Marvel does it again!

At first glance, Captain America: Civil War seems like a film that fits in with the tried and tested formula of The Avengers. Upon closer inspection, however, the underlying plot elements and themes explored all come together to paint a different picture. 

A year has passed since the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Captain America and a few of the Avengers embark on a mission in Africa to secure a biological weapon. However, a mishap ends up in the death of innocent people. The world promptly lobbies for keeping the power of the Avengers in check. Some of the members of the Avengers agree; some don't. Iron Man deems it agreeable as the Avengers have caused significant collateral damage to the world. Captain America ardently opposes it as an organisation like the UN could just as easily have an agenda like S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra. Without giving away spoilers, this is how the premise of the film is set up, as the friction between Captain America and Iron Man intensifies and they find themselves on opposite fronts of the battle. 

Most fans might think this is another case of Avengers-syndrome, where the members of the team fight with one another due to miscommunication caused by a villain. But this is so much more than that. It explores the theme of a world which is fully kept in check by the major leaders and the fallacies of that model. However, once the topic is brought up, the film diverges away from a more holistic view of the conflict and instead decides to delve into a personal view of the entire thing through Captain America's eyes. That is not to say the other members of the Avengers are not given the celluloid space they deserve. 

The storyline is extremely busy as it tends to delve into a myriad of concurrent plots. However, it manages to compose itself and keeps from getting lost in the process. 

Spiderman, one of the major heroes in the movie that everyone wanted to see, is the best iteration of the wise-cracking websligner ever. Tom Holland's humorous portrayal fits in perfectly with the Marvel style. Black Panther is played aptly by Chadwick Boseman who expertly emanates the badassery of the Wakandan warrior prince. 

The action sequences were pretty varied compared to previous films but that's just Marvel's way of doing things. They were satisfying and enough to keep the eyes of the crowd glued to the screen as the chaos unfolded. Ant Man and Spiderman both had creative scene stealing moments. 

All in all, this is a Marvel movie that feels familiar yet remains fresh enough to pique your interest. If you're a fan of Marvel movies, superhero movies, or even good action movies in general, you'd do yourself a disservice by missing out on this one.