1. Captain America: Civl War
Why I Liked It: (Matthew Kelly) Captain America: Civil War really was THAT good.
It is easy to forget how differently this could have gone. 2016 could just as easily have been the year where everyone who didn’t like superhero movies was vindicated. “The bubble is going to burst.” “This is just a fad.” “Superhero movies are about to go the way of the Western.” They’re been saying it for years. 2016’s slate included six superhero movies; two from each team. And if they failed, this grand experiment could very well have been over.
The year began with Deadpool; a movie that had a lot to say about the superhero genre. While its popularity helped build a new hero into the public consciousness, Deadpool’s jokes came at the expense of the comic book movies that came before it. The reception to Deadpool proved that “Superhero Fatigue” was a real issue that the studios had to deal with. An average movie wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
With March came Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the stability of the genre was brought even further into question. Was the baggage created by a shared universe holding the individual movies back? Were there only so many different stories that the filmmakers could tell before everything was predictable? Would superhero action setpieces become unexciting to audiences that had seen so many before? Would the introduction of iconic heroes take the stage away from more obscure characters? Had the bubble finally burst?
Luckily Captain America: Civil War gave us an answer: NO
Civil War was fresh, fun, filled with continuity, and most importantly it was different. It was introspective. It proved that Marvel understood that attitudes inside and outside of the movies were changing and Civil War answered all of the concerns that Batman v Superman brought forward.
The shared universe let Civil War bring characters into the movie effortlessly and work on a more complex story than one movie would allow. The plot was brand new and nothing like it had been successfully brought to screen (even though some have tried). The action was unlike anything else. It was high flying and spectacular in ways that comic book fans always knew these movies always could be but Civil War never let its eye off the ball. It was tense and emotional and heartbreaking. And even with all of this, there was still room to introduce new characters like Black Panther, Zemo, and of course Spiderman.
And, oh yeah. It was fun.
Favorite Scene: Remember that scene from Age of Ultron where Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor fought Ultron, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch in the Wakandan ship? It shouldn’t really stand out that much but interestingly enough it is the ONLY TIME more than four MCU characters with different superpowers fought. Even though the universe is stuffed with different heroes and villains who all have different spectacular abilities, almost every movie ends with either a 1 v 1 showdown between our hero and villain OR a team of heroes destroying a bunch of drones. That’s it.
That is why the Airport Fight in Civil War should really represent a turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We now have a pantheon of established superheroes all with unique powers, personalities, and relationships. The table setting is over. Civil War is the first time we really get to eat. And the 20 or so characters we got here make Civil War look like an appetizer next to Infinity War’s 50.
Favorite Performance: Zemo didn’t need a fancy costume or an Infinity Stone. He didn’t want to destroy reality or ascend to the throne. Zemo only wanted revenge. He wanted the Avengers to rip themselves apart and we didn’t know it, but that’s exactly what we needed. Daniel Bruhl’s performance was charismatic and psychotic and everything that a good movie villain should be. He didn’t get a poster or an action figure, but Daniel Bruhl is the unsung hero of Civil War.
Best Line: “I believe this is yours, Captain America.” – Ant Man
The very idea of Scott Lang handing Steve Rogers the shield that Peter Parker just took from him should have been special enough on its own, but there is just something about the way that Rudd delivers the line that makes you really feel like these characters jumped right out of a comic book.
