Captain America: Civil War delivers the fan-thrilling goods

CEBU, Philippines - Call it “civil war” or call it brand extension; call it a “cinematic universe” or a corporate behemoth — the latest Marvel extravaganza furthers the studio’s cross-pollination of action franchises in a way that’s sure to satisfy devotees.

Posing serious questions about violence and vigilantism while reveling in both, “Captain America: Civil War” is overlong but surprisingly light on its feet. It builds upon the plotlines of previous Avengers outings, bringing together known marquee quantities and introducing the Black Panther and a new Spidey in winning fashion.

Within genre requirements, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely with Anthony and Joe Russo at the helm, achieve an overall balance between super-kinetic action sequences and character detail, although more of the latter would have been welcome. And while the chance to see old-school Steve Rogers and modern guy Tony Stark, aka Captain America and Iron Man, go mano a mano is inherently thrilling only to diehard fans, even nonbelievers who make it to that climactic moment will feel that something is at stake when the two face off.

After a brief prologue set in 1991, the film dives headlong into action overkill on the streets of Lagos, where the Avengers chase down a group of murderous mercenaries. But overkill turns out to be the heart of the matter. The heroes foil the criminals, but not before the energy-projecting Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) inadvertently sets a high-rise on fire, resulting in many civilian casualties.

The variously “enhanced individuals” who make up the Avengers have been operating as an independent group, no longer under the aegis of the spy agency SHIELD, and the nations of the world have taken notice of their collateral damage. The US secretary of state (William Hurt) warns them that the UN is about to ratify the Sokovia Accords, named after a fictional country that figured in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and where things didn’t go so well for the citizenry. The agreement would put the group under the supervision of a UN panel, and the superheroics of anyone who doesn’t sign on will no longer be sanctioned.

Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), shaken by a confrontation with the mother of someone killed in Sokovia, is ready to be “put in check.” But Rogers (Chris Evans), who is, after all, a frozen and revivified member of the Greatest Generation, still in his youthful prime, sees giving in to the demands as giving up.

And so the lines are drawn, with charmer Sam “The Falcon” Wilson (Anthony Mackie) the first to join Team Cap. Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle) and the nonhuman, purple-visaged Vision (Paul Bettany) side with Iron Man, which soon puts them in the position of policing their former colleagues.

The screenplay’s angsting over the ethics of being a crime-stopper is an excuse for more pummeling clashes. There’s the complicating matter of a ruthless villain, Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), and the race to stop him. And, not least, there’s the necessity of world-colliding skirmishes between Team Cap and Team Iron Man, their superpowers on showstopping display in a spectacular sequence at the Leipzig airport that benefits from flashes of humor and self-awareness.

Reflecting the material’s comic-book roots, the Russos keep the film’s action heavy on physics- and biology-defying thwacks and slams, with almost no blood, although there is a crucial injury late in the proceedings.

Amid the mayhem, some personalities get to shine more than others. Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye barely registers, while Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man has comedy and wow-factor f/x at his disposal to make more of an impression. But for all their kickass moves and fretting close-ups, such charismatic actors as Cheadle and Johansson feel sidelined through much of the story.

The movie’s center does hold, though, in the well-played contrast between Rogers and Stark. Rogers’ anachronistic aspects are no longer the source of punchlines, and Evans persuasively conveys his decency without overstating the matter. Through their contained performances, he and Sebastian Stan, as Bucky Barnes (aka the Winter Soldier), give emotional heft to their characters’ friendship, a crucial element of the story. Just as crucial, Evans leaves room for doubt about whether Rogers is right to resist outside rules, even as the film clearly sides with him.

Downey, whose ace timing and effortless snark make him the movie’s chief comic relief, also provides pivotal emotional chords. In a twist that revolves around Stark, past and present converge in wrenching ways. The revelation adds extra oomph to a striking early scene in which billionaire Stark uses technology to revisit a traumatic moment. The segment features a digitally de-aged Downey playing Stark’s younger self.

Matters of friendship, family and loyalty course through the action. They’re essential to the story of the newest Avenger, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). He’s a prince named T’Challa from the fictional Wakanda, and his transformation is fueled by hunger for revenge after a devastating personal loss. Boseman inhabits the part with typical intensity, piquing fans’ anticipation of Black Panther on the Marvel calendar for 2018.

Yet another cross-brand introduction takes shape as a comic set piece in Civil War. The terrific sequence involves Stark’s recruitment of a certain New Yorker named Peter Parker, and Tom Holland’s agile performance bodes well for next year’s Spider-Man reboot.

From that Forest Hills apartment to Tony Stark’s modernist lair to the cold metallic grunge of a floating prison, the assured production design, enhanced by the effects team’s polished work, gives vivid form to the Avengers’ world, whether they’re saving it or leaving it in a bit of a mess. (hollywoodreporter.com)