Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is off to a start folks, and what an amazing start too. The Russo brothers have proven that the highly-acclaimed Captain America: The Winter Soldier was no mere fluke, and this they've done by not only delivering a worthy sequel, but arguably what is the best MCU experience I've had till date.
Notice I said experience, because as far as storytelling goes, The Winter Soldier is still the better of the two movies. Besides, nothing quite trumps the sheer exhilaration of watching the Avenger's assemble for the first time, not even last year's somewhat-bloated sequel. But as a fan of comic book movies in general, I have to say that Civil War ticks all the right boxes, in a way that the recent Batman v Superman never could.
Much like BvS, Civil Wars deals with the debate of whether or not superheroes should be held accountable for the collateral damage that invariably follows in their wake. Here, that debate gives rise to the Sokovia Accords, a UN legislation that would effectively govern when and how the Avengers can use their powers for the greater good.
Naturally, there are those that see the Accords for what it truly is (Team Captain America), and the dangers that lie ahead should they give up their full autonomy, as well as those that are overburdened by the many deaths they'd caused or were unable to prevent (Team Iron Man), and that see the Accords as some form of atonement.
Despite the presence of so many heroes, this is still a Captain America movie true and true, and at the core of the movie is his trust of his former best friend, Bucky Barnes (aka The Winter Soldier), who has been accused of being behind a deadly bombing that serves as a catalyst for the movie's central conflict. But where the movie truly excels is in the deft manner it juggles its many characters and the various subplots that they bring to the table, with newcomers Spider-Man and Black Panther being the obvious standouts.
There are so many other things I loved about Civil War, but my biggest takeaway was the opening sequence which was set in Lagos, Nigeria (or a close Hollywood approximation of it). While it would have been nice if the actual sequence had been filmed over here, it was still surprising to see that much attention to detail in a movie of this kind.