Cap strikes back

Overstuffed and overlong, 'Captain America: Civil War' is still a thrill

I can’t imagine walking into “Captain America: Civil War” without having seen every Marvel film since 2008’s “Iron Man,” or, at the very least, the first two “Captain America” flicks. Nearly a decade in, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is steeped in long-game plotting across multiple franchises, and “Civil War” in many ways represents the apex of that epic, interconnected storytelling.

Picking up after the events of “Winter Soldier” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the film begins in 1991 as Cap’s best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), is being brainwashed by Hydra and sent to reclaim doses of the super-soldier serum that saved him from death. He’s good at heart, but Hydra has turned him into a Manchurian candidate.

Meanwhile, Avengers Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) botch an attempt to retrieve a bio-weapon in Africa, resulting in a deadly bomb blast that kills dozens. General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt, reprising his role from “The Incredible Hulk”) is now Secretary of State, and having an extrajudicial, paramilitary group of American superhumans on his hands isn’t doing much for the idea of international diplomacy. Particularly when there’s a body count.

Ross offers them the Sokovia Accords, a U.N. initiative to reign in the Avengers and any other superhero with a yen to unilaterally ruin things. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), still stinging from the havoc he wrought with his well-intentioned weapons, is on board with international oversight. Cap, disdainful of governmental regulations that get in the way of saving the day, is not.

That hardly sums up the plot. “Captain America: Civil War” is overstuffed. Themes of libertarianism vs. big government abound. If you’ve seen the trailers, you know Ant-Man, Spidey, Black Panther, Vision, War Machine, and Hawkeye show up. It’s not “Age of Ultron” overstuffed, though; rather, it successfully balances a stack of plates so high you can almost see directors Anthony and Joe Russo shimmying under them like two circus geeks miraculously avoiding disaster.

There’s an apt Star Wars joke late in the film. Despite the globe-hopping James Bond vibe, this is functionally “Captain America Strikes Back,” albeit with more narrative threads than Lucas ever dreamed of. Leaving aside the obvious rebellion aspect, “Civil War” is a bridge film, not just in the “Captain America” franchise, but at least four others. It’s a straight sequel and it’s “Avengers 2.5.” It’s a Spider-Man reboot, an Ant-Man crossover, and likely a starting point for a Black Panther film (and hopefully a solo Black Widow flick for Johansson, though that’s hardly a lock).

Fortunately, the charisma and chemistry of the returning cast are load-bearing performances that carry the dense plotting. The camaraderie and conflicts would mean nothing without them. The cast is bolstered by Chadwick Boseman’s debut as Black Panther and Tom Holland’s turn as Peter Parker—both of whom shine without the weight of an origin story hanging over their masked heads. Holland, in particular, is perfect as young Spidey.        

“Civil War” maintains the weirdly John le Carré-inspired spy thriller tone and crushing action that made “The Winter Soldier” so enjoyable. And while the streamlined narrative of “Soldier” is necessarily sacrificed for something bigger in “Civil War,” the Russos (with the same writing team) skillfully handle the overabundance of characters, giving each their moment, while stoking the myriad narrative embers into a compelling, complex, and crowd-pleasing bonfire.

For more from Joe, read his glowing review of thriller "The Invitation," now On Demand.