If you were the Marvel fan going back and forth between Iron Man and Captain America, I have your answer: Captain America all the way.
Besides being physically and emotionally more attractive, the Captain kicks Tony Stark’s metal behind in the latest superhero installment, “Captain America: Civil War.”
In Marvel’s thirteenth movie installment, we’re thrown right into the action with Captain Steve Rodgers (Evans) and his contingency of super-human pals, Black Widow (Johansson), Scarlet Witch (Olsen), and Falcon (Mackie). Like always, the gang chases the bad guy, Cap throws his shield around like a boomerang, Black Widow puts every female stereotype to shame, and they ultimately get the bad guy. But not without blowing up a building and killing innocent people trapped inside.
The United Nations drafts the Sodovico Accords in an effort to revoke the autonomy the Avengers were granted after saving the world from numerous disasters but destroying buildings and killing civilians in the process.
Enter Stark, retired and poised to do the right thing, to finally subject himself and fellow Avengers to guidelines and a greater authority. But Rogers, sticking to his guns, refuses to sign the Accords and succumb to global authority. At the summit to ratify the Accords, a bomb explodes and is pinned on Cap’s old buddy, Bucky Barnes (Stan) aka the winter soldier. Placing his friendship first, Captain America ventures to save Bucky, causing quite a disturbance with Stark and the UN.
Calling the film long would be gratuitous; it’s 147 minutes long. But I found myself never wanting the action to stop. The fight scenes were intense and well-choreographed and the plot line was filled with numerous unexpected twists and turns. And what “Captain America” film would be complete without Evans’ gargantuan biceps on full display?
However, the movie started to feel more like “Avengers” than “Captain America” with the number of cameos. I hate spoilers, so I won’t tell you exactly who shows up, but let’s just say it’s like one big, happy family reunion with a couple new faces sprinkled in.
But back to this “Civil War” between Cap and Iron Man. Think of Rogers like the North, all golden-hearted and virtuous. And then you have Stark, all cynical and snooty and sardonic. Cap takes a few punches from Iron Man, but not before landing a few himself. After a couple rounds back and forth, the North prevails over the South and the world goes back to peace and harmony. Captain Rogers’ shield and sheer athletic excellence far surpass Iron Man’s misfiring micro-missiles.
Even if you are still a die-hard Iron Man fan- which you won’t be after this movie, but whatever- you should take some time out of your weekend to witness another Marvel masterpiece.