I swear this is the last Marvel film I see: Captain America reviewed

Sean Hourigan

You’re trying way, way too hard to not like this movie. As baffled as you are by why people like the Avengers, I am far more baffled by why you care so much if you claim to dislike them and what your problem is with some simple superhero action that just about everyone else can thoroughly enjoy. You are just a contrarian for the sake if it, that is all.

Johnny High-sman

Dude just wants people to check their site….only way to get it out there by giving the movie a bad review..lol desperate

Terence Wilkinson

Well I am going to defend Deborah. I love comic books and think the Dark Knight trilogy are some of the greatest movies ever made but even I find the Marvel movies dull, repetitive and formulaic: cheesy jokes, fight scene, smultzy scene to add “depth”, new Iron Man suit, trash New York and ever more characters who do little or nothing. It’s all a snooze fest.

Kingslayer

I always find it amusing how some fans of the TDK trilogy (of which I am one) try to paint those movies to be such great works of cinema, when those have some of the biggest writing mistakes in the superhero genre.

To make an example of the most heralded of the three, The Dark Knight. The Joker is in a very serious and fairly realistic movie, yet he’s getting away from a bank robbery in a school bus covered in dust and debris, in very slow traffic, and the Gotham police force that arrives are still utterly stumped. The movie is full of times where the Joker is not written to be smart but just to have plot armor, which fits really ill in a movie with a tone like the one in TDK. There’s also some really poorly shot action, especially the hand to hand combat, and Nolan even at one point even forgets which characters have spoken to whom, having two characters refer back to a previous dialogue scene which only contained two completely different characters.

The TDK trilogy is very entertaining, but that’s about what there is to get from it. Nolan’s sloppiest works by far.
thegameplay ness

Personally I think the only interesting character in TDK trilogy that brought any sort of thematic relevance was the joker. The rest of the cast are boring and dull.
- Kenton Fogarty
  
  I agree with both of you

Michael Pereira

I love this review. I love how bemused and baffled you are at the lowbrow standard of what passes as entertainment these days. I wonder how the rest of culture seems to you! Captain America as Brexit – that is classic! I hadn’t considered that. That unfortunately would make me more team iron man apparently.

p.s. I’m a huge marvel fan but more of the comic variety

thegameplay ness

Indeed, indeed! This review was….*takes sip from wine*…err… quite. perplexing! Entertainment nowadays is so thematic irrelevant. Luckily all I do is watch Forest Gump, given that it’s deep and sophisticated. Bah! *tips fedora*

Chris.P

Seems like you go into these films already hating them. Why even bother reviewing them if you are always going to hate them regardless of what they offer? At least this will be the last one you watch.

Pretty Mvtherfvcker

Awful review and resume so no need to actually take this seriously. A 5 year old would do better.
Good news for us all, it’s the last one you’ll watch and therefore review.

Kingslayer

While I don’t think it’s much worth to read reviews from people watching a kind of movie they don’t like I have no issues with someone not liking things I like.

I do however remain baffled at how professional reviewers can miss such simple and superficial things like they sometimes do. For example how Deborah here seems to think this movie contained an origins (sic) story for Spider-Man, when it very clearly avoids that. This Spider-Man has already had his powers for some time and the movie never even says how he got them. It’s also established that he’s not just gotten his powers but actually have been “Spider-Man” for some time. I wouldn’t expect a casual movie goer to miss that, let alone a professional critic.

I hope there won’t be too much hate from blind fan boys here, everyone are allowed to think what they want, but I do think the review has some quite glaring mistakes from a pure reviewing standpoint.

ChadCMulligan

I’ve certainly experienced coming out of a blockbuster movie feeling somehwat queasy and beaten up by the relentless “whizzing about and stuff blowing up” nature of the entertainment. A lot of this material works better in the original comic book form.

Nap60

You know you’ll be emotionally invested in these characters if you paid attention to their stiories and followed them throughout. I don’t hate your review but seriously please never review a superhero movie if you’re not a fan of it. There is no reason to force yourself to review something you don’t want to watch. And Yes people would say there is emotional depth in the movie because it’s their opinion just like you’re allowed to have yours. Don’t go trying to justify yourself.

Matt The Radar Technician

Wow, I’m having a hard time believing this is an actual review.

yaniv chenski

Why?
- Matt The Radar Technician
  
  First of all: she clearly went into the movies wanting to dislike the film. She already had this idea in mind.
  
  The writing is pretentious, she is trying to be funny and witty all the time without providing actual arguments that would state why she didn’t like it. It feels like a whiny teenager who thinks she is superior to everyone else wrote this, not a professional critic. And it’s pretty obvious she isn’t a fan of the genre.
  
  Just to be clear: It’s not because she didn’t like the film. I’ve read good negative reviews. I’ve read bad positive reviews.
  - Goinlike Billio
    
    I find her funny and she does say what she thinks about it which is that there is too little of everything ; plot, characterisation etc and too much computer generated rubbish so basically don’t bother going to see it.
    As this is true of nine out of ten movies of this type. She could just post the same review every time but she wouldn’t get paid.
    it might appeal to radar technicians.
DMR

It’s called clickbait, not a review. Terrible writing. Not everyone is going to like this film, but that’s some sixth form grade stuff right there.
- filmklassik
  
  Question is, how does a critic express her pronounced disasatisfaction with a movie like this without her writing being characterized as terrible?

