work with others to bring it to bear on the world’s great challenges.” Well, you are the others. And, quiet as it’s kept, the challenges facing you are the greatest mankind’s ever known. Plus, most of you are broke.
[the audience laughs]
Tony Stark: Oh, I’m sorry. Rather, you were. As of this moment every student has been made an equal recipient of the inaugural September Foundation Grant. As in all of your projects have just been approved and funded.
[the audience cheers]
Tony Stark: No strings, no taxes, just reframe the future! Starting now.
[he then looks at the teleprompter and sees that he’s supposed to introduce Pepper, he looks visibly taken aback and then ends his speech]
Tony Stark: Go break some eggs.
[after his MIT speech as Tony goes to catch an elevator he sees a woman, Miriam, is also standing there waiting for it]
Miriam: That was nice, what you did for those young people.
Tony Stark: Ah, they deserve it. Plus, it helps ease my conscience.
Miriam: They say there’s a correlation between generosity and guilt. But if you’ve got the money, break as many eggs as you like. Right?
[Tony looks at her suspiciously before he presses the elevator button]
Tony Stark: Are you going up?
Miriam: I’m right where I want to be.
[Miriam goes to get something out of her handbag, Tony thinking she means harm goes to grab her hand]
Tony Stark: Okay. Hey!
[Miriam looks at him]
Tony Stark: Sorry, it’s an occupational hazard.
Miriam: I work for the State Department. Human Resources. I know it’s boring, but it enabled me to raise a son. I’m very proud of what he grew up to be.
[she slaps a photo of her son onto Tony’s chest]
Miriam: His name was Charlie Spencer. You murdered him, in Sokovia. Not that that matters in the least to you. You think you fight for us? You just fight for yourself. Who’s going to avenge my son, Stark? He’s dead, and I blame you.
[she turns and walk off]
[at the Avengers compound Steve catches Wanda watching a news report on the Lagos attack and how they blame her for it]
Wanda Maximoff: It’s my fault.
Steve Rogers: That’s not true.
Wanda Maximoff: Turn the TV back on. They’re being very specific.
Steve Rogers: I should’ve clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it. Rumlow said “Bucky” and all of a sudden I was a 16-year-old kid again in Brooklyn. And people died. It’s on me.
Wanda Maximoff: It’s on both of us.
Steve Rogers: This job, we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn’t mean everybody. But if we can’t find a way to live with that, then next time maybe nobody gets saved.
[Vision interrupts Wanda and Steve by walking through the wall into Wanda’s room]
Wanda Maximoff: Vis, we talked about this.
Vision: Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that…
[he pauses as he realizes what he’s done]
Vision: Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr Stark was arriving.
Steve Rogers: Thank you. We’ll be right down.
Vision: I’ll use the door. Oh, and apparently, he’s brought a guest.
Steve Rogers: Do we know who it is?
Vision: The Secretary of State.
[The Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross has summoned the Avengers to a meeting]
Thaddeus Ross: Huh. Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I have found something forty years in the army had never taught me. Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives. But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word “vigilantes”.
Natasha Romanoff: And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?
Thaddeus Ross: How about “dangerous”? What would you call a group of US based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about with what they leave behind? New York, Washington D.C., Sokovia, Lagos…
[he shows them video footage of all the carnage caused by the Avengers trying to save the world; this clearly upsets Wanda]
Steve Rogers: Okay. That’s enough.
Thaddeus Ross: In the past four years, you’ve operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That’s an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution.
[he places a thick document on the desk and passes it to Wanda]
Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross: The Sokovia Accords. Approved by a hundred and seventeen countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they’ll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary.
Steve Rogers: The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we’ve done that.
Thaddeus Ross: Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes you can bet there’d be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That’s how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground.
Lieutenant James Rhodes: So, there are contingencies.
Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross: Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords.
[Steve looks over to Tony]
Thaddeus Ross: Talk it over.
Natasha Romanoff: And if we come to a decision you don’t like?
Thaddeus Ross: Then you retire.
Zemo: When SHIELD fell, Black Widow released Hydra files to the public. Millions of pages. Much of it encrypted, not easy to decipher, but I have experience, and patience. A man can do anything if he has those.
Steve Rogers: Buck, do you remember me?
Bucky Barnes: Your mom’s name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes.
Sam Wilson: You’re a wanted man.
Bucky Barnes: I don’t do that anymore.
