Captain America: Civil War

Aunt May and Tony Stark? I have to say that I never considered that one. But they are both New Yorkers, and having Aunt May played by Marisa Tomei doesn't hurt. But I digress. Yes, Spider-Man is back and he is from the Marvel Universe, so here he is in Captain America: Civil War. Wait, I think I am still digressing. This is a review of the aforementioned Captain America: Civil War, the latest in the many Avengers movies. It is the third in the line of Captain America movies. This one follows a plot that was in the comic books where, yes, there is a war between the Avengers. The New York Times review was discussing it as a political allegory. Think Tony Stark as Donald Trump and Steve Rogers as Bernie Sanders. I am reticent to even try to describe the plot. But it is quite a bit similar to the other "war" move on the DC Comics side, Batman vs Superman. In both movies, a superhero with control issues decides that another superhero is a vigilante not a superhero and needs to be reined in. And in both, a villain is pulling the strings. Here it is Daniel Bruhl. he is good. You gotta see him as Niki Lauda in Rush.

In Captain America: Civil War, the US Secretary of State (William Hurt) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) decide that the Avengers should be put under UN control. I have to say that I am on Captain America's side here. But Cap (Chris Evans) is somewhat biased since he really just wants to save his boyhood pal, Bucky (Sebastian Stan), who keeps killing people and laying waste to the planet. Anyway, as I said, let's not analyze the plot too closely. The Avengers take sides. Thor, the Hulk, and Nick Fury are MIA, so we don't know what they think. Added to the mix are Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). The other Avengers from Age of Ultron are all back, some just briefly. Natasha Romanov aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is the only sane member of the Avengers and that's saying something. She tries to keep them together, then sides with the Iron Man team, but not really since her best buds Steve and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are on the other team. She is also smarter than the others because she just disappears rather than be put in Supermax with the other bad Avengers. Unfortunately, then she isn't in the last third of the movie.

This is really three movies, one where they are all trying to find Bucky but can't and blame each other, and then a very entertaining middle bit where the two Avenger teams face off. This is the best part of the movie and it's obvious no one is going to get killed. Spider-Man and Ant-Man get the most laughs. Then, there is a third movie where it is just Tony versus Steve with Bucky in the middle.

The Avengers movies are mostly well-made and, happily for me, very well written. This movie is no different. It continues the subplot of Black Widow trying to set up Steve with the nurse (Emily VanCamp) who turns out to be in the CIA and has other secrets. But I can report that there is a kiss somewhere in this movie. You can also look out for some nice cameos, William Hurt and Marisa Tomei as mentioned above, Alfre Woodard as a grief-stricken mother, John Slattery and Hope Davis as Tony's parents, and Martin Freeman as a nasty CIA torturer. Don't ask why Martin Freeman is in this because I don't know.

What else? Now we know what was in the folder that Romanov gave to Steve at the end of the last movie. Also, there are two scenes in the final credits, one right at the end which you should stay for. Oh, and look out for Stan Lee playing a Fedex man.