Captain America: Civil War Movie Facts + Review

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This post was written by Julie

I previewed the new Marvel movie, Captain America: Civil War in 3D, with my thirteen-year-old son. I love the comic book “brought to life” movies but I have to be honest, that there are so many of them I can hardly keep track of them. Admittingly, I have not a comic book expert and do not have the background knowledge that some other more dedicated moviegoers have, but I enjoy them just as much. I am not a big 3D fan, but this movie had a lot of action and appropriate scenes that made the 3D experience very enjoyable.

The movie starts off with a unique and interesting scene depicting a young Tony Stark/Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.). I thought it was like stepping back in time with a very realistic representation of Robert Downey Jr. This sets the stage for what happens throughout the movie as Tony Stark’s parents die and the dominos that fall into place afterward. The storyline is realistic and believable rather than something straight out of the comic books. The cast of characters is consistent with the previous Marvel films that I remember so that you can continue to grow with each character. The movie is close to two and a half hours long, but I enjoy long movies especially ones that keep the action going, has an interesting plot and mixes in some humor.

Captain America (Chris Evans) and his team, which included The Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and The Winter Soldier held their ground in the conviction to save mankind but without government oversight. Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.) and his team, which included Black Widow, Vision, War Machine, T’challa, and Spiderman also wanted to look out for mankind but felt that there needed to be a governing body keeping them in check.

Throughout this adventure, I found myself switching sides several times. I have no real allegiance to any of the characters, as I like all of them to varying degrees, so this made it easy for me to jump around. In addition to the battle between the two divided groups of Avengers, (Captain America vs Ironman) there was also an interesting external plot that tied these two groups together. I had no idea which way this journey was taking me.

I thought the movie took a fun and interesting turn when Tony Stark/Ironman sought out help in the form of a young Spiderman. Also, I loved that this movie had Marisa Tomei as Peter Parker’s Aunt May. What a change from previous Spiderman movies! From this point forward in the movie, it seems that someone hit the humor button. I really enjoyed the intelligent and gut-busting, at times, humor that followed and was mixed in well with all of the action going on.

Overall, I really enjoyed this adventure and look forward to the new adventures ahead that will spin off of this part of the journey. I will also check out some of the previous Marvel films to bring things full circle in my understanding of all of these unique superheroes. I highly recommend this film for the casual superhero fan, who just enjoys a good comic book brought to real life film, as well as, movie viewers of all other interest levels.

CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR FUN FACTS

• To bring “Captain America: Civil War” to the big screen, the filmmakers had to figure out which Avengers would side with Team Cap and which ones would ally with Team Iron Man. After careful consideration, the filmmakers decided on a split of characters that would find Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Scarlet Witch following Captain America, with Black Widow, War Machine, Vision and Black Panther following Tony Stark.

• With the “Captain America: Civil War” story taking place all over the world, the production would find itself based in familiar territory, anchoring at Pinewood Atlanta Studios with various units shooting in Germany, Austria, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, Brazil and the United Kingdom during the film’s production schedule.

• In addition to the soundstages at Pinewood, filmmakers were able to utilize locations around the Atlanta area for several scenes. One such location was a big, empty gulch in downtown Atlanta where they built Lagos, Nigeria. Between the locations team, art department and set decorators, filmmakers were able to bring an authentic texture to the environment and by casting hundreds of extras it came alive as the vibrant city of Lagos.

• On June 18, 2015, on the backlot of Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the first scenes of the historic Civil War mash-up began shooting, pitting the Avengers against each other with teams led by Captain America and Tony Stark. Filmmakers nick-named the classic battle the “Splash Panel,” because it was like a double-panel illustration in a comic book. The “Splash Panel” is one of Marvel’s most epic scenes with the most interaction ever seen in a Marvel film. The sequence was shot on IMAX cameras to give fans an unforgettable immersive experience.

• The film also features one of the most advanced automobiles in the world, which T’Challa/Black Panther drives. The filmmakers turned to Audi, who provided the production with their newest hi-tech concept car for the shoot. The stunning car has all the newest technology that Audi has but it has never been put into production. Keep an eye out for it in the movie—you won’t see it anywhere else.

• The German portion of the shooting schedule was a homecoming for cast member Daniel Brühl, who lives in Berlin and owns his own restaurant in the city. Shooting in Berlin gave Brühl the opportunity to return some of the southern hospitality he was shown by his 2 fellow cast members in Atlanta by inviting them to his tapas restaurant for a night of dining and fun.

• A new Super Hero is introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Captain America: Civil War”—T’Challa, the Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. The highly anticipated character comes in not agreeing with either side in the Civil War because he has his own agenda. Black Panther will feature in his own standalone film in 2018.

• Captain America’s fighting style is based in old-school martial arts like Judo, Karate, Tae Kwan Do, and Aikido. But, Black Panther, one of the best martial artists in the Marvel Universe, has more of a flowing martial arts style based on Capoeira, which is a form of Brazilian martial arts that combines acrobatics, dance, and music. There is also a Chinese influence in his style with the use of Kung Fu.

• The Black Panther costume was carefully designed to incorporate a panther, cat-like vibe with African aspects in the embellishments. With minimalist shoes that add a stealth element and root the costume to the ground, it also has a ninja feel.

• Hawkeye returns with some new weapons, including a collapsible baton for close-in fighting. His iconic bow has undergone some modifications as well. It is now left-handed for the actor, lighter in weight and easier to handle. He also sports a different look, with a full sleeved jacket instead of a vest, as well as a return to the more traditional purple color.

• Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, played by Frank Grillo, has new jackhammer-type gauntlets that amplify the power of his punches.

• Anthony Mackie is very happy with the upgrades to his Falcon suit. He feels much more like an Avenger now that his suit is more high-tech and streamlined, not to mention his favorite part—some flashy red on the wings.

• With Scarlet Witch now a full-fledged Avenger, Elizabeth’s Olsen’s costume received an upgrade equal to her new status. She now has a leather Super Hero outfit with a coat designed with movement in mind.

• Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man suit received some tweaks for “Captain America: Civil War.” The new suit is streamlined and looks more high-tech to fit the times. The helmet no longer has cables that snap into the back of it and antennas shoot up from the bottom. The regulator also has no dial on it.

• When a wire rig could not be used, Paul Bettany used an AirBoard to float around as the Vision. The AirBoard is pressure-plated with the toes and the heel, so it mimics a hoverboard and can go up to 12 miles per hour. It took Bettany only a few minutes to learn how to use the AirBoard and it definitely helped to frame the character’s intangible floating.

STAY CONNECTED:

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• Check out the Website: marvel.com/captainamerica
• Find Related Captain America Civil War Product on Amazon

Have you seen the movie yet? What did you think?