Steve Rogers: Well the people who think you did are coming right now and they’re not planning on taking you alive.
T’Challa: Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred.
King T’Chaka: Unless you need to move a piano.
T’Challa: In my culture, death is not the end. It’s more of a stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands, and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veldt, where you can run forever.
Natasha Romanoff: That sounds very peaceful.
T’Challa: My father thought so. I am not my father.
Natasha Romanoff: T’Challa, Task Force will decide who brings in Barnes.
T’Challa: Don’t bother, Miss Romanoff. I’ll kill him myself.
Natasha Romanoff: I know how much Bucky means to you. Stay out of this one. Please. You’ll only make this worse.
Steve Rogers: You saying you’ll arrest me?
Steve Rogers: I’m sorry, Tony. If I see a situation pointed south, I can’t ignore it. Steve Rogers: Sometimes I wish I could.
Tony Stark: Sometimes I want to punch you in your perfect teeth.
Tony Stark: Captain, you seem a little defensive.
Steve Rogers: Well, it’s been a long day.
Tony Stark: If you can’t accept limitations, we’re no better than the bad guys.
Steve Rogers: That’s not the way I see it.
Steve Rogers: I know we’re not perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.
Sam Wilson: [to Steve] I just want to make sure we consider all our options. Because people that shoot you usually wind up shooting at me too.
Natasha Romanoff: You know what’s about to happen. Do you really want to punch your way out of this?
Natasha Romanoff: Are we still friends?
Clint Barton: That depends on how hard you punch me.
Peter Parker: Hey guys, you ever see that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back?
James Rhodes: Jesus, Tony, how old is this guy?
Tony Stark: I don’t know, I didn’t carbon date him. He’s on the young side.
Scott Lang: I want to say I know you know a lot of super people, so thinks for thanking of me. Thanks for thinking of me!
Vision: Do you know, I don’t know what this is?
[points at the Infinity Stone in his forehead]
Vision: Not really. I know it’s not of this world, that it powered Loki’s staff, gave you your abilities, but its true nature is a mystery. And yet, it is part of me.
Wanda Maximoff: Are you afraid of it?
Vision: I wish to understand it. The more I do, the less it controls me. One day, who knows? I may even control it.
Sam Wilson: What do we do?
Steve Rogers: We fight.
Tony Stark: You chose the wrong side.
Tony Stark: I was wrong about you. The whole world was wrong about you.
Tony Stark: They’re coming for you.
Natasha Romanoff: I’m not the one that needs to watch their back.
Steve Rogers: This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Tony.
[suddenly Stark punches Steve in the face]
Tony Stark: You just started a war!
Tony Stark: Stay down, final warning.
Steve Rogers: I could do this all day.
Tony Stark: Alright, I’ve run out of patience. Underoos!
[suddenly a web shoots out, grabs hold of Steve’s Captain America’s shield and ties Steve’s hands together, we then see Spiderman take the shield, flip in the air before he lands on top of a truck]
Spider-Man: Hey, everyone.
Zemo: An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead. Forever.
[referring to Bucky]
Steve Rogers: I’m sorry, Tony. You know I wouldn’t do this if I had any other choice. But he’s my friend.
Tony Stark: So was I.
Steve Rogers: Tony, I’m glad you’re back at the compound. I don’t like the idea of you rattling around a mansion by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours. Maybe more so than mine. I’ve been on my own since I was eighteen. I never really fit in anywhere, even in the army. My faith’s in people, I guess. Individuals. And I’m happy to say that, for the most part, they haven’t let me down. Which is why I can’t let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but maybe they shouldn’t. I know I hurt you, Tony. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents, I was sparing you, but I can see now that I was really sparing myself. And I’m sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords. I really do. I know you’re doing what you believe in, and that’s all any of us can do. That’s all any of us should.
What do you think of Captain America: Civil War quotes? Let us know in the comments below as we’d love to know.
Trailer:
Captain America: Civil War proves yet again that Marvel are the undisputed kings of the superhero genre with their latest effort dominating the box office once more.
Despite being 13 films into their well-established universe and 11 superheroes between which screen time must be divided the film shines as one of the finest in the series. It manages to tell a compelling and cohesive story with layered characters and individual motivations for their actions. This includes a couple of new players, some of whom make their big-screen debut here.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) head up the two opposing teams in the Civil War. Stark believes that The Avengers ought to be monitored and controlled under U.N. approved sanctions which fundamentally contradicts Rogers’ beliefs about corruption among those in power. Both of these polarised views harken back the two characters’ respective films; Stark first became Iron Man in 2008 to ensure control over the damage his weapons could do and Rogers spent his last solo outing foiling Hydra’s schemes after they infiltrated numerous global powers. While the story of Rogers’ previous eponymous film was more interesting, the overall experience of Civil War makes for an even more entertaining trip to the cinema.