Shimon Ohana

A disappointing movie over all
Spider-Man is god awful, like srsly!!

Nap60

I’m sorry man I can’t believe you. Like not even one bit.

Alonso Arana

You said it yourself, no one forced you to watch the damn thing; oh it must be hard to sit through movies that you didn’t want to watch in the first place. That’s called confirmation of bias, and it just means that you walked into the film ready to hate it anyway.

Hubsabubs

This comment section reeks of salt.

thegameplay ness

LE SALTY #gitrekt
Clint Lundgren

Can salt have a “rank” smell? As a mineral, I don’t believe that it can spoil.

However, I believe you will find that any salty residue starts with the article itself before, predictably, spreading to the comments.

WrestlingFan512

I guess they’ll let anyone write a review nowadays. Easily one of the most pretentious and worthless reviews I’ve ever read.

Adam Lewis

You’re mad a critic didn’t like your mindless, childish superhero movie? Grow up.
- Nap60
  
  It’s understandable if it was disliked for legit reasons. This review is biased if you do some diggin about the author.
  - Adam Lewis
    
    Probably biased, but for a reason. Superhero movies (at least Marvel ones) are filled with stupid jokes and quips every other sentence, with absolutely no character development whatsoever, so it’s annoying when reviewers try to argue that there’s actual complexity to them. I’m legitimately baffled as to how people think these movies are anything but action pieces for popcorn moviegoers.
    - Nap60
      
      But have you seen this one to say it’s filled with stupid quips?
    - Adam Lewis
      
      The trailer and TV spots themselves are filled with stupid quips (DUDE YOU HAVE A METAL ARM XDDD), as is literally every other Marvel movie in existence, so I’m just going to assume that yes, it is filled with stupid quips.
    - Nap60
      
      Yeah but have you seen the context of the whole movie. I seriously would understand if you have seen the whole movie but certain lines would only come of as quips when you see a portion of the scene. If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t plan to then let’s just leave it at that.
    - Thranduil’s Moose
      
      Can I join in?
    - Nap60
      
      Sure
    - Tony1
      
      “Dude you have a metal arm??”
      
      You do realize that line comes from SPIDER-MAN, who, for DECADES now is known for being the guy who is very humorous. Or did that fly over your head?
    - Nap60
      
      This guy seems like a troll. I’m gonna say that. Spiderman has been the most comical character in Marvel so that accurately portrays him. He is a 15 year old kid who admires Cap and he was just expressing his admiration for Bucky’s metal arm.
    - Tony1
      
      Oh, no question he’s a troll. He exposed himself when he implies he doesn’t listen to critics or let them influence them, yet DEFENDS one that shares his views.
    - Tony1
      
      Apparently you’ve never seen Winter Soldier.
      
      So, you will assume, without seeing the ACTUAL film? What’s funny is you defend this woman’s review, but gloss over the SEA of other positive reviews for Civil War. Seriously, I can pull up a good 30 reviews from critics absolutely praising this film for it’s depth, action, BALANCED humor, and quality. But no, you’ll agree with this one critic who bashed this movie clearly for the sake of it, and not listen to a hoard of other critics who think this movie is fantastic.
      
      Have you seen the teaser trailer for Dr. Strange? You’ll watch it, and already assume that movie is a bunch of quips and jokes, right?
    - Adam Lewis
      
      Yes, I will agree with the reviewer who shares my views on these lame, formulaic superhero flicks. It’s how these things called “reviews” work.
    - Tony1
      
      What about the dozens and dozens and dozens of critics out there that flat out praise this film?? Their say means nothing??
    - Adam Lewis
      
      Not to me. I don’t let critics influence my opinion.
    - Tony1
      
      And yet, you love to read the reviews of critics who do share your opinion, and detract from those who don’t. Basically, you allow yourself to read these critic reviews whom you agree with, to REINFORCE your feelings and opinions about these movies. But, you don’t want to hear what the 99% of other critics have to say, because you know it’ll screw with your stance that you are too afraid to leave.
      
      See the problem there????
    - Adam Lewis
      
      “And yet, you love to read the reviews of critics who do share your opinion”
      Well, duh.
      
      “and detract from those who don’t”
      Well, duh.
      
      “Basically, you allow yourself to read these critic reviews whom you agree with, to REINFORCE your feelings and opinions about these movies”
      Well, duh.
      
      “But, you don’t want to hear what the 99% of other critics have to say, because you know it’ll screw with your stance that you are too afraid to leave”
      Haha, don’t get ahead of yourself. No amount of positive reviews would stop me from viewing superhero movies as garbage for children.
    - Tony1
      
      If you don’t see the ignorance in your comment, I’ll give you a minute to figure it out.
    - Tony1
      
      Garbage for children? What about all the mature adults that watch these films??? Are they all children?
    - Adam Lewis
      
      Mentally? Yes.
    - Tony1
      
      Where is your proof of this???
    - Adam Lewis
      
      I’m talking to it.
    - Tony1
      
      That’s not proof. Give me actual scientific evidence all people who watch these films are childlike in mentality.
    - Fritz Leipold
      
      Don’t bother, with trolls like this one it’s all circular arguments.
    - Tony1
      
      I know, I’m exposing his trolling. When you make it super obvious, they get less troll-like.
    - NakedYo
      
      You are desperately going through and spewing your idiocy on all of these comments. Go back to 4chan and cry, kiddo.

airiran

A lot of people LOVE the opera. Me personally, I don’t enjoy opera in the slightest. I’m not going to sit through a bunch of operas then write “WTF I DON’T EVEN!” reviews on the internet about it. Sounds like you went in wanting to hate it, and big surprise, you did. Please stay true to the vow that you’ll never watch another of these. Your “opinion” will not be missed.

