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locker_monsterSee, now this is how you do a superhero smackdown movie. I wonder if Marvel is laughing quietly in the corner.
Because this movie could have been a bloated mess like Batman v Superman, but it wasn't, even though you have nearly all of the Avengers show up. This is what careful planning and patience gets you. If they had done this movie right out of the gate or even a few years ago, it would have seemed forced and hollow. You need time to get to know these characters. You can't tear them down right away without building a foundation. I know it's not entirely fair to compare Captain America: Civil War to DC's efforts, but I know which movie I enjoyed more.
I wouldn't have minded a more personal journey for Steve, though. With so many characters to service and a plot that has to keep moving, you don't get too many quiet moments with Steve. Peggy's funeral goes by pretty quick and Steve and Sharon only get one scene to talk and one scene to kiss. Sam and Bucky are around for the majority of the movie, but a lot of their screen time is devoted to the action sequences. I would have loved more scenes with the three guys, with Sam and Bucky trying to get along. There's a small taste of it when the boys are in the VW Beetle; the grins they give Steve after he kisses Sharon was perfect. I suppose the meat of Steve's personal dilemma is the whole thing with the Sokovia Accords, with trying to save Bucky just behind that, and that's fine, but I feel like this storyline would have better suited a movie that was branded as an Avengers film.
At least the big dilemma at the heart of the movie makes sense. The Accords come into play well before it's revealed that Zemo was influencing things. The manhunt for Bucky spurs Steve to act independently, but he wouldn't be in such an awkward place without the introduction of the Accords. I thought it odd that Steve would be against the government, but actually, it makes when you consider what happened to him in The Winter Soldier. Once everyone starts to take sides, you don't feel like its arbitrary either. People even change their minds and it's not weird. So I'm glad the writers thought things through and they didn't try to force a happy resolution for everyone. No one dies, but things can't go back to the way they once were, which will have a huge impact on movies to come.
As for the big fight scene at the airport, it feels like a natural progression of the story and not just an excuse to insert a slugfest to appease movie goers. Though, it is a fun fight scene. Natasha is taken out early so she doesn't have to fight Clint, and I appreciated that. They're best friends and it would have been super awkward for them to fight each other. Best highlight? You'd think it would be Spider-Man, zipping about on his webs, but I was more excited when Scott did his Giant Man thing. Because you're expecting Spider-Man, thanks to the trailers, so Scott growing instead of shrinking is a huge surprise (no pun intended). They also had a really bad joke/pun when Scott says, "I have big thing [that can be a distraction], but it's hard to keep up" or something like that. Yup. I'm guessing only the parents will get the naughty context. :-)
But when did Scott have time to get a new suit and a new ability? Maybe there's more time between the end of Ant-Man and the start of this movie than I realize.
The only thing that felt kind of out of place was Spider-Man, truth be told. I know he was important to the comic book storyline, so it makes sense to include him here, but I don't know what he added to the movie beyond being another hero for Team Iron Man. Yes, he's funny and a bit of geek around the other heroes, but his introduction is so random. At least with Scott, we've met him before, so we know what his backstory is. I guess Marvel was just super eager to use Spidey and this movie acts as a tease for his solo movie later on. It's just odd that Tony would be so eager to drag a teenager into battle, one who's only experience so far is fighting petty criminals. I did like how much of a geek Peter is. He can't help himself from nerding out over the science, or lack thereof, of Cap's shield and Sam's Falcon wings. Plus, I guess Marvel secured the rights to Spider-Man quite late in the process, so that's probably another reason why it feels like he's shoved into the movie.
I like how there's no clear winner. Steve beats Tony into submission, but just barely. Tony realizes they've been played and tries to take the high road before he learns about how his parents died. No one emerges as being the one who was right all along. Now I'm interested to see how the rest of Phase 3 will play out. Steve, Sam, Clint, Wanda, and Scott are all fugitives, maybe Natasha, too. The implication is that Steve is now running a covert Avengers team. Then there's Tony and Rhodey and the Vision. That's not much of a team anymore. I can only assume that everyone comes together for the Infinity War. It's easy to put aside your differences when an alien is intent on destroying Earth and all of reality.