It would have been easy for the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, to make Rogers into anti-establishment freedom-fighter and have Stark be the government’s lackey for use as their subordinate. Instead the Russo brothers keep you invested in both sides of the argument with neither one being without merit. While neither Rogers or Stark are villains in this story there is one who has been manipulating events from behind the scenes. Unfortunately, this is one of the film’s weaker elements; the villain plot does slip into the universe well but it does not add much to the overall story and comes across as needless, acting as yet another disposable villain in the MCU’s rogues gallery. Despite not particularly adding much to the story the villain does not detract from the film either.
As well as the presence of a new villain, other new characters added into the roster are Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). They are both given their own well-integrated reasons for joining their teams which makes their addition feel natural and seamless, particularly with Black Panther. The inclusion of Spider-Man into the MCU has been long anticipated since its inception due to being one of the most popular and recognisable superheroes. Holland perfectly captures the awkwardness and innocence of a teenaged superhero, exceeding all prior incarnations of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Despite having limited screen time, Holland’s performance, particularly in the extraordinary action sequences, is one of the film’s standout roles and his characterisation of the ‘Web-Slinger’ is certainly a highlight.
As is to be expected with Marvel movies, the comedy in Civil War is spot on with simple quips and one-liners elevating otherwise serious situations in classic Marvel fashion: From the banter between The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and The Falcon (Anthony Mackie); The Vision’s (Paul Bettany) struggles in understanding the nuances of human sociology; and the immaturity of the enthusiastic Spider-Man. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) also provides many welcome laughs, calling on the comedy actor’s considerable wealth of experience.
The Russos have delicately interwoven the characters’ individual conflicts and motives creating an exciting experience with an engaging story and grounded characters.
Rating: 5/5
Let me begin by saying how much I hate movies, especially Marvel. It is so unrealistic and full of bullshit. The comics were awful to begin with and then they decide to make movies about it? What the hell. Now you may be wondering why I would go to see this kind of movie at all if I hated the comics already? Well, I thought that the comics were so horrible that the movie couldn’t get any more shitty. Besides, my friends wanted me to go and see it with them; they actually tricked me saying we were going to see the new Angry Birds movie, which looked amazing, because they knew I really wanted to see it.
Now you may be asking yourself another question, why is this guy going to the movies period? Well I like to see legit movies, not fake crap like Marvel movies. LIKE WHAT KIND OF GUY GETS FROZEN IN ICE?!?!?!?! That’s not real. AND A HUGE GREEN MAN?!?!?! BULLET PROOF SUITS?!?!?!? MIND POWERS?!?!?! Yeah, I would rather see flying birds because that is way more realistic than some chick blowing up stuff with her mind. Now let’s get to the movie. Spider-Man was so fake… How can a 13 year old kid fight like a 25 year old man? It’s so unrealistic. Iron Man got shot in the face and didn’t die. The best part was when War Machine was shot out of the air, so realistic. I love when people die in these movies because it is so realistic.
I can’t stress how fake some of these movies are. Like when Bucky runs and jumps out a window 10 stories high? No, no, no, no, no, no, no! He would die! Like what the hell!!!!!!!!!! All in all, this movie was pretty good; I enjoyed watching it and almost cried myself to sleep that night after I saw Tony’s parents die by the hand of Bucky.
I would rate this movie 16/10! Thanks all. Don’t see it unless you like fake crap.
Captain America: Civil War is phenomenal, and that might be an understatement. It is one of the best superhero movies of all time; quite possibly the best.
Civil War coherently combines the tone and gritty aesthetic of a Jason Bourne film, with the humor, fun and freewheeling kinetic energy prevalent in today’s superhero movies.
The plot is sound and the motivation behind many of the characters actions is succinct. Despite being a beacon of light for the rest of the world, and the only legitimate resistance to the likes of “Ultron” and various other evil doers, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and the rest of the Avengers need to be reeled in, and their powers stymied. The world has come to the realization that their mere existence has incited violence, and their actions have real world consequences; because of this the Avengers must no longer act independently, but rather take orders from the United Nations. It will be up to the UN to decide how and when the Avengers will be utilized. This cause’s much friction between the team, and both sides have legitimate points. It is this disagreement that leads to civil war.