Kenton Fogarty

What if you like the opera and didn’t like one that others liked and wrote about it and then people said you don’t like the opera?
Civil War was a let down for me. Spidey was nice though
- airiran
  
  Find me one comic book movie this woman loved, and you’d have a point. Clearly this genre isn’t for her.

roberlin

Reviewing your review – is this a joke? I don’t care if you liked the film or not, but, this has no substance whatsoever and has such a flippant tone. Do you have any professional pride in your work? Because in publishing this “review,” you seem to be telling the world you don’t have any. Shameful, really. This review simply doesn’t belong on Rotten Tomatoes. On IMDB, maybe, but even then, it wouldn’t be taken seriously. This review doesn’t even merit being in a high school newspaper. If there’s any way you can retract this and write a real review, you are strongly advised to do so. This review is truly embarrassing.

Stavros Hadjiyiannis

Comic book movies are not for everyone. You either accept the fantastical element (as in say religion, ancient Greek mythology or more to the point, much of popular culture) or you don’t. Myself for example thoroughly rejects post-modern art. I have no elaborate opinion on it, other than it’s staggeringly pretentious and pointless. But to those who love it, I have nothing to say to.

Jonathan

Clearly, this was a very poorly written review. I’ve seen high school students construct better reviews than this slop. Even Middle School Students have enough brains to construct a well thought out review. All this told me was your disgust for Marvel films and how you regret going to another one which by the way if you were a professional your review would state it’s the 13th installment in The MCU. Not some random lottery number. So next time you review a film, put your petty biased feeling aside and look at the film’s context because you failed to clearly see that due to your personal bias.

mark guarin

man that is not even a review. this is straight up hating, just by calling heroes names you can obviously tell.

WrestlingFan512

Just so you know. You deserve all the hostility coming your way.

Adam Lewis

“You deserve to get harassed because you didn’t like my superhero movie for little kids!!!”

How old are you?
- airiran
  
  Her little comment at the end is clearly her way of instigating negativity. She’s practically daring people to be rude and hostile.

Nap60

Congratulations “You’re now a star”. I’m not going to be hostile because you hated the film and neither should anyone else in the comment section. On a serious note, You shouldn’t have reviewed this if you knew you hate superhero movies. Just stick to a genre you like.

Jonathan

She clearly wanted hits on her website and guess what…She got it!!! Just like Ike to Tina Turner lol

Clint Lundgren

I don’t begrudge anyone their opinion, but I’m a little perplexed as to why the author would ask folks to “be careful what you write below the line,” as her own article is basically just trolling. She hasn’t done the courtesy of offering substantive criticism, so all that comes off is a general tone of condescension towards this genre and its fans. Which is guaranteed to excite furious rebuttals.

Were I cynical, I would suspect that the whole point of the article is not to review the film, but rather to instigate controversy and thus traffic to her site.

wingsuiter101

This is some next level crazy on display here, and I say this as someone who is not very fond of superhero movies myself, get a grip cat lady

What were you expecting? Probably the same old shlock of Brits walking beside Thames in a trench coat discussing “Politics” that qualifies for depth.

AnakinCorleone

She would probably hate that too. Check out her reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. She gave negative reviews to Spotlight and Birdman, the last two Oscar winners for Best Picture.
- wingsuiter101
  
  Poor granny can’t handle a movie if it doesn’t begin with a cup off tea and traditional breakfast I suppose

Kamran

Oh God…you are even too lazy to write a cohesive click bate…it’s absolutely fine if you are not a fan, in fact, no critic should be a fanboy or girl. That said, you should not look down on a movie, especially one as powerful as this one, and just ruin it for yourself and for the readers…you deserve all the hate…

Martin Phipps

*bait

ZeoVGM

What an embarrassingly terriible review. Not the opinion but the review itself. When you clearly are going into the movie with a predisposition to hate it, you shouldn’t be reviewing the movie. Simple as that. Biased nonsense

This review was done for hits and attention. The writer knows this as well.

Angel Dusted #RebelHeart

Should the Marvel fans’ opinions on Marvel films be considered invalid too, since they are clearly biased?
- thegameplay ness
  
  No, because I, a marvel fan, came into this movie tabula rasa, or in other words, with a clean slate. I try not to set any expectations or have a bias,despite being a fan, because I know that the MCU is not perfect.
  - Angel Dusted #RebelHeart
    
    Nope. Still bias, especially by OP’s definition.
    - Ultron
      
      However, at this point it is like jumping into a book series at the 13th installment and being upset that you don’t understand what’s going on.
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Err, I’m pretty sure you just glossed over my comment. Instead of telling me why I’m wrong, you just said “Nope”. Not a very convincing argument in the slightest.
    - Angel Dusted #RebelHeart
      
      I didn’t think I’d need to expand on my previous statement, but sure, I’ll spell it out:
      
      OP believes that since the author patently doesn’t enjoy superhero films, she is biased and her review should not be regarded; fairly equating bias with her prior disposition. Though this works both ways; Marvel fan’s with a love for these films (like you), think they can view the film without bias, even after expressing a love for these properties, while claiming someone who doesn’t share the same view cannot.
      
