Review: CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR

Whose Side Are You On?

4 stars

Mini Review:

Captain America fights Iron Man on billboards. The trailers show that other Avengers have taken sides and will fight too. And in two and a half hours you will experience such an adrenaline rush, you will come away exhilarated and plan your next viewing of the movie again!  

Main Review:

Remember reading the Civil War comics? The series that came out six or seven years ago were so different - Avengers Dissassembled, House of M, and Decimation. I remember them simply because they had a tagline that has been a life mantra: Whose Side Are You On? 

The movie is unlike any other superhero blockbuster. It tackles an ethical dilemma which you have seen maybe in Watchmen: Who Watches The Watchmen? There is a proposal in front of the Avengers: accept the security offered by the United Nations or pay the price of the collateral damage that inevitably occurs when the superheroes fight aliens and other dangerous creatures? Or they should...

That's more than what I should be telling you here. So book your tickets and read on. 

So as the poster tells you Captain America and Iron Man are at loggerheads. Delish muscles, no? That too! But what is delicious, truly, are the sparkling, wit-laden repartee between the superheroes. You guffaw, you giggle, and you exchange hi-fives with strangers (or friends) sitting next to you. The writers need a huge pat on the back. Who said that action films don't have clever dialog?

Of course Marvel manages to reel in so many superheroes, this movie feels like a pantheon. But not one person is needlessly there. In the comic books, there is Maria Hill who is the acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D but you don't miss her at all in the movie. There is however a gorgeous aunt who makes an appearance and you want to see more of her...

The action set-pieces are simply jaw-droppingly awesome. By the time you realise you are all collectively holding your breath, the action has smoothly moved to another location. A spectacularly imagined movie this is! The power of the superheroes are used really, really well, and they never let you forget the childlike delight you first felt when you watched the cartoons as a child. The same delight is delivered in this movie. Considering how awful the last couple of superhero movies have been, this movie is a treat. Both visual and intellectual. Amid all this action, they never let you forget the original ethical dilemma that started the whole drama. And you suddenly realise that you are not just some spectator in the theater. You have been drawn into the dilemma. They make you choose sides. They make you ask yourself: Whose side are you really on?

The best scene of course is a 'bro' scene that involves a kiss. Let me know if you thought the same. 

Speaking of a 'bro' code, watch the movie with a gang of your friends. So you can re-live the action long after the movie is over and also argue over which side was right. Plus, only like minded friends know that you are treated to a special scene from the upcoming movie at the very end of credits. They will not let you move an inch, remove your 3D glasses or eat that tub of popcorn alone...