Skip to main content

Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016) *Spoiler Free*

Early reviews had many people saying that Captain America - Civil War is Marvel Studios best movie yet. Having only seen the film once I'm not sure if I would call it their best but it is certainly up there, in the crowded space of trying to draw a fine line between what makes one Marvel film better than another.

If one of the things you liked most about Marvel's The Avengers movie was seeing superheroes going head to head with each other then Civil War is that turned up to eleven. Walking that other fine line between high stakes and humour in a way Marvel movies seemingly have perfected.

The movie's plot revolves around the idea that powered people need to be held to account after the Avengers have pretty much been operating unchecked. causing chaos, up until this point. All of them are asked to sign an accord that puts them under the control of the United Nations. Obviously some of the heroes have issues with agreeing to such an accord.

It is interesting to see who sides with who and why - even though the trailers revealed the teams, finding out how they came about is interesting in its self.

There's also a side story going on with Bucky, the Winter Soldier, that doesn't feel tacked on at all. In fact it ties in so well that it helps to reinforce Captain America's stance on the accord.

The story is masterfully told with every character getting just enough screen time and stuff to do that they never feel like they're included just to pad out the teams (even though some of them are clearly brought in for this purpose).

I've seen enough Marvel movies to know that, no matter what, I'm going to be entertained. Even Marvel's MCU movies that aren't universally praised still have much to like about them.

Probably what concerned me most about this movie is the set up for the feature scene in the trailers where the two sides are lined up about to go head to head. It seemed a very unlikely scenario for mostly rational heroes but it actually unfolds naturally without being too contrived. In the end it's the scene you'll probably be talking about most once you leave the cinema because it's what you came to see and it doesn't disappoint.

Everyone gives a solid performance of the characters you've seen in other films and the two new comers, Spiderman and Black Panther (you've seen both in the trailers) fit in like they've both already had a couple of solo films under their belts.

Tom Holland's Spiderman.
I was particularly looking forward to Tom Holland's Spiderman/Peter Parker. For me he absolutely nailed the character. Particularly the character's humour and funny quips. If this is Spiderman going forward, I'm definitely seeing the next Spiderman solo movie in a cinema (something I haven't done since Sam Rami's Spiderman 3 because that film was bad and Andrew Garfield's Spiderman was too arrogant and cynical for me).

There's a lot going on in this film but I was never lost or struggling to follow the story. It didn't feel like a longer film edited down for time (I'm looking at you Batman v Superman) and despite the high number of superheroes present there was still room to not only bring back a few minor characters from previous films but to also give them generous screen time too.

It's still very much a Captain America film, which in its self is remarkable when you have Ironman in the same movie along with almost every other Avenger bar Thor and Hulk.

Personally I'd still give Captain America: The Winter Soldier an edge over this film as my favourite Marvel film but the two are movies you'd watch for different reasons. If you want a greatest hits (pun intended) of Marvel's MCU, this is the film you'll watch, over and over again... probably just for the airport fight scene alone but the rest is so good you'll watch that too.

(Be sure to stay around for the after credit scene for just a little more Tom Holland).

Buy Gifts and Apparel featuring art by TET.

Popular posts from this blog

Skateboard Trick Tips: Two Ways to Ollie North (Ollie One foot)

You have to be quick to see my Ollie Norths! Ollie One Foots, otherwise known as the Ollie North, is one of those skateboard tricks you learn and then tend not to do very much as more interesting trick challenges grab your attention. However it does look really cool if you learn how to kick your front foot well past the nose of your skateboard. Still shot from Braille Skateboarding's Ollie North tutorial. I was inspired to make my video below, showing two different techniques to achieve a successful Ollie One Foot, when I not only saw that Braille Skateboarding's Tutorial used a different method to the one I had learned but also, when I looked at various other video tutorials, I discovered yet another technique, with no one using the method I had originally learned. Braille's method is to simply Ollie and drag your front foot past the front of your board. The second method I came across in several video tutorials is to Ollie, drag your front foot and tap your

Are Ion Thrusters the Future of Flying Cars? Spoiler - Probably Not But... Hover Boards... Maybe?

