So, anyway -- Captain America. Unless you live in a society where you're a mindless zombie, living out your pathetic existence unaware of current events and pop culture -- I'm looking at you, Salt Lake City -- you've probably heard of "movies", or Motion Pictures if you will. First started 120 years ago, these moving pictures have grown to be one of the largest, most profitable forms of entertainment. And in the last eight years, one company has ruled above the rest -- the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Yes, I know it's called MARVEL; and they are a subsidiary of the even more successful Disney, but let's not get into a debate over studio ownership and earnings. Just roll with me for a minute. Since 2008's 'Iron Man', Marvel has built quite the hot property. Not only have they managed to bring to life childhood heroes, but do it in a way that didn't alienate the average movie-goer, and bring justice and legitimacy to the sub-genre of comic book movies. Each film has its own tone and specific direction, as highlighted by whoever mans the director's chair. 'Iron Man' was a fluke. No one realized the full potential, which is crazy to think being that Jon Favreau was at the helm. Sure, 'The Incredible Hulk' wasn't the smash that Universal hoped for, but the Easter Egg ending did nothing but generate excitement for the future of what would become the MCU. A rushed 'Iron Man' sequel was sub par to some, however I would argue the first act and fight sequences are pretty well-done. Kenneth Branagh lended himself nicely to the fourth entry in the MCU, 2011's 'Thor'; followed by Spielberg protege Joe Johnston's 'Captain America: The First Avenger'. In that film, we see the origin of Captain America. It has a 1950s Saturday Matinee Serial quality which I liken to 'Indiana Jones' (directed by Spielberg). And then the unimaginable happened. No, the bottom didn't fall out. It was the opposite, to be exact. Marvel had their biggest undertaking -- a team-up film incorporating all of those solo acts and then some. 2012's 'The Avengers', led perfectly by director Joss Whedon, managed to give plenty of screen time to all of the heroes while building a storyline that pleased even the most moderate fans.
You know what? I feel like I boring you. Yeah, Marvel has been great. Their directors have been great. Their Netflix originals were great. Even the ABC shows are entertaining. 'The Avengers' ended their first four-year run known as Phase One. Phase Two has since come and gone, giving the world some of the MCU's strongest entries ('Guardians of the Galaxy', 'Ant-Man', 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', 'Daredevil', and 'Jessica Jones', to name a few). With Phase Three officially kicking off with 'Captain America: Civil War', I'm left feeling both excited and remorseful. I'll get to the former in a few sentences. As for the latter, well, I left the theater opening night astonished by what I saw. But as I drove into work the next morning, a hint of sadness came about. I came to the realization 'Captain America: Civil War' may be the finest superhero film ever made and may never be eclipsed, especially by any other entry in the MCU. Nevertheless, I find beauty in most movies (even when I have to wade through proverbial shit on celluloid), and I have a lot of faith in the big names Marvel has brought in to pen scripts, produce, direct, and act in the third act of their already epic saga.
Captain America: Civil War
IMDB.com Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Availability: In theaters.
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Steven Spielberg made a comment on the future of superhero films, stating he believes they are going the way of the Western (implying the genre is going to die soon). Zack Snyder agreed, but not before taking exception of his movie, 'Batman V. Superman', calling his flick "transcendent" of the superhero genre. In retrospect, I think he may have actually been speaking of rival film, 'Captain America: Civil War'. Now, as a film buff with a passion for most things nerdy, I take the adult approach to comic book movies -- I don't have to choose sides. I can sit back and just enjoy a film for what it is (although if I had to choose, it would be a very easy decision -- Marvel). But if DC really want to get their cinematic universe right, they should use the bench mark set by Marvel as a template. I understand they are playing catch up, but just a few years ago, they squandered the promise of their hottest property in Batman by sitting on the franchise and trying to launch the Superman franchise instead. While they have taken the 'everything and the kitchen sink' approach by flooding fans with anything they can without lending a sense of a shared universe between their properties, Marvel, through strategic planning and a good amount of luck, has crafted a Brand Name. In a perfect world, I would love to see both franchises as equals; and based on Affleck's Batman, Gadot's Wonder Woman, and a few other bright spots, they have a shot of doing so. But I'm not here to discuss that, so on to 'Cap 3'.
I will try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible. No promises.
As flocks of fans gather this weekend to see the upcoming chapter in the MCU, they will leave hard-pressed to find a finer superhero film. At this point, Marvel has created an empire capable of anything. The question on most people's minds before 'Civil War' was if it would be good or not. All of the early reviews reassured the world it was good. And while art is subjective, this stands out unanimously as both a critical and box office success, reaching the $200 million mark before its US release. On paper, it sounded like a risky plan; but Marvel has damn-near perfected the 'team-up' movie. What 'Civil War' did was turn some of the most iconic figures of the comic book world into real people. Real people aren't good or evil. I mean, yes, some of us turn out to be assholes like Hitler, but even the best of us can't be perfect all the time. 'Civil War' made all of Earth's Mightiest Heroes a villain in one way or another. The film plays on morals and accountability. It also features the additions of some new faces to the MCU, primarily Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, and Tom Holland's Spider-man. The brilliance of those two (other than their portrayals of their characters) is how they are woven into the storyline almost seamlessly. Additionally, the film also sports one of the best set pieces in the MCU, an airport runway fight sequence. Spanning over 15 minutes, I spent most of it with my mouth wide open, smiling. The tension builds from minute one to a true spectacle of a climax. By the film's end, I left both exhausted and enthusiastic. What I watched was an epic. It takes the viewer all over the world, and delivers every punch beautifully. From a cinematic perspective, 'Civil War' is a true work of art, taking panels directly out of the comics and turns it into proverbial nerd porn. I don't really know what to say about that analogy other than I said it, and now I can't un-say it. I don't know -- it sounds okay, right?