      I’m pointing out the hypocrisy of OP’s statement, regardless of the author’s ‘agenda’.
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Actually, that’s incorrect. I love the characters, and I love good movies in general, but what makes me biased is if I go into said movie with a preconceived notion. THATS bias. As a fan I do no such thing. I simply treat the movie as any other and come in with a clean slate. Bias blinds me from realizing that the MCU has made hiccups in the past, and believe me they certainly have. But like I’ve said, while being a fan, I prevent myself from having a preconceived notion.
      
      Deborah here already had an idea of how she was gonna view the movie. She forced her poor little body to watch a comic book. over that she hated and thus had no obligation to review. She was biased and it’s important we point these things out.
- ZeoVGM
  
  No, because that isn’t remotely the same thing and you should be able to understand that if you read this review. The entire article is nothing but “look at me, I’m such a rebel” snark. “Yeah, this is like the 800th one, am I right guys?” is a truly embarrassing way to start out the review.
  
  She then goes into literally mocking the actors for no reason (“that big chump Chris Evans”) along with saying that Robert Downey phoned in his performance, which is as laughable as could possibly be.
  
  I even wonder if she actually saw the movie considering another negative she throws at the movie is that it has yet “another” Spider-Man origin story. No, it doesn’t. He’s already been Spider-Man for months. This movie does not have an origin story for him, that’s false.
  
  The review gets important facts about the movie wrong, insults the actors and tries desperately hard to be edgy and get attention.
  
  This isn’t a review for the sake of being a critic. It’s a review for hits. You know that.
- Shakes_McQueen
  
  If their review is essentially “I knew this was going to be awesome and it was awesome! Marvel is so awesome!”, then yes, their opinion should be considered worthless as a critical appraisal. Equally as much as someone who clearly hates these movies, gets a bunch of fundamental facts wrong, and spends the rest of the time firing off a screed disdaining the entire genre – instead of, y’know, the specifics of the film. Closest thing we get to story analysis, is a Brexit joke.

WilliamK99

You are entitled to your opinion, but you owe it to yourself to never watch another superhero movie as you seem obsessed…and it is unhealthy….

Jonathan

She never reviewed Dawn of Justice but she was adamant about reviewing this film so there was a plan going in obviously.

fred

True.

The King of the World

Aww.. poor old confused granny 🙁

Jonathan

Maybe she was hoping for a Martha reference lol

Coole

Marvel has never made a good movie. All of these “Cinematic Universe” movies are vacuous money grabs with no artistic integrity. Marvel doesn’t even try with these soulless made by the focus groups “films”. All Marvel movies follow the same bullshit formula and blur together in a bland sea of one-liner quips. It truly is a disgusting trend in film and I can only hope it dies out as quickly as possible. But this seems a vain hope as this style of “corporate direction” has obviously been adopted by DC.

I recommend any tasteless man-child who enjoys this garbage to keep their incorrect opinion to themselves. It really is sad superhero movies are ubiquitously shit(except TDK) given the potential of the genre.

Spot on review for marvel movies in general

Tony1

“I recommend any tasteless man-child who enjoys this garbage to keep their incorrect opinion to themselves.”
Incorrect opinion???????????????? Yeah, why should we take YOU seriously??

Go read the MASSIVE amount of positive reviews for Civi War, and come back and talk to me.
Nap60

So anyone who likes a Marvel movie is a man child. Huh I guess people can be so uptight these days. I bet you never scream when you ride a rollercoaster.
- Coole
  
  You’re right I was mistaken. They could also actually be a child.
  - Nap60
    
    Lol. I don’t really care about your likes or dislikes. Your opinion is your opinion but don’t go insulting people. Have some dignity for yourself.
    - Coole
      
      Yet you call me upright and imply I have no dignity. Keep telling yourself the objective facts in my comment are just my “opinion”. The subjective content is my comment is the official definitive opinion to have on Marvel movies.
    - Nap60
      
      Seriously I don’t care. Have some dignity for yourself. You stoop low when you insult people.
    - Tony1
      
      If Marvel movies don’t interest you, why did you click on this page?? How did you get on this page, from Rotten Tomatoes? That means you searched the ratings for Civil War by your own will.
      
      Obvious troll is obvious.
    - Coole
      
      “someone doesn’t agree with my opinion…. obviously trolling”
      
      Looks like you got lost on your way to reddit.
    - Tony1
      
      Yeah, you SEARCHED for Civil War, found a negative review, and decided to bash the movie too on the comment page.
      