Undefined Technologies Ion Propulsion Drone prototype 3D concept image. You may have heard of Ion engines or, more likely, Ion thrusters. NASA uses them on their spacecraft to help maintain a craft's position or to propel them through space.  Upon hearing that you might think they're big, powerful engines, but actually they are not. They work well in the vacuum of space but, once any kind of atmosphere and gravity is involved they'd be hard pressed to launch you off the ground if you strapped four of them to your lawn chair and yelled "up, up, and away!" I am no expert on Ion thrusters - they're basically magic that science has an explanation for. If you want to know the details, The Space Techie website has a layman's explanation .  Build Your Own Ion Thruster Earth based Ion Thrusters work a bit different to their  space based cousins by Ionizing the same air that we breathe to create thrust (an effect known as Ionic-wind ).  While they sound highly soph

How to Transfer Any Line Art to Your Griptape - Easy Skateboard Griptape Art Tutorial

Dog Star Griptape Art by TET Griptape art is once again gaining popularity amongst modern skateboarders. For those of us who have tried to create our own griptape art, using paint pens, you'll know reproducing your design onto the grip, without making any mistakes is incredibly challenging. Mostly because you just have to go for it and draw the design freehand, with paint pens, directly onto the griptape. You can make the odd mistake here or there but if you get the proportions of the design completely wrong, it can be very difficult to fix. Often you just have to live with the mistake. To address the problem I've come up with an easy way anyone can transfer a line art design to their griptape, removing almost all the anxiety of getting the proportions wrong. In fact, you could do this with any line art design, even if you have no drawing skill at all. Watch the video below to see my technique in action and/or skip past the video where I highlight the basic steps to get your de

Robot Uprising Update: Robot Waiter, Fasta Pasta, South Terrace, Adelaide CBD, South Australia

On the second evening of my partner, Enigma, and I's weekend stay in Adelaide we decided to have dinner at Fasta Pasta . Strangely enough our hotel staff, at the Alba, had not mentioned Fasta Pasta as an option for an evening meal while their restaurant is closed for refurbishment, even though it is literally next door on the corner of South Terrace and Pultney Street. You may be aware that Fasta Pasta is an upmarket Italian restaurant franchise with its beginnings in Adelaide. Currently they have 19 restaurants Australia wide (with the majority in South Australia - we even have one in Gawler, our home town). I've never had bad food at a Fasta Pasta, and their food never looks like a franchise meal. You always feel you're at a restaurant that's a little bit more quality than your typical hotel/motel meal. Maybe it's because you don't see as much pasta based meals on an Aussie pub menu. Despite the name, it's not all pasta. I went with a basic plate of fish a

Guest Post: NEW NOVEL ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, GIRL!

Today's guest post is by returning Artist, Writer, and Mental Health Advocate, Jo B Creative who writes for her blog, Creating My Oddessey . Jo's previous 2019 post,  MY SOOPER DOOPER NEW CONSERVATORY/ART STUDIO! for a long time was one of this blog's most read pages. Jo returns under a new alias, author Kit Mackenzie , and with word of her new novel, ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, GIRL! which is now available on Amazon. T he first book of this epic western trilogy, Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!  is the life story of a devastating and charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who's the fastest gun in the west and bisexual. A crack shot story that blazes across the wild west! Jeannie Morgan, a devastatingly tomboy-beautiful, pants-wearing maverick who flicks a finger of contempt at society in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Her speed with a gun is faster than the strike of a rattler, outshooting every man she meets. Love, hate and jealo

Nobody move, I've dropped my brain!

I'm probably one of the last Pirates of the Caribbean fans to see At World's End which is still playing at a few cinemas as it nears the end of its run. The title of this post, which is a quote from the movie, aptly describes the difficulties of trying to get your head around the plot. Although it does continue from the previous film in the series (all the characters are there) it doesn't seem critical to know the back story. The main plot is established right at the start. The East India Trading Company is out to wipe out pirates and anyone that so much as glances at a pirate. Our motley crew, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swan and Captain Barbossa join forces to bring together the Brethren of Nine pieces of eight (nine pirate lords who can unite all pirates) and stop the massacre of their kind. Slight problem. Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the nine and he died in the last film. Since Captain Barbossa died in the film before that, we know that coming back from the dead isn'

Review: FP Footwear FINO Skate Shoes

FP Footwear FINO Skate Shoes I first saw FP's FINO skate shoes in a video by YouTube channel, Braille Skateboarding, titled, THE FIRST EVER NON NEWTONIAN FLUID SKATE SHOES!? As someone whose feet hurt and bruise relatively easily just from the basic tricks of skateboarding (Ollies, Pop Shuv-its etc.) the 90% absorption of impact energy selling point seemed like an ideal solution for minimizing my injuries. A day later I placed an order through FP's website . ​​ Ordinarily I wouldn't mention Customer Service but I can't let the lack of communication on my order slide. FP's website says to expect delivery within 7-14 days of your order. After close to two weeks, my order was still marked as being processed. I sent an email asking for any kind of update, to no response. A day or two later my order was marked as completed but still no signs of shoes in my mail? About two weeks later (just over a full month of placing my order) the shoes arrived. I'm sur