The Value of Agent Carter

Introduction: Her First Name is Agent

Some of the most emotional moments of the last two Captain America movies involve Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers’ love interest introduced in The First Avenger. While the scenes pack a huge punch thanks to the heartfelt chemistry Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell had in the first film, they are even more devastating after watching Agent Carter.

Peggy’s spinoff show, set just after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, is actually the stronger of Marvel’s two ABC shows. This is in no small part due to Atwell’s dynamic performance as Peggy, who transforms her character from “Captain America’s girlfriend” into a fully independent, engaging, downright badass woman who always gets the job done. A spy show like SHIELD, Carter manages to occupy its own niche in the MCU by taking full advantage of its period setting. Not just the aesthetics, but the whole mindset of a post-WWII America struggling to redefine itself after the war.

Season One: A Sense of History

For Peggy, that means dealing with the overt sexism that dominated the time. Carter’s first season dealt almost exclusively with how men returning from war treated women as glorified secretaries, ignoring their pivotal roles in the war effort both at home and overseas. Peggy’s struggle is very real here, as she deals with her male coworkers in the Strategic Scientific Reserve, the predecessor to SHIELD. Undervalued as an agent, Peggy is forced to take matters into her own hands and operate off the books when Howard Stark is framed for war profiteering. It’s a fantastic setup that leads to real danger and intrigue for Peggy, who sets out to prove her own worth as an agent in a world that no longer values her.

There are multiple reasons why Carter succeeds so spectacularly right out the gate, whereas SHIELD initially floundered. Aside from Atwell’s performance, one of the show’s greatest aspects is its shortened season. Compared to the 22 episode run of a SHIELD season, Carter’s first season has only eight episodes, while its second has ten. The miniseries vibe each season gives off allows for a more focused story, with every episode furthering the plot with next to no filler. The shorter season works wonders, as it maximizes the potential of both the plot and its characters. Not only does Peggy become a fully developed person here, but the entire supporting cast gets moments to shine.

Peggy’s SSR coworkers, Daniel Sousa and Jack Thompson, come to appreciate Peggy’s worth as an agent, while trying to find their own sense of purpose after wartime. Howard Stark is back from The First Avenger with his womanizing ways, but secretly harbors an immense guilt over some deadly inventions. The greatest side character, however, is James D’Arcy’s Edwin Jarvis, Stark’s butler who will go on to serve as the basis for Tony Stark’s A.I. (and therefore, the Vision) in the Iron Man and Avengers movies. Jarvis makes for a fantastic sidekick to Peggy, at once entirely proper while not afraid to assist Peggy with whatever dangers she faces.

Aside from the characters and more focused story, the period setting gives Carter the breathing room that SHIELD didn’t always have. With its mid-to-late 1940s setting, the show is basically cut off from the rest of the MCU, but gets to develop the universe more by giving the films a true sense of history. We get to see how the SSR operates, and therefore an idea of how the organization will grow into SHIELD. We see the villains using mind control techniques that will one day be used on both the SHIELD show and in The Winter Soldier. And amazingly, we also get a better look at the Red Room, the Soviet operation that will one day create Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow.

That development also introduces the show’s best villain, Dottie Underwood, a proto-Black Widow who serves as a perfect foil for Peggy. Equal parts charming and deadly, Dottie is a powerhouse who elevates the story every time she’s on screen, especially when interacting with Carter. Her story dovetails perfectly with Peggy’s, as Dottie actually becomes jealous of Peggy’s lifestyle while Dottie was forced from childhood to be an assassin. This is ironic, considering Carter struggles not only to be accepted by a patriarchal society, but to move on from the tragedy of Steve’s “death.” Even with this running thread, the show emphasizes how it’s not about Captain America. It’s all about Peggy, and thanks to Atwell’s charisma and infinite charm, we as viewers know it.

Season Two: New City, New Dangers

Carter season one had a great story and even greater characters at its center. For its follow-up (and unfortunately final) season, Agent Carter sought to give more development to Peggy, Jarvis, Thompson and Sousa while moving the story from New York to L.A. This gives the whole season an entirely different feel from the last one, while still evoking that ‘40s-‘50s period aesthetic which works so well for it.