      Obvious troll is obvious.
    - Coole
      
      >im 12 stop disagreeing with me u troll
      
      Ok buddy you got me to reply again
    - Fro
      
      lmfao, you exposed this fool
    - Jester
      
      For a troll, your gammar sucks. But wouldn’t “official definitive opinion” be an oxymoron? And I really don’t think there can be such a thing as an incorrect opinion. You could have misinformation, as that may form your opinion. But everyone has a different opinion. You obviously, do not like the MCU because they have no artistic integrity. Have they ever said that they are trying to make an artsy film? A popcorn blockbuster and an arthouse film needn’t be mutually exclusive, but those two types do not often cross paths. TDK would be one of the exceptions, but you look rather foolish when you overtly hate on what you don’t care about. And because you have an opinion, doesn’t mean that everyone needs to know it. I don’t go running own the streets, “I hate rap music. How they can allow that type of music to be made is absolutely incomprehensible. It is disgusting. And I have the definitive opinion on music!”
    - Coole
      
      t. someone who actually thinks there is no such thing as an incorrect opinio
      
      Kubrick is a hack and should have made 2001 less boring and more like the avengers. That would have been a much better contribution to film. The sound and the fury lol XD very confusing why cant all books be as good as harry potter. I hate these pretensios stuf. good always beat evil POTTERY! haha why does mozart not have lyrics cant convey lov like justib beibr. Why do i have to read Iliad twligh is better and mor entertaining we should learn tht.
      
      Ya running through the streets like that would make you look foolish because thats not the definitive opinion to have on music.
  - ellid
    
    I’m old enough to be your mother.
    
    Sod off and die, you nasty little cretin.
fred

Have you even seen the movie yet? For all we know you could be this sorry reviewer’s cousin or something haha.
- Coole
  
  “habe u evr seen muh movie mabe u cousin haha XD”
  
  Ok kid you got me to reply
  - fred
    
    Haha nah, far from a kid but it’s all good. Everybody likes what they like and every movie gets bad reviews, even Oscar winning films.
wingsuiter101

This is cringeworthy..try to hide that fedora next time
- Coole
  
  “cringe…fedora”
  
  At least you tried buddy.
  - wingsuiter101
    
    No one’s looking for a basement dweller’s approval, go cry to mommy about your hurt feelings
    - Coole
      
      t. a man-child who likes Marvel films and is upset someone else didn’t. Just go back to watching your little kid movies.
    - wingsuiter101
      
      Ok mememaster, I see the anxiety of having a normal conversation is getting to you, but seriously at-least try to hide it
    - Coole
      
      Alright time to go back to your containment site.
NakedYo

0/10 trolled too hard and overextended yourself, pal. Next time be sure to look through your thesaurus a bit longer. Embarrassing.

Randy

next time try to make some sense before purely writing about your hate…
and try to find some love… your pathetic frustrating hard life as movie critic must be very sad… I feel sorry for you and your negativity… That hate must be all you have to offer…

Thranduil’s Moose

Your career as a commentor is pathetic as well
- Randy
  
  I am not a frustrated DC fanboy like you, at least…
  - Thranduil’s Moose
    
    Yeah. DC films are so mad, ya know
    - Thranduil’s Moose
      
      Martha actually happens to be my aunt’s name, how cools that?
    - Randy
      
      sorry… Hating is not funny.
    - Thranduil’s Moose
      
      You’re about as confused as Bucky when he got his metal arm ripped clean off.
      
      Pop !
    - Randy
      
      sometimes silence is the best answer for types like you…
    - Thranduil’s Moose
      
      mm
    - Thranduil’s Moose
      
      Good one.

Brennan Heider

This is THE dumbest review ever. How do you keep this job? You sound like a small child hurling pointless insults at something you obviously don’t understand at all. Glad you’re done reviewing superhero films.

Stavros Hadjiyiannis

But to be fair to the reviewer. This is a successful attempt. Look at all the clicks she is getting!
- Nap60
  
  Well it works because all three rotten reviews are getting clicks and people are commenting.
  - Anivia
    
    Well, we are feeding the trolls anyway. Well done, guys!
- Snoggler
  
  at least she said she won’t review marvel movies again, I guess the next time she needs the pageviews, she will need to bash something else

Stavros Hadjiyiannis

I think that Deborah Ross is only interested in “feminist” films that try to convince the world that ugly women are in fact the prettiest.

Adam Lewis

Ah, yes. The “feminist” rebuke. That’s real original, manchild.
- Stavros Hadjiyiannis
  
  I wasn’t going after originality. It was more like stating the bleeding obvious. Just check out some of her other reviews.
- Nap60
  
  Come on man is that the only insults you got? I’m not impressed.
  - Adam Lewis
    
    It’s not an insult. It’s the truth.
Anivia

Ok we need to talk about her liking movies like “Rose and Bikini”
Thranduil’s Moose

YEAH! Let’s have a feminist debate. I love those!
- MrFreezeRhino
  
  Boys have penises. Girls have vaginas.
  
  Discuss.

Ineedrevelation

You got your click… happy?

Adrian Scappaticci

I can’t believe we have these kind of reviews ruining this movies score:( such a shame

Aj

Oh but when they bashed the dc movie the critics were the second coming. lol

AoNoise

The moment you mentioned your cat (complete with age and name) you lost me. And I was trying really hard to keep up after your hillariously cringe worthy title.

Ukelele. Really. You think you’re funny.

Sherry Owens

Don’t like your job? Get a new one. Trashing a movie you clearly had no intention of trying to enjoy, and a franchise you couldn’t even Google before going into it, is just a mean spirited thing to do.

People (writers, movie makers, actors and fans alike – not just boys with toys) are invested in these characters both in the cinematic and comic universes and they care about this film, the why of that is not your problem to try to ferret out.