I kinda lost my train of thought, forcing this review to a screeching, and sudden halt. Anyway, see 'Civil War'. It's shot beautifully. It's written in a way that won't alienate casual fans. The Russo brothers really outdid themselves. It's worth the $12, or whatever movies cost. I really should know, I go to enough movies. Let's say $12. Additionally, 12 is also the largest funny number. When people work a number into a joke, it's best to do a one-syllable number. Typically, one-syllable numbers are funnier, especially when you take into account some of the more outlandish numbers, like fifty-seven thousand or twenty-two. 12 is the largest one-syllable number, as it works really well when exaggerating hours or days. It is also great for lists and totals like "I saw 'Civil War 12 times!" I mean, a lot can be said about your delivery, too; and in no way was that last example indicative of me -- I've only seen 'Civil War' once; but I'm going to see it again. In conclusion, I thought about how to end this and I thought it okay to end it with "in conclusion".
I'm not going to proofread this, so sorry for any poorly-written sentences.
IMDB.com Rating: 8.5 out of 10
_________________________________________________________________________________
Steven Spielberg made a comment on the future of superhero films, stating he believes they are going the way of the Western (implying the genre is going to die soon). Zack Snyder agreed, but not before taking exception of his movie, 'Batman V. Superman', calling his flick "transcendent" of the superhero genre. In retrospect, I think he may have actually been speaking of rival film, 'Captain America: Civil War'. Now, as a film buff with a passion for most things nerdy, I take the adult approach to comic book movies -- I don't have to choose sides. I can sit back and just enjoy a film for what it is (although if I had to choose, it would be a very easy decision -- Marvel). But if DC really want to get their cinematic universe right, they should use the bench mark set by Marvel as a template. I understand they are playing catch up, but just a few years ago, they squandered the promise of their hottest property in Batman by sitting on the franchise and trying to launch the Superman franchise instead. While they have taken the 'everything and the kitchen sink' approach by flooding fans with anything they can without lending a sense of a shared universe between their properties, Marvel, through strategic planning and a good amount of luck, has crafted a Brand Name. In a perfect world, I would love to see both franchises as equals; and based on Affleck's Batman, Gadot's Wonder Woman, and a few other bright spots, they have a shot of doing so. But I'm not here to discuss that, so on to 'Cap 3'.
I will try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible. No promises.
As flocks of fans gather this weekend to see the upcoming chapter in the MCU, they will leave hard-pressed to find a finer superhero film. At this point, Marvel has created an empire capable of anything. The question on most people's minds before 'Civil War' was if it would be good or not. All of the early reviews reassured the world it was good. And while art is subjective, this stands out unanimously as both a critical and box office success, reaching the $200 million mark before its US release. On paper, it sounded like a risky plan; but Marvel has damn-near perfected the 'team-up' movie. What 'Civil War' did was turn some of the most iconic figures of the comic book world into real people. Real people aren't good or evil. I mean, yes, some of us turn out to be assholes like Hitler, but even the best of us can't be perfect all the time. 'Civil War' made all of Earth's Mightiest Heroes a villain in one way or another. The film plays on morals and accountability. It also features the additions of some new faces to the MCU, primarily Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, and Tom Holland's Spider-man. The brilliance of those two (other than their portrayals of their characters) is how they are woven into the storyline almost seamlessly. Additionally, the film also sports one of the best set pieces in the MCU, an airport runway fight sequence. Spanning over 15 minutes, I spent most of it with my mouth wide open, smiling. The tension builds from minute one to a true spectacle of a climax. By the film's end, I left both exhausted and enthusiastic. What I watched was an epic. It takes the viewer all over the world, and delivers every punch beautifully. From a cinematic perspective, 'Civil War' is a true work of art, taking panels directly out of the comics and turns it into proverbial nerd porn. I don't really know what to say about that analogy other than I said it, and now I can't un-say it. I don't know -- it sounds okay, right?
I kinda lost my train of thought, forcing this review to a screeching, and sudden halt. Anyway, see 'Civil War'. It's shot beautifully. It's written in a way that won't alienate casual fans. The Russo brothers really outdid themselves. It's worth the $12, or whatever movies cost. I really should know, I go to enough movies. Let's say $12. Additionally, 12 is also the largest funny number. When people work a number into a joke, it's best to do a one-syllable number. Typically, one-syllable numbers are funnier, especially when you take into account some of the more outlandish numbers, like fifty-seven thousand or twenty-two. 12 is the largest one-syllable number, as it works really well when exaggerating hours or days. It is also great for lists and totals like "I saw 'Civil War 12 times!" I mean, a lot can be said about your delivery, too; and in no way was that last example indicative of me -- I've only seen 'Civil War' once; but I'm going to see it again. In conclusion, I thought about how to end this and I thought it okay to end it with "in conclusion".
I'm not going to proofread this, so sorry for any poorly-written sentences.
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