Peggy’s past is glimpsed through some key flashbacks, which give us a greater sense of who she was before she signed up with the SSR. What’s more, we see her operate directly with her male co-workers, showing how much more accepted she now is. Her teased romance with Sousa also moves forward in big ways, but never acts as the season’s focus. Instead, we get newly promoted SSR chief Jack Thompson being groomed for bigger things, while Peggy, Sousa and Jarvis deal with new villain Whitney Frost, a brilliant scientist who masquerades as a famous actor.

Frost acts as both a worthy opponent and another great foil to Peggy. Whereas Peggy was encouraged in her youth to break free of society’s expectations of her, Frost was forced to hide her scientific brilliance and got by solely on looks. It makes for a great dynamic between the two, helped by Frost’s scientific background and knack for strategy. She’s at the center of a conspiracy involving Zero Matter, a destructive property from another dimension discovered during an atomic bomb test.

Zero Matter becomes the season’s focus, and while it provides a neat allegory for atomic threats, its full capabilities are never really shown. The characters talk about how it could potentially change the world, but aside from nearly blowing up a city, we never really get a sense of what’s so game changing about it. Compared to the straightforward Stark inventions that fueled season one, Zero Matter just doesn’t measure up. It’ll probably come in very handy for explaining parts of the Doctor Strange movie in November, but here, it’s almost out of place.

Zero Matter of Stakes

The Zero Matter also reduces Whitney Frost’s effectiveness as a villain. After getting “possessed” by it, Frost slowly goes insane, which ends up hurting her role in the plot. She plays next to no role in the season’s climax, and as such the stakes don’t feel as high as the first season’s, where Dottie and a vengeful Russian agent nearly destroyed New York. It’s such a shame too, as up to that point Frost was a more than compelling villain. Jack Thompson’s role doesn’t fare too much better, as he becomes wrapped up in a conspiracy involving an elite Patriarchy club that connects with Frost’s story but isn’t nearly as interesting. Thompson is developed more, and the club he’s groomed to join serves its purpose with Frost, but it’s simply not as engaging as a threat to Peggy and the SSR.

Thankfully, the season’s more uneven parts are balanced out by some fantastic character work. Jarvis benefits greatly from this, as we meet his wife and get to see more of his mindset when going on missions with Peggy. It all snowballs into an emotionally devastating event which renders Mrs. Jarvis unable to have children, made all the more heartbreaking by Jarvis’s reaction to the news. It’s also unintentionally a huge moment for the MCU, since it’s probably Jarvis’s inability to have children that leads him to help raise Tony. By the end of the season, there is no longer any mystery as to why Stark would base an A.I. after this man.

Conclusion: We Know Her Value

Ultimately, the greatest flaw of season two is how it wraps up almost all of its major story beats only to leave things on a massive cliffhanger. A major character is shot over a file regarding one of Peggy’s WWII missions. This is infuriating, because with the show’s recent cancellation, we’ll never see it resolved. Neither will we see how the SSR became SHIELD, nor whether Sousa is the husband Peggy refers to in Winter Soldier (he probably is, but still, it’d be nice to know).

Yes, the events of the last two Captain America movies (and her cameo in Ant-Man) make this all inconsequential in the long run. We know Peggy founds SHIELD, gets Alzheimer’s and then dies by Civil War. But that doesn’t account for how Agent Carter has fleshed out this very interesting part of Peggy’s life, a part that we’ll never get proper closure to. Barring a Netflix continuation, a TV movie, another One Shot or flashbacks on SHIELD, this is it for Agent Carter. And it’s a massive shame, because despite a few season two flaws, this was a huge testament to the power a female-centric show could wield.

Carter’s best moment came at the end of season one, when Peggy is denied credit for saving New York. She makes a statement that perfectly sums up why the show was so great. “I know my value; anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.” It’s a fantastic quote that emphasizes how confident Peggy is, and how confident Atwell is playing her. It’s a statement on how Peggy is just as good, and often better, than the men around her in a world that is constantly trying to push her down. But in the wake of the show’s cancellation, it’s also a rallying cry for fans to never forget just what Peggy has done for the MCU. She’s not just Marvel’s first female lead. Peggy Carter is one of the MCU’s best characters, period. Agent Carter made all its viewers know that, so her value can continue to be seen now that the show, and her character, have passed on.

Agents of SHIELD: Small Screen Marvels

Introduction

One of the few constants I’ve kept in the years since I’ve started this blog is my continuing coverage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As of last Thursday, I’ve reviewed 11 of the 13 films in the MCU, all the One-Shot short films, and season one of Agents of SHIELD. However, due to my prolonged absence, I was unable to properly review Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, or the Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Agent Carter shows.