Do everyone a favor and don’t go see any more superhero movies. They don’t deserve your bile. Good for you, you got hits because you posted this ugliness. You can’t be troubled to write a decent (you don’t have to like the movie or positively recommend it for a review to be decent) review, yet you call out your readers?

You don’t care if it sets fans against you, don’t use that as a ploy.

Fritz Leipold

This is not a review so much as a rambling diatribe, replete with insults for the players, incoherent swipes at the genre and Marvel Studios in particular, and what I assume are supposed to be jokes which fall rather flat. Maybe you were trying for biting wit, but you only got halfway there. I think you should give up reviewing films in genres that you have so little interest in or love for. Perhaps you’d be happier reviewing pretentious twaddle, or possibly just giving up reviewing films entirely.

EnemyNoOne

So you let your bias rather than your objectivity dictate your review? I don’t mind if someone has GENUINE critiques of a film, but you’re the worst kind of critic I hate. You bash a film because it’s not something YOU like. It’s unprofessional. This is your last Marvel movie? Great. Go review cat videos on Youtube because it’s all you’re good for.

Ty Alex

Nothing delicate about this flower.

wingsuiter101

Withering, soon to be dead

mark guarin

Sorry guys my grandma just interfere with my review. HEY GRANDMA DEBORAH go back to the kitchen and bake me some damn cookies, coz thats the only thing you know what to do!!. dont forget your stinking ugly boring cat who likes 60’s movies!!. again sorry for my language guys

Adam Lewis

Wow. That was about as funny as a Marvel movie.
- mark guarin
  
  yeah we tend to be funny sometimes its a natural thing because we’re humans not robots, at times we tend to put jokes in tough situations, but all said and done does MARVEL deliver?? damn sure they did. sadly some other movies wants to be serious but forgotten to make one single thing that matters most “GREAT MOVIE”
  - Aj
    
    Marvel = Cheesy A. F.
- Thranduil’s Moose
  
  Bout as funny as your profile pic, gumb-head.
  - Thranduil’s Moose
    
    That’s s mixture of a gumbie and a fat-head btw
  - Adam Lewis
    
    And another piece of comedy gold. It’s easy to see why you find Marvel quips so humorous.
Angel Dusted #RebelHeart

Mark, your sexist knee-jerk rhetoric speaks wonders about you as a person. The fact you have to stoop to slinging sexist barbs at the author because you are unable to comprehend or refute anything she said is equally pathetic and hilarious.
- Ultron
  
  She doesn’t say much of substance that would even warrant refuting, to be completely honest. Most of her rambling is near-incoherent.

Anivia

This article is so vague and not on point.
Edit #1: The author asked too many unnecessary questions.
Edit #2: I supposed this article was written by a college student, who is still practicing in writing.

Thranduil’s Moose

just like batman superman. DC for the win!
- Anivia
  
  Nah I lost my hopes on DC movies already. First is Man of Steel and now BvS. Dark Knight Trilogy was a legend but other DC movies were crap :/

dv8mad

I hope they didn’t actually pay this lady to go see something she already said she hated to get her opinion on it.

Angel Dusted #RebelHeart

This review is brutally honest, something which the nu and pseudo-critics (vloggers/bloggers) can’t seem to achieve, and judging by the comment section, that is something Marvel man-children clearly do not like either. You’ve definitely gained a reader.

Every single point you make is one I’ve asked myself when I’ve been subjected to one of Marvel’s made-for-tv films, from the lame quips, flat direction, CGI setpieces, phoned in performances, to the invincible characters and the lack of emotional resonance. There’s also no closure or ending in the films, as everything is setup for the billionth sequel. They’re like the never-ending story. And you can tell these films are made on an assembly line in a factory as they’re the exact same film every single time: the same beats, same struggles, same structure, and climaxes. Though their biggest crime is that they’re boring.

I wonder whether we’re finally reaching superhero fatigue, perhaps studios will branch out from capeshit. Maybe we’ll see the return of action-adventure if Tomb Raider does well, or maybe Assassin’s Creed, if successful, may usher in a few new video game properties? I don’t care what it is, just give me something other than capeshit.

Ultron

Well yes…the point of a cinematic universe is that you weave one large story through multiple films. I would say a lot of them have closure as well.
- Adam Lewis
  
  Kind of useless considering this “cinematic universe” shows no signs of ending in the next 3 decades or so.
  - Ultron
    
    They’ve said phase 4 will be drastically different.
- Coole
  
  Oh so is that what its supposed to be. Because what marvel has is an excuse to make the same boring quip vehicles as many times over as they can.
wingsuiter101

Go back to your containment site
- Angel Dusted #RebelHeart
  
  Sounds like you are the one on the loose. Back to your hugbox ;^)
- Coole
  
  I cringed at this comment. Take off that fedora next time buddy.
  - MrFreezeRhino
    
    Hello Reddit!
    - Coole
      
      Ok mememaster, I see the anxiety of having a normal conversation is getting to you, but seriously try to hide it.
    - MrFreezeRhino
      
      I will never hide my powerlevel. Not UUUU or anyone else.
Anivia

Video games based movies concept? Final fantasy tried that and failed like a fallen leaf.
Wonder if Warcraft will make any better.
- Angel Dusted #RebelHeart
  
  Just give us something different! Imagine a Bioshock film handled by the right people, or The Last of Us/Uncharted.
  - Anivia
    