The plot works on so many levels. It adds a degree of realism, and gives the movie great depth and dimensions from which it can draw from. The engaging and thought provoking plot is the fulcrum from which the entire movie hangs. It is the plot that allows Civil War to be as fun and entertaining as it is. Captain America is unique in its ability to provide awe inspiring visuals while also brandishing the mind with issues of morality and consequence. What we have is an intellectual pulse pounding superhero film that has not been seen since 2008’s The Dark knight.
Returning from their exceptional directorial work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier the Russo brothers do a brilliant job crafting the action and they have a great eye when it comes to finding that “superhero” shot. One such example of their mastery and acute understanding of the genre takes place near the end; with all the superhero characters lined up on opposite sides of each other, preparing for battle, the camera slowly pans past each character. The shot only lasts a few seconds, but the set-up and staging is perfect. The fight scenes are tight and handled with exceptional grace. Practical effects, and some amazing stunt work reign supreme; you will be hard pressed to spot the CGI. Everything in this movie looks completely authentic and genuine.
The cinematography is brilliant and the lightning is exceptional. Unlike Batman v Superman where everything seemed murky and opaque, this movie is clear and focused. I did not have to strain my eyes to comprehend the action. The extreme contrast between the stark, gritty realism and the lush, rich and lucid colors that fill the screen is breathtaking. Every image is sharp and well defined; from the inviting warm texture of the Spider-Man costume to the Hard, almost workman like, look of captain America’s armor.
The crazy amount of superhero characters and plot that fill this movie could easily have been a disaster, but nothing feels rushed and everyone is given their fair share of screen time. Each superhero seemed to be part of their own movie, and their powers and abilities are fully realized. Nothing is left on the table. This film is fun, full of energy and yes absolutely brilliant.
!!!!!!! Massive Spoilers !!!!!!!!
Just to let you get an idea about how I’m going to review this film, I am a massive movie fan and in this case a massive superhero movie fan.
Notice how I didn’t say superhero comic fan, just to get this out there I love comics and graphic novels, I’ve read a few and greatly appreciate what they are trying to do in terms of story, but I don’t pretend to be a massive expert although I know more than most.
I see movies, books and comic books as separate mediums and one should not interpret the other, so going into this particular feature, I knew there was a graphic novel and had an idea what happens in that story BUT…
The movie I was seeing was following separate continuity, which started with 2008 Iron Man and followed 7 years’ worth of events, so was I impressed. OMG…
This is a brilliant movie, and not just in terms of entertainment, but storytelling and amazing script writing.
Let me make clear that (sorry to offend some people) I think The Dark Knight is the greatest comic book movie ever BUT, this would probably come a very easy second. Am I automatically saying this film is better than The Winter Solider? Yes and no, they are two very different films and both accomplish what they set out to do, this film just does this on an epic scale.
I’ve always said ensemble films can be done right, even with a mass amount of characters if each character has a reason an a purpose for being there, so on that note let’s get the obvious out the way, Spider-Man and Black Panther are the big standouts , Spider-Man all of a sudden feels fresh again and it was a clever move by having a kid play a kid , which instantly makes you feel no matter what this character does you’re always going to be on his side because you’ve started this journey with him and I’m excited to see more of this interpretation. Black Panther I am not really going to go into because this is a brilliantly rounded character so it would only seem fitting to let you see it for yourself and see how brilliant this character is.
The rest of the film really holds up because of the weight of the characters and the journey we’ve been through these 11, 12 movies with them, and it couldn’t have been accomplished without them, because we care about these people, no matter what side they’re on or whose point of view matters most, it just works.
Now is this movie perfect? No, because no movie ever is, one big moment that doesn’t work for me, and it is a BIG moment is the airport battle. Although hugely entertaining it just jars out of the rest of the film a little but it’s a minor problem that doesn’t really affect the third act.
Everyone is saying that the bad guy is not good… I massively disagree, I think he’s one of the best villains in the MCU, and why do I say this, it’s because at the end were he reveals his true intentions, I actually feel sorry for him and feel, although crazy an psychotic, it was a very human reaction, which is nice if you compare the rest of MCU.
So overall this film is solid 9/10.
Great script, brilliant acting and amazingly entertaining.