For the sake of my credibility as a superhero nerd, I am honor bound to “catch up” on everything Marvel, so for the next few days I will be reviewing all the MCU films and shows that I haven’t covered yet. To begin, I give unto you a thorough analysis of all three seasons of Agents of SHIELD, Marvel’s inaugural TV show, since the third season took its bow just last week. Be warned, here there be spoilers.

Season One: Hail Hydra!

First, the story so far. SHIELD’s first season was handicapped by an initially rocky first batch of episodes. While there was promise in putting a resurrected Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) from The Avengers in charge of his own small, elite team of SHIELD agents, the episodes were too standalone in nature and, without an overarching threat, lacked agency. It was only during the back half of the season did the show finally gain a legitimate threat. That threat was the Nazi cult HYDRA disguised as SHIELD, a twist that could only be revealed once Captain America: The Winter Soldier exposed that key detail.

Once HYDRA stepped into the spotlight, the show’s quality improved significantly. Coulson learns he was resurrected by Nick Fury with blood from an alien corpse (it’s a long story) and had to confront the fact that one of his hand-picked agents, Grant Ward, was a HYDRA mole alongside his mentor John Garrett. This revelation did wonders for the show, giving it a better focus from the “X-Files light” vibe the season’s first half had. It also started Ward on the path to becoming one of the better MCU villains outside of the films.

While the first half of the season was by and large inferior, it did allow us as viewers to familiarize with the characters, including Melinda “The Calvary” May, adorkable scientist duo Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons and the orphaned hacker Skye, who Coulson took on as a protégé. These earlier adventures did eventually give weight to the HYDRA twist towards the season’s climax. They also turned the complicated resurrection of Coulson into a thrilling plot point, which managed to make sense in the context of the MCU and help set up future events.

Coulson’s death was a huge turning point in the first Avengers film, and his resurrection was clearly motivated in a meta sense by his popularity with fans. Ultimately, the show justifies this by showing the lengths it took to bring Coulson back, while giving him greater depth as a character and allowing him to act as a mentor figure to the other agents, Skye especially.

Season Two: Enter, the Inhumans!

I’m reiterating all this because, going into season 2, the complete 180 change in tone does wonders for the show, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the transition that began at the end of season one. The premise becomes a lot more espionage based, as it should be, with the taking on of new recruits like Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird, her mercenary ex-husband Lance Hunter and talented everyman Mack. These are all great additions that add more flavor to the cast. Coupled with the HYDRA reveal, SHIELD’s new rogue agency status under Coulson and Ward’s presence as a Hannibal Lecter type, the show is given a much needed sense of urgency.

Coulson’s resurrection ties neatly into Skye’s character arc, as it’s revealed that the alien whose blood runs through Coulson’s veins is a Kree, the race Ronan comes from in Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a nice little tie-in that highlights what the show should’ve been doing from the beginning: expanding the world of the Marvel films organically, without forcing tie-ins to the movies.

As a show about SHIELD, it made sense that the HYDRA reveal from Winter Soldier should impact the characters, but having them essentially clean up the messes of Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World only felt forced. It’s neat to have Lady Sif from the Thor films pop in every once in a while, but does she really belong in a show about spies?

It’s something that season 2 thankfully corrects, as the show becomes more preoccupied with its own characters and developing its own part of the MCU than forcing tie-ins to the films. The Kree connection is great because it’s a natural link to Guardians without overtly referencing that film’s events. It’s used instead to set up a new story that becomes pivotal to the show going forward, signaling a new threat that is both entwined and separate from HYDRA.

What is that threat? The Inhumans: Kree/human hybrids with built-in superpowers, of whom Skye is one. And not just any old Inhuman, but the MCU’s version of Daisy Johnson/Quake, the earth-moving superhero of the comics. Skye’s empowerment and learning of her heritage does wonders for her character arc here. It not only introduces genuine superpowers to the show, but allows Skye/Daisy’s growth as a hero to parallel Ward’s growing acceptance of himself as a villain. Ward’s icy calmness hides a boiling yet calculated rage that makes him simply fascinating to watch, and his descent into villainy throughout the show is what makes him one of the MCU’s most complex villains.

