 |
| Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. star in "Captain America: Civil War." |
Taking pause from the tropes, "Captain America: Civil War" sobers the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in eloquent and effective fashion; asking its audience, clearly and concisely, to consider the cost. For once in the MCU’s history, we don’t have mass-casualties justified by 'the greater good,' nor the grand contradiction of heroism that tends to accompany them. Instead, Earth’s mightiest heroes are asked to take a hard look in the mirror and redefine their brand of heroism.
Directors Joe & Anthony Russo impress with how they approach these themes; they’re not flashy or shiny, they don’t use 'entertainment' as an excuse for mindless destruction, and they don’t insult the intelligence of their audience. As I watched this film, I was floored by the risk taken in trading out the big bangs for the big ideas, yet it never once felt like an disingenuous soapbox capitalizing on an election year. Moments that we’ve cheered for in previous installments are replayed for both us and our heroes with renewed, real-world, perspective—allowing us to feel the weight and consequence of their actions, as they do.
