The movie opens with the Avengers trying to stop a biological agent stolen by Crossbones and his henchman from being exposed to the world when an accident kills dozens of innocent people instead. Tony Stark is horrified by this, even though he wasn't present at the time of the disaster having retired, and agrees with the government that the Avengers need safe guards, reuniting us with William Hurt's Thunderbolt Ross, the same part he played in the last solo Hulk movie, as the new Secretary State and all for defanging the super heroes. Captain America and several of the others agree that this too much power for any government to wield or suppress so half go rouge instead.
All of this is among the backdrop of Stark breaking up with long time girlfriend Pepper Pots and The Winter Soldier being framed for an explosion attack on civilians. Along the way, we are also introduced to Black Panther and Spider Man, both fantastic renditions that will make every comic book fan shiver in anticipation for their upcoming solo projects. Chadwick Boseman is awesome as the wounded and very angry new King of Wakanda with a suit made of pure vibranium, the same material as Captain America's shield, which makes him essential indestructible and armed with retractable claws made of the same material. He makes one hell of an impression. The same goes for Tom Holland's Spider Man which this kid nails and sets the stage for an actually good Spider Man movie for the first time in a decade.
Ant Man is used to perfection, using his opposite persona I have been dying to see. No Wasp yet, but that will change after their next solo project when that character will be front and center. The movie also hints at a growing relationship between Scarlet Witch and the Vision, a new relationship between Cap and Peggy Carter's niece and the end of the Avengers as they fracture for now. You don't have to be psychic or see this as a spoiler to know just from the previews that this movie won't end in a tidy bow and the team is a splintered mess by the end, many broken both physically and emotionally. We also know that as the next Avengers movie arrives in 2018, the band will get back together and we are even given a hint as to how near the end of the movie.
It's the smaller themes I liked as well. Yes the fight scenes, especially one that takes place on an airport tarmac, are visually stunning. But the emotional weight is what gives the film heft. Tony, broken up over his failure with Pepper as well as still blaming himself for Ultron which he was ultimately responsible for, drive his character into feeling he and his buddies have WAY too much power and should be reigned in. Meanwhile, Cap is not for any of this and with the knowledge that his childhood friend Bucky, now the Winter Solider, is being framed for a crime he did not commit, his throws away present loyalties for old ones, and chaos ensues. All of this is being manipulated behind the scenes by Baron Zemo whose comic character is wildly different from the one portrayed here but done to T I think by how he is incorporated into the story. This movie did not need a flashy villain bent on world domination when revenge is so much better.
This movie goes on for two and half hours and never seems long or dragged out. It makes a lot about themes of loyalty and how much power is too much and at times, especially during the big fight scene at the airport, I couldn't help but fantasize that I was watching a fictionalized version of what is going on with the GOP right now. Trump would be the Hulk, Cruz would be Hawkeye and Carla Fiorina could be the Scarlet Witch. (And yes I know Hulk wasn't in this movie, but he fits the analogy). The only difference would be Hulk would be too busy talking to the press to smash anything. Cruz wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn and Fiorina would be missing everything she aimed at. One the other side we could have Ryan as Spider Man, bouncing around to avoid getting hit, Mitt Romney as Ant Man, whose ability to shrink below public opinion worked well in his last election try and Bill Kristol as the Black Panther whose party has been killed by the out of control Hulk and now seeks revenge. It could make thousands if it was a real movie. Thousands I say!
This is a must see and anyone who gave this film a bad review should just stop reviewing films because you suck if that is the case. This was easily one of the best pictures of the year and will make a small fortune as a result. Get thee to a theater, luddites.
Five stars out of five.
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