But Ward isn’t the only villain here. Alongside Ward and HYDRA are Daisy’s father, Dr. Calvin Zabo/Mr. Hyde, and mother Jaiying, the leader of an Inhuman sanctuary. Zabo is easily one of the best things about season two, being somehow both over the top and strangely sympathetic in his attempts to reunite with his lost daughter. The season essentially boils down to a tense confrontation between Skye and her parents, and that very human focus makes it a great finale.

Season Two (and a half): The Problem with Movie Tie-Ins

With that said, the latter half of this season, while still great, suffers a bit compared to the first half. The compelling HYDRA plot gives way to the Inhumans and a schism in SHIELD over how to deal with them, as they’re essentially turned into a stand-in for mutants (thank Fox for that, otherwise we may have gotten X-Men here). Skye’s mother Jaiying is basically Xavier before turning into Magneto, in a somewhat jarring twist that nevertheless ties both halves of the season together thematically. It’s all well-played, if a little conventional given the tropes the show is working with.

The greatest flaw in season two’s latter half, however, is the tie-in with Age of Ultron. Instead of dealing with the after effects of the films like in season one, or seeding a small link to Guardians, the Ultron tie-in is so incredibly forced that it ultimately hurts both the show and the film it’s supporting. It comes down to Coulson preserving an old Helicarrier, which Fury then uses for the Ultron climax in Sokovia. The revelation obviously isn’t important to the film, otherwise it would’ve been mentioned, and the show glosses over it almost immediately afterwards to go back to the Inhumans plot.

The whole thing feels cynically corporate, more so than any of the tie-ins in season one. Seeing this only highlights the fact that the show is much better focusing on its own plots than trying to force connections to the movies. And what’s really great is that, by the end of the second season, SHIELD has become so good at telling its own stories, with its own uniquely developed characters, that it doesn’t even need the movies as a crutch aside from the occasional fun shout out. Everything it does, it does to further its own story, and its MCU connections are now more interesting since the show is adding something to the continuity of the films, rather than the films basically propping up the show.

Season Three: And Lo, the Secret Warriors Shall Come!

With the show now more standalone from the films than ever, season three goes full throttle with its plotlines. Between Skye/Daisy setting up the Secret Warriors Inhuman team with fellow Inhuman Lincoln, Coulson’s rivalry/romance with government liaison Rosalynd, May’s ex-husband becoming the Inhuman killer Lash, Ward reviving HYDRA with its last head Gideon Malick and Simmons falling through a portal to an alien world, there are a lot of balls to juggle.

And that’s why season three’s first half stumbles a bit setting all this up. There’s simply way too much going on at once, and while a TV show can obviously afford to spend more time with these plots than a movie can, it feels almost like overkill. But then the show does something miraculous, and reveals that all these seemingly unconnected plots are really just parts of a whole. The portal subplot, which seems unnecessary, ends up becoming the main goal of HYDRA, as they plan on using it to return an ancient, exiled Inhuman to Earth.

It’s stunning how expertly the show weaves these separate plots into one giant story, all while never losing sight of the characters that are now the show’s heart. Fitz’s romance with Simmons, and his quest to get her back, is particularly well-played, as is Simmons’ attempts to survive on this harsh alien world (seriously, it’s one of the show’s best episodes).

Everything coalesces into a pitch perfect mid-series finale that closes off some threads while opening brand new ones. Coulson gets some great development here, as his actions directly cause a new threat to emerge in the form of Hive, the aforementioned ancient Inhuman who HYDRA worships as a god. Armed with the ability to possess the bodies of dead humans and take control of other Inhumans, Hive begins a campaign to make the Earth more Inhuman-friendly. This leads to a much more streamlined back half of season three that dispenses (permanently, it seems) with HYDRA while moving Daisy into the forefront as the new focus.

Daisy’s need to belong and have a family, established all the way back in season one, comes full circle with Hive in ways you might not initially expect. On a larger scale, relationships become a key focal point for the season, as FitzSimmons, May, Coulson, Mack, Daisy and Lincoln all have huge character moments based on their viewing of SHIELD as a surrogate family. This is made even more poignant during an episode where Bobbi and Lance are forced to leave the team, with their teammates giving them a tearful goodbye that is one of the show’s saddest moments.

