Captain America: Civil War"Freedom isn't free" is a frequently cited expression to describe how our way of life is built upon the sacrifices of others. It is originally an American idiom, but could be applied to any part of the world where people fight for their liberty. Although not directly spoken by Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans) in Captain America: Civil War, the sentiment is at the core of the story, which contends with a veritable smorgasbord of political and civil ramifications of superhumans and an organization like the Avengers' role on a global scale. And as always in contentious debate, even friends may fight as enemies when their sense of right and wrong is put to the test.
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Following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War opens with a special operation by select Avengers in Lagos, Nigeria to stop a potentially catastrophic biological weapon from falling into the hands of a terrorist cell led by Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo)--known in the comics as "Crossbones". Alongside Captain America are his closer allies following Captain America: The Winter Soldier--Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon (Anthony Mackie)--as well as newcomer Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), who is certainly out of her element among these highly-trained military personnel, but is committed to the cause following the events in Sekovia. But after a terrible accident, with the world apparently outraged at the tragedy, media attention prompts political action in the form of the "Sekovia Accords", a multinational treaty to be passed and enforced by the United Nations, forcing the Avengers to become a military extension and imposing oversight. This seemingly drastic decision is administered by former Hulk "villain", now U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), whose ultimatum is met with mixed reactions by the Avengers. Some like Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) believe that in order to protect people, there must be the security of accountability, while Steve contends that being an extension of politicians means that they are mere enforcers of a contemporary agenda, hamstringing their ability to act out of conscience and be reduced to "following orders". Captain America: Civil War is set in locales across the globe, and is a story both about a universal desire for protection, but also the sense of fear which is inevitable when collateral damage is a factor. The story also confronts the existence of sovereignty versus American exceptionalism in the form of the newest king to the African nation of Wakanda--and also recent superhero--T'Challa a.k.a. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), whose vengeance is born from the destruction ostensibly wrought by the resuscitated James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), who is now marked for death.
This ideological argument has been at the root of the Avengers from their first uniting in The Avengers, and has been brewing beneath the surface for years. In fact, what makes Captain America: Civil War such a smart yarn--as it was in the comics from which it was adapted--is that it deals with basic civil liberties we all feel and have opinions about. It raises questions about freedom versus security, about morality versus accountability, things which are as resonant in the Marvel Universe as they are in real life. It is a story which is more concerned about the fears and sense of justice we all feel, and the masks become ours as we gauge just how we let our own convictions draw us together or tear us apart. One has but to turn on the television, or read the news, to see some hot-button issue--be it gun control, drone warfare, police brutality, or so many more--which we are impassioned about, and believe the "other side" is insane for possessing their position on the matter. In truth, this is a major communication problem for the world, and it is manifested in the schism which ruptures in the Avengers, as their early skirmishes turn into an all-out brawl of epic proportions. The sad irony of Captain America: Civil War is that although the secretive antagonist, Zemo (Daniel Brühl), is instigating terrorist actions, the most devastating conflicts and fights occur not with him, but "brother against brother", and there are scars, both emotional and physical left in the wake. As a dealer in information designed to provoke a response, Zemo shares more in common with Julian Assange than the more commonplace comic book megalomaniac. The film is packed to the gills with characters, all of whom are represented as individuals, their motivations felt, and the conflicts that come with their disagreements with one another more sorrowful as a result. Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda clearly flirt with the prospect of an emotional attachment, but their viewpoints on the nature of freedom versus security both identifies them as individuals and challenges their understanding of one another, forcing them to cross that dangerous threshold in any burgeoning relationship, the risk of opening up only to find that they do not see eye to eye. Heroes like Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and--with much anticipation--a very young Peter Parker (Tom Holland)--do I really need to say who this is?--are comic relief to be sure, but don't many heated debates about politics in large groups have guys like Spider-Man or Ant-Man, who try to diffuse the tension? One could very easily read Captain America: Civil War as a metaphor for our own country's volatile instability regarding politics, social issues, and other sensitive content best sideboarded in small talk and "polite conversation".
Recommended for: Fans of a thrilling and packed action movie, rich in political content and explosive fight scenes, fraught with tension--both emotional and physical.
This ideological argument has been at the root of the Avengers from their first uniting in The Avengers, and has been brewing beneath the surface for years. In fact, what makes Captain America: Civil War such a smart yarn--as it was in the comics from which it was adapted--is that it deals with basic civil liberties we all feel and have opinions about. It raises questions about freedom versus security, about morality versus accountability, things which are as resonant in the Marvel Universe as they are in real life. It is a story which is more concerned about the fears and sense of justice we all feel, and the masks become ours as we gauge just how we let our own convictions draw us together or tear us apart. One has but to turn on the television, or read the news, to see some hot-button issue--be it gun control, drone warfare, police brutality, or so many more--which we are impassioned about, and believe the "other side" is insane for possessing their position on the matter. In truth, this is a major communication problem for the world, and it is manifested in the schism which ruptures in the Avengers, as their early skirmishes turn into an all-out brawl of epic proportions. The sad irony of Captain America: Civil War is that although the secretive antagonist, Zemo (Daniel Brühl), is instigating terrorist actions, the most devastating conflicts and fights occur not with him, but "brother against brother", and there are scars, both emotional and physical left in the wake. As a dealer in information designed to provoke a response, Zemo shares more in common with Julian Assange than the more commonplace comic book megalomaniac. The film is packed to the gills with characters, all of whom are represented as individuals, their motivations felt, and the conflicts that come with their disagreements with one another more sorrowful as a result. Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda clearly flirt with the prospect of an emotional attachment, but their viewpoints on the nature of freedom versus security both identifies them as individuals and challenges their understanding of one another, forcing them to cross that dangerous threshold in any burgeoning relationship, the risk of opening up only to find that they do not see eye to eye. Heroes like Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and--with much anticipation--a very young Peter Parker (Tom Holland)--do I really need to say who this is?--are comic relief to be sure, but don't many heated debates about politics in large groups have guys like Spider-Man or Ant-Man, who try to diffuse the tension? One could very easily read Captain America: Civil War as a metaphor for our own country's volatile instability regarding politics, social issues, and other sensitive content best sideboarded in small talk and "polite conversation".
Recommended for: Fans of a thrilling and packed action movie, rich in political content and explosive fight scenes, fraught with tension--both emotional and physical.