“We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I’m game.”
Tony Stark – Robert Downey Jr.
I promise I don’t just watch Marvel films, it’s just coincided with the release of Disney+… I also have not read any of the comics, so all of my opinions are based solely on the films. Apologies if the things I moan about are also in the comics.
I touched on Captain America: Civil War in my Thor: Ragnarok post and I’m afraid I’m going to repeat myself. Captain America 3 is Avengers 3. While we’re not unused to seeing standalone Marvel films featuring a handful of MCU characters from different storylines – for example Thor 3 involves the likes of Hulk and Doctor Strange – I feel like it takes away from the individual narratives when it’s taken overboard. One of my favourite elements of the MCU is the fact that each character has their own story, whether it’s told in one or three films, and then they crossover into the Avengers plot. It works so well, filling in the time between events in the Avengers timeline with what the individual characters are doing. I don’t mind one or two characters popping up and tying into the other storylines but with Cap 3, it’s a whole new level and for me it is just completely unnecessary. Spiderman (Tom Holland), Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Atman (Paul Rudd), Vision (Paul Bettany), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), all are not needed. It would still function as a successful film with Cap (Chris Evans), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). I don’t think Rhodes (Don Cheadle) is even that necessary. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) seems to crop up in every film, so I’m not too fussed about that. Aside from this, the third instalment in the Captain America timeline is very entertaining. The acting is nothing special but is as good as every other Marvel film, as is the CGI. The action scenes seem to be cut faster in this film which makes me feel nauseous and is impossible to see what is going on, but nonetheless entertaining. The plot concept to great, but not very well executed, costumes are good and the script has on for two amusing quips, however the continual attempt to make every line funny gets dull very quickly. It is actually very re-watchable, if you can get past the fact it’s not much of a standalone film.
The opening sequence is nearly fantastic. I really like the tying off of Rumlow’s (Frank Grilo) story and I think it would have worked fine with just Steve, Natasha, and Sam (Anthony Mackie). It doesn’t drag on too long, which is a bit of a personal gripe with some films, and it’s very entertaining. The next hour or so is spent building a wall between Steve and Tony. I like the idea of politicising an action film in the same way I like the political aspect of the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace storyline (unpopular opinion I know). I think it adds an element of maturity and changes things up from just constantly beating up a bad guy. The wall between the two leaders is good but that’s where is should have left it, keeping the extra characters down a bit. I also like the fact it continues the clash between Tony and Steve that featured in Avengers 1. As the wall gets bigger and bigger, the King of Wakanda is assassinated (supposedly by Bucky, SPOILERS it wasn’t) and we’re introduced to Black Panther (T’Chala, Chadwick Boseman). He’s awesome in this and all I could think about after first watching the film was the imminent origin film (which I won’t go into now but feel free to read here). The rest of the film, bar the last half hour, is just Cap defending his mate from everyone else but for some reason this has to include the rest of the Avengers, which makes no sense. Eventually we get to see the big fight between Steve and Tony which is surprisingly entertaining and gives a nice explanation why Steve and Bucky are in Wakanda at the start of Infinity War. Interlaced throughout the whole film is Zemo (Daniel Brühl), who I think is a great villain but much like Black Panther, is never the main figure in the film (whyyyyyy). He’s a great villain, albeit with a pretty rudimentary reason for wanting to split up the Avengers gang and probably the reason they were all included. Overall, pretty good.
Right, I’ll make this quick. I kinda get that it’s the Avengers and they’re likely to do stuff together, but in all honesty I think the inclusion of Scarlett Witch in the opening sequence (or in fact at all) is totally unnecessary. She already has beef with Stark following from Avengers 2 so the additional feud that forms after she levels a building is not needed. They could have quite easily smashed up a building the ol’ fashion way and still got the same result. The action at the start is where it gives a sense of nausea. It moves far too fast between characters and there is no way you can keep up with what everyone is actually doing. Captain America annoys me the whole way through with his righteousness belief that he’s always doing the right thing. Never have I empathised with Iron Man more than after the line “sometimes I want to punch you in your perfect teeth”. So appropriate. The dispute between the Avengers doesn’t make any sense either. For starters, they’re not all there to begin with so they’re missing some pretty big voices. Presumably this is because if Thor and Hulk were there for the fight, they’d win comfortably. On this note, the whole fight scene is just so stupid; none of them are aiming to properly hurt each other, and the only reason they are fighting is so Bucky and Steve can get some transport. Not only were they undiscovered before the fight took place, but seeing as Bucky had evaded all attention for several years, I think he’d know how to stay covert enough to get a plane. All this does is totally undermine the whole of Zemo’s character, and Bucky’s assassination of Tony ‘s parents – which is a nice plot point.
Overall, much like Black Panther, this is a film of nearlys. It doesn’t need so many characters, the plot tangents off drastically and never fully recovers, and there are too many quips that just don’t quite hit the mark. If they had stuck with this ex special forces chap who wants to break up the band by framing Bucky for stuff and then telling Tony about his parents’ murder by the aforementioned, all while the Government wants to put some caps (sorry) on the Avengers so they stop the wild vigilantism, it would have worked fine. Other than that, rather entertaining.
Awards
N/A
Ratings
Cinematography – 7/10
Storyline – 6/10
Editing – 7/10
Sound/Score – 7/10
Acting – 7/10
Overall – 7/10
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