Random thoughts: So I was right about Peggy. :-( At least they confirmed that Sharon is her niece (great-niece?). I think it makes more sense if Peggy is Sharon's great-aunt, but Sharon only calls her Aunt Peggy. Perhaps Peggy's parents had another child after Peggy's brother died. Tony and Pepper aren't together anymore. :-( Jeez, can no one be happy? There was a bit of something between Wanda and the Vision, which is a nice nod to the comics, but at this point, it doesn't seem like we'll see more of that any time soon. The Vision trying to cook was so cute. I wish we could see more adventures with the new team. We only got small hints about life at the Avengers compound. Like, the Vision is still learning about personal space. Wanda chastising him for phasing through the wall implies that he's done this faux pas many times before and probably at inopportune times. It's easy to forget that Wanda, the Vision, Steve, and maybe even Natasha live at the compound. I like that Marvel movies have a sense of humour to them. Things can be grim, but they always find time for a joke here and there. Stan Lee's cameo. "Is there a Tony Stank?" I actually forgot he would be in the movie. I guess at this point, his cameo is a given so you don't spend the movie waiting for him to show up. Martin Freeman's role was small, but maybe he'll pop up in the Black Panther movie. His American accent, though. :-P Ooh boy, the biceps on Chris Evans. That's bicep porn right there, when Steve is trying to stop Bucky from fleeing in the helicopter.
So Doctor Strange is next with, I think, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 after that. Don't drop the ball now, Marvel. You're on a roll.
Because this movie could have been a bloated mess like Batman v Superman, but it wasn't, even though you have nearly all of the Avengers show up. This is what careful planning and patience gets you. If they had done this movie right out of the gate or even a few years ago, it would have seemed forced and hollow. You need time to get to know these characters. You can't tear them down right away without building a foundation. I know it's not entirely fair to compare Captain America: Civil War to DC's efforts, but I know which movie I enjoyed more.
I wouldn't have minded a more personal journey for Steve, though. With so many characters to service and a plot that has to keep moving, you don't get too many quiet moments with Steve. Peggy's funeral goes by pretty quick and Steve and Sharon only get one scene to talk and one scene to kiss. Sam and Bucky are around for the majority of the movie, but a lot of their screen time is devoted to the action sequences. I would have loved more scenes with the three guys, with Sam and Bucky trying to get along. There's a small taste of it when the boys are in the VW Beetle; the grins they give Steve after he kisses Sharon was perfect. I suppose the meat of Steve's personal dilemma is the whole thing with the Sokovia Accords, with trying to save Bucky just behind that, and that's fine, but I feel like this storyline would have better suited a movie that was branded as an Avengers film.
At least the big dilemma at the heart of the movie makes sense. The Accords come into play well before it's revealed that Zemo was influencing things. The manhunt for Bucky spurs Steve to act independently, but he wouldn't be in such an awkward place without the introduction of the Accords. I thought it odd that Steve would be against the government, but actually, it makes when you consider what happened to him in The Winter Soldier. Once everyone starts to take sides, you don't feel like its arbitrary either. People even change their minds and it's not weird. So I'm glad the writers thought things through and they didn't try to force a happy resolution for everyone. No one dies, but things can't go back to the way they once were, which will have a huge impact on movies to come.
As for the big fight scene at the airport, it feels like a natural progression of the story and not just an excuse to insert a slugfest to appease movie goers. Though, it is a fun fight scene. Natasha is taken out early so she doesn't have to fight Clint, and I appreciated that. They're best friends and it would have been super awkward for them to fight each other. Best highlight? You'd think it would be Spider-Man, zipping about on his webs, but I was more excited when Scott did his Giant Man thing. Because you're expecting Spider-Man, thanks to the trailers, so Scott growing instead of shrinking is a huge surprise (no pun intended). They also had a really bad joke/pun when Scott says, "I have big thing [that can be a distraction], but it's hard to keep up" or something like that. Yup. I'm guessing only the parents will get the naughty context. :-)
But when did Scott have time to get a new suit and a new ability? Maybe there's more time between the end of Ant-Man and the start of this movie than I realize.