It is also here when the tie-ins to the films become better, because they’re virtually nonexistent. Season three chooses to tie in with Captain America: Civil War thematically instead of overtly. Hive’s plan is inspired by how only those in power have the means to create superheroes, as he hopes to turn regular humans without Kree DNA into Inhumans. It all leads to a fantastic, emotional finale that wisely focuses on Daisy and her need for belonging. The one weak point is that as the show finally seems to wrap up most of the threads hanging since season one, it cuts to six months later to begin a brand new story arc. If the season was allowed to end more organically, and let the emotional beats play out, it would’ve been a spectacular ending to a thrilling season. Instead, it’s a lukewarm ending that’s focused more on what comes next than wrapping up what they already have.

Conclusion

So after watching this show go from being a weak Marvel commercial to a compelling super-powered spy drama, was it really all worth it? Given what Marvel TV has now become, was this show really how Marvel should’ve gotten onto the small screen? Did Coulson really need to be resurrected? What’s the point of doing the Inhumans when it looks like the Inhumans movie is now cancelled? Why give an emotional farewell to Lance and Bobbi when their spinoff, Most Wanted, was passed over? And most importantly, why follow a team of spies that operate in the shadows, when they and their actions are pretty much ignored by the films?

All compelling questions, and they all have a simple answer. Despite what this show started as, when looking at what it’s become, Agents of SHIELD has completely earned its place in the tapestry of the MCU. The film and spinoff show it could’ve helped set up may now be in jeopardy, but given that we’re getting a fourth season, there’s still plenty of time to wrap up whatever threads remain. Given Most Wanted being passed over and sister show Agent Carter being cancelled, coupled with the fourth season moving to the 10 pm time slot this fall, it looks like the show may not even be on the air much longer. If the upcoming fourth season is its last, Agents of SHIELD will still have justified its existence.

And that’s purely because the characters have now become so enduring, and their stories so captivating, that we don’t need Iron Man or Captain America to show up to make things exciting. Coulson’s SHIELD agents occupy their own corner of the MCU, and even if it may not be “essential viewing” to anyone who isn’t a Marvel diehard, it still fleshes out a part of the universe we wouldn’t see in the films. I strongly recommend giving this show a try. Any flaws it once had have given way to a fantastic show that knows how to treat its characters with respect. Take your time with it, and you will be rewarded, as the buildup leads to one hell of a payoff. As a tie-in to the larger Marvel film world, SHIELD doesn’t always work. But when it’s simply telling its own story, SHIELD is a blast, and as long as it keeps this momentum going, it’ll continue to be so. 

Captain America: Civil War Review

Intro: The Marvel World's Finest

It’s very rare that we as filmgoers get a movie like Captain America: Civil War. Quite frankly, it’s a miracle the film even exists. Considering it features in-fighting between 12 superheroes, the breakdown of one friendship and the rebuilding of another, and a complete reshaping of the Marvel landscape going forward, it’s miraculous that the Russo Brothers’ direction makes this all look so easy.

A film that could’ve easily swelled into a pseudo-Avengers sequel somehow manages to not only justify every periphery superhero, giving them a purpose and a character arc, but does so without sacrificing the focus on its true hero, Steve Rogers. It is, after all, a Captain America movie, and while it may not seem like that at first glance, by the time the credits role you’ll see why Cap is the heart and soul of this picture.

Steve’s role at the center of this superhero epic makes the whole film at once a giant spectacle (literally, at one point) and an intensely focused character piece. That perfect fusion of action and emotion is why, after three viewings, I can easily put this at the top of my favorite MCU films. Civil War is not only a near perfect superhero movie, but a fantastic movie, period.

There's History Here

While Steve is, of course, the main character here, the main thrust of the film comes from his dual relationships with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man (delivering probably his best Marvel performance since his original film) and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. By wisely focusing on Steve’s friendships with Bucky and Tony, the Russo Brothers manage to adapt the best ideas and elements of the Civil War event comic into a new story that actually improves on its source. 

Whereas the comic had Tony and Cap divided over superhero regulation, making Tony into an actual villain, the film turns Tony into an antagonist opposing Cap without sacrificing his humanity. In fact, Tony’s arguments make just as much sense as Steve’s, and the film is set up in such a way that you can choose any side you want and not come off as “right” or “wrong.” Whether you’re Team Cap or Team Iron Man doesn’t matter- by the end of the film, you’ll be surprised to find what you want them to do is stop fighting.

The political motivations that ultimately divide the Avengers help set up the larger conflict, but really only play a backseat to the central story of Cap trying to save Bucky. It’s very much a continuation of The Winter Soldier, but also builds off the themes of Age of Ultron and every other earthbound film in the MCU canon.