    I know what you meant. I thought of games like Left 4 Dead or even Diablo.
    Well, yeh, we basically have movies that based on games, animes, comics, mangas, etc… already. Not so many of them succeeded.
  - Chris Andersen
    
    I can imagine a Last of Us game being made into a movie and dumb reviewers like Ross saying “I’m so sick of this zombie crap. Oh look, another movie / TV show about the Zombie Apocalypse where they’re being chased and trying not to get eaten. Enough already!!”. Same goes for Uncharted “Another Indiana Jones rip off. Didn’t we see enough of this crap in the Mummy series? Same old action adventure with wise-cracking guy and his sidekick trying to find treasure…what a colossal bore. And we know the hero isn’t going to die because they have to be in Uncharted 2 coming down the road in 2 years.”
  - Tony1
    
    You do realize you don’t HAVE to watch superhero films, right? No one is forcing you. So, why are you complaining about it??? If you don’t want to watch it, don’t but a ticket!! Did you ever consider that?
  - Ty Alex
    
    The last of us might be good enough for videogames but as movies they SUCK. Story is mediocre. Don’t get me even started on Uncharted.
aohige

A professional critique should be as objective as possible, without bias.
It is impossible to take subjectivity from a review, but to be a fair critic one MUST try his/her best to leave their bias for, or against, a specific genre.

This reviewer straight up admits her bias against a genre, a terrible practice as a critic. And you ma’am, your comments are far worse. At the point you chose to use such obnoxious terms such as “capeshit”, your opinion is entirely dismissed.
To be fair, you’re just a comment on comment section and not a professional critic, you are excused, of course.

As for video game adaptation, I think the problem lies in the fact the source material are generally focused on “experience” rather than narrative and storytelling. There are some games that achieve a decent narrative, of course, but due to the interactive medium, they are designed to enhance the experience and immersion rather than tell a story.
Adapting narrative from genre such as books and comic books does pose a lower bar, I would think.
MrFreezeRhino

>”Superhero films are garbage. Let’s try something with depth like video games!”
>literally using the term capeshit

You sound like a cuck tbh
- Coole
  
  >actually liking capeshit
  >literally using the term cuck
  
  smh tbh fam
  - MrFreezeRhino
    
    baka desu senpai
    :^)
Aj

Marvel Man- Children! lmao I love that.
Caleb

This lady rambled off reasons without examples to back them up, that is rule one of writing any for of paragraph that people learn in highschool. I don’t see how anyone is taking this seriously. Granted I haven’t seen this movie, but the fact people judge a movie by their past content startles me. Don’t judge this by being a superhero or Marvel movie, judge it by the quality of the current movie.
Ralph Diaz

Why did you even bother to read the review or wast your time posting paragraphs that simply are aimed to insult us “man children”? Do you get a kick out of it? Are that angry that you have to literally waste your time spreading your negative energy into the universe? The world has enough negative angry people. If you want to do something good then spread positive energy towards your interests instead of channeling your energy towards something that your obviously don’t like. Abundance is always better than Scarcity!
NakedYo

I truly can’t comprehend how people like you can even still be alive with IQs that low.

Caped Baldy

dem comments.Sheesh
and i thought they said DC fans were bad.Lol

Thranduil’s Moose

Good one baldy
far219

I haven’t seen too many comments that sound like they’re coming from outraged fanboys though.
- Fro
  
  Exactly, Nobody is blaming her for being paid off by DC. Very few are actually insulting her and just pointing out things wrong with the review. Like for example, there was no origin story for spidey. LOL. That’s a total lie and wrong.

Thranduil’s Moose

I FIND IT FUNNY HOW YOU SAY THESE JOKES ARE NOT FUNNY BUT THEN MAKE YOUR OWN JOKES THAT ARENT FUNNY HAHAHAHA

Ultron

She also can’t even spell some of the actors names right….It’s Olsen, not Olson.
- Thranduil’s Moose
  
  YEAH!!

Thranduil’s Moose

Marvel so paid off this reviewer. Ridiculous trash

Coole

“marvel paid off a reviewer to give a marvel movie a bad review”

How do they come up with this stuff
- Thranduil’s Moose
  
  Get off the comment section buddy. You got no idea
- aohige
  
  It’s clearly a sarcasm referencing the ridiculous rumor that turned into an internet meme.
  - Ralph Diaz
    
    I doubt he knows what a meme is. He sounds like he lives in a bubble in the middle of the woods and watches movies using his VCR that he bought 30 years ago. He probably learned what Google was last month.

airiran

Grandma’s off her meds again.

Mr. Brown

Why because she disliked a movie? Chill down for a second. Maybe she is correct the movie sucks.
- Thranduil’s Moose
  
  Have YOOUUUU seen the movie, you insubordinate scrub-head?
- Ultron
  
  That’s subjective and clearly she’s in the minority, even amongst the non-mega fans.
  - Mr. Brown
    
    Tell me why do care so much if a critic likes a movie? Do you work for Marvel/Disney?
    - Thranduil’s Moose
      
      That Kevin Feige right there m9, don’t insult him
    - Ultron
      
      I don’t care though? Some of my favorite movies aren’t liked by critics. It doesn’t matter to me…I’m just pointing out the fact that her opinion is, so far, in the minority.
- MrFreezeRhino
  
  Hop off, Mr. Brown. She’s never going to love you.
- Maria Rodriguez
  
  When 95 from 100 people say almost the same comments . Most probably is true .
  