The only thing that felt kind of out of place was Spider-Man, truth be told. I know he was important to the comic book storyline, so it makes sense to include him here, but I don't know what he added to the movie beyond being another hero for Team Iron Man. Yes, he's funny and a bit of geek around the other heroes, but his introduction is so random. At least with Scott, we've met him before, so we know what his backstory is. I guess Marvel was just super eager to use Spidey and this movie acts as a tease for his solo movie later on. It's just odd that Tony would be so eager to drag a teenager into battle, one who's only experience so far is fighting petty criminals. I did like how much of a geek Peter is. He can't help himself from nerding out over the science, or lack thereof, of Cap's shield and Sam's Falcon wings. Plus, I guess Marvel secured the rights to Spider-Man quite late in the process, so that's probably another reason why it feels like he's shoved into the movie.
I like how there's no clear winner. Steve beats Tony into submission, but just barely. Tony realizes they've been played and tries to take the high road before he learns about how his parents died. No one emerges as being the one who was right all along. Now I'm interested to see how the rest of Phase 3 will play out. Steve, Sam, Clint, Wanda, and Scott are all fugitives, maybe Natasha, too. The implication is that Steve is now running a covert Avengers team. Then there's Tony and Rhodey and the Vision. That's not much of a team anymore. I can only assume that everyone comes together for the Infinity War. It's easy to put aside your differences when an alien is intent on destroying Earth and all of reality.
Random thoughts: So I was right about Peggy. :-( At least they confirmed that Sharon is her niece (great-niece?). I think it makes more sense if Peggy is Sharon's great-aunt, but Sharon only calls her Aunt Peggy. Perhaps Peggy's parents had another child after Peggy's brother died. Tony and Pepper aren't together anymore. :-( Jeez, can no one be happy? There was a bit of something between Wanda and the Vision, which is a nice nod to the comics, but at this point, it doesn't seem like we'll see more of that any time soon. The Vision trying to cook was so cute. I wish we could see more adventures with the new team. We only got small hints about life at the Avengers compound. Like, the Vision is still learning about personal space. Wanda chastising him for phasing through the wall implies that he's done this faux pas many times before and probably at inopportune times. It's easy to forget that Wanda, the Vision, Steve, and maybe even Natasha live at the compound. I like that Marvel movies have a sense of humour to them. Things can be grim, but they always find time for a joke here and there. Stan Lee's cameo. "Is there a Tony Stank?" I actually forgot he would be in the movie. I guess at this point, his cameo is a given so you don't spend the movie waiting for him to show up. Martin Freeman's role was small, but maybe he'll pop up in the Black Panther movie. His American accent, though. :-P Ooh boy, the biceps on Chris Evans. That's bicep porn right there, when Steve is trying to stop Bucky from fleeing in the helicopter.
So Doctor Strange is next with, I think, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 after that. Don't drop the ball now, Marvel. You're on a roll.
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no subject
Date: 2016-05-07 12:20 am (UTC)Lately, the movies have been in real time so about ten months since Ant-Man happened AND he did mention a lab so they had been developing new stuff in that time which makes sense especially with the wasp suit during the credits.
I think Sharon's relation might have just confirmed a theory about season two. You might recall a file on M. Carter that was VERY important. Viewers were supposed to assume it was Margaret Carter but some of us thought it was Michael Carter who was alive after all...
no subject
Date: 2016-05-07 03:04 pm (UTC)Viewers were supposed to assume it was Margaret Carter but some of us thought it was Michael Carter who was alive after all...
Ooooh... That's an awesome theory. Maybe Michael's death was faked. That'd be an interesting thread to pick up in season three (assuming, of course, that ABC does the right and only choice of renewing Agent Carter).