As such, it not only acts as a great resolution to the core Captain America film trilogy (which may go down as one of the best superhero trilogies ever) but as a culmination of the MCU up to this point. Subtle nods to past films and a now built-in chemistry between the cast reinforces this, as we now intimately know these characters and find it heart wrenching when the split occurs. This movie simply could not work without the 12 films leading into it. That may seem off-putting to first-time viewers, but it’s merely a sign that the Marvel films have finally created a mythology as dense and exciting as the comic books.

Along Came a Spider (and a Panther, too)

A mythology that keeps on growing, thanks to the new additions of Black Panther and (at long last) Spider-Man. Both are pitch perfect representations from the comics, with Chadwick Boseman’s Panther particularly standing out. Not only is Panther’s role here a great introduction, but it also affords him a fully realized character arc that compliments Cap and Tony. Regal, imposing, and badass all at the same time, Boseman brings comics’ first major black superhero to life in the best way possible.

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is a delight, as with only 30 minutes of screen time, this unassuming teen manages to fully embody everything millions of fans (myself included) love about Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield may have gotten certain parts of the Wall Crawler right, but Holland here is the full package. He brings so much confidence and humility to the role that it’s hard not to smile every time he’s on screen, in and out of the suit.

While his role doesn’t amount to much, Peter does play an important part as the outsider looking in on the Avengers conflict. His gee-whiz attitude to meeting Steve and Tony only makes him that much more enduring. And I hate to sound like a broken record, but major props for including Marvel’s most iconic character without shifting the focus away from Cap. Even more props for introducing Spidey and Black Panther in a way that serves the story organically, without grinding the plot and pacing to a halt. It’s just another sign of how great this film is.

While every other hero is given a chance to shine (yes, even Hawkeye), the others that stood out to me aside from Cap, Tony, Bucky, Spidey and Panther were the *ahem* “large” role given to Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang/Ant-Man and the tender, budding relationship between Scarlet Witch and Vision. Not only did they make the long-time comics relationship work on screen, but it also gave both characters more depth than their introductions in Age of Ultron.

Giant Superheroes All-Out Attack

The fact that each and every character weaves in and out of the story in both serious and humorous ways is one of the film’s greatest strengths. It all culminates in a battle between the two Avengers teams at an airport terminal that is easily the best superhero fight in cinematic history. Forget the Spider-Man 2 train fight, the New York Avengers battle, the Dark Knight truck chase or even the Smallville and Metropolis duels in Man of Steel. This battle has it all. Every hero clashes in a perfect showcase of powers and personality, in ways that will make both movie and comic nerds extremely happy.

And this is all without even mentioning the film’s closest thing to a real villain, Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo. He doesn’t match the Avengers in strength, but manages to cause more damage to the team than Ultron, HYDRA or Loki ever could. Bruhl pulls off the role masterfully, acting more like a Bond villain than supervillain here. He’s suave and sophisticated, but also harbors an inner rage that makes him one of the most human foes these super humans have ever faced. He may not have the theatrics of comic-book Zemo, but the depth given to this version makes him one of the better villains to come out of the MCU.

Conclusion: Let Them (Not) Fight

So after praising the ever living hell out of this film, are there any flaws? Well, the pacing is off a tad in the first act, a byproduct of setting up all the moving parts. Even so, it’s never boring and always a joy to watch, never really hampering the overall film. Any other flaws are minor in the grand scheme of things, nitpicks in a near perfect production. Every single aspect of this movie only serves to strengthen the core story, which despite being a commentary on the consequences of power, is ultimately about a friendship being ripped apart.

Once the spectacle of the airport battle dies down, the film wisely refocuses on the core Steve-Bucky-Tony relationship, making for an incredibly emotional finale that asks us not to fear for their lives, but for the state of their friendship. It’s a glorious start to Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with consequences that will carry on well into the next three years of this ever-expanding saga. 

But while the film is equally effective at playing in this huge sandbox while setting up more of it, at its heart it still remains a simple story about a man out of time. A man whose ideals inspire others to act with or against him, and how this mends one relationship while nearly destroying another. Simple stuff, but no less powerful, the stuff superhero stories are made of. The stuff that got me invested in these characters in the first place. The stuff I wanted Batman v. Superman to have, when it didn’t really have it at all. Much like Cap coming out of the ice after 70 years, Civil War is a miracle.