  So if 95 – 96 % of critics say CW is at least good – 3/5 or more . It’s most probably right .

Mr. Brown

good review. Glad someone else agree that these superhero films are not worthy to discussed. That what is wrong with this generation superhero movies, reality tv shows, ect. Kids today can sit still enjoy real art.

Thranduil’s Moose

Huh? You mean that contemporary stuff where they paint with elephant dung?
Ultron

Oh yes, your taste is SO much above ours.
- Mr. Brown
  
  Yes
  - Ultron
    
    I don’t know how I’ll go on living knowing Mr. Brown thinks he’s better than me.
    - Coole
      
      I don’t know how I’ll live knowing people not liking marvel upsets some man-child named ultron
    - Ultron
      
      Oh yes, I am so upset. So very, very, deeply and depressingly upset that some anonymous fool on the internet has a different opinion than I do. Also, do not attempt to assume that I am a male or even a human.
    - Mr. Brown
      
      I am not better than you. I think my taste is better. Some people think Jersey Shore is the greatest show ever produced. Some people think The Wire is one better show of the 2000s.
    - Ultron
      
      Believing that your tastes are better than mine clearly suggests that some sort of superiority complex is going on, meaning my original statement of “you think you’re better than me” still applies.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      Not really. I think I have better taste in movies than someone who enjoys superhero movies. Doesn’t mean I think I’m a better person.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      I think I have better taste in movies than someone who enjoys film noir or Westerns.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      I’m assuming you’re a superhero fan. If so, I would laugh at the idea of you thinking you have better taste in film than me.
    - Ultron
      
      Some Superhero films have been very good movies. Dark Knight? You’re ignorant if you think just because something features a superhero that it automatically makes it poor.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      The Dark Knight is the exception to the rule.
    - Ultron
      
      I don’t believe that’s true, but it seems we have different tastes, so I won’t bother.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Tarkovksy’s “Solaris” is one of my favorite movies of all time.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      “Solaris” is a sci-fi film. That automatically makes it mediocre.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Lol You’re not particularly intelligent, huh? There’s nothing more hilarious than affected snobbery.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Followed by “Sansho the Bailiff” and “The Passion of Joan of Arc.”
    - Ultron
      
      Yes, it could be applied. “I think I am better than you…in terms of knowing what movies are good.” You can fill in the blanks however you like.
    - Ty Alex
      
      Assuming someone who likes superhero movies is incapable of having better taste than you tells me a couple things:
      1-You have poor judgement.
      2-Your poor judgement is a result of your poor taste.
      3-You have a superiority complex.
      4-You’re not smart enough to warrant that superiority complex.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      P.T. Anderson enjoys superhero movies. You totally must have better taste in film than he does.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      I probably do.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Doubtful. You, like most pseudo-intellectuals, probably enjoy middlebrow garbage like “Forrest Gump.”
    - Adam Lewis
      
      Because superhero movies are so highbrow and complex, right? Superhero movies are trash, little kid.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      I’d rather watch superhero movies than the middlebrow trash that you probably enjoy. Lemme guess: you probably think “The King’s Speech” is a good film.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      The King’s Speech is trash, too, but not nearly as much as superhero movies. I’m sorry, I just find it hilarious that someone who unironically enjoys movies with grown men running around in bat and spider costumes feels he’s in any place to judge another person’s taste in film. It’s hypocritical, really.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      You realize almost all movies involve grown men (and women) running around in costume, playing pretend, right?
    - Adam Lewis
      
      Wrong. When the actual character within the film is wearing a bat costume, that’s when I disregard it as trash. And it’s hypocritical because you have terrible taste in film, yet you think you’re in any place to criticize someone else’s taste.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Says the guy who thinks “Solaris” is just a bog-standard sci-fi film. Lemme guess: you’ve never actually seen it.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      I don’t have to see it. I’ve seen the trailer. It’s terrible.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Wow. You truly are a stupid little man, huh?
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      There’s nothing more intellectual than writing off entire genres for the most superficial reasons. Truly the sign of a rigorous and deep thinker.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      Also, I don’t think you know what the word “hypocritical” means.
    - Dr. Waffle
      
      P.S. Film noir and Westerns aren’t usually highbrow or complex either. Guess that means “The Third Man” and “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” are “trash,” right?
    - Ralph Diaz
      
      “That is like your opinion man” I’m a huge Cohen brothers fan and I like comic book movies. See I used my imagination during my childhood. I read all of Jules Verne books, huge fan of Carl Jung and I’m watching the classic doc The World at War right now and I like comic book movies. I’m I worthy now or I’m I not allowed to like anything besides “Jersey Shore” since I like comic book movies?
    - NakedYo
      
      I don’t know if you realize this, kid, but people can like all kinds of different movies, superhero films and the ‘high brow’ stuff you apparently watch included. You’re just being a douchebag to annoy people.
    - Ralph Diaz
      
      I enjoy Fellini movies and comi book movies. What does that make me? I enjoy all kind of documentaries and Family guy. What label are you going to give me?
    - Ty Alex
      
      Too bad your grammar isn’t.
    - Ralph Diaz
      
      Your so behind the times. Nobody like Jesey Shore anymore. That was like ten years ago and maybe some enjoyed it at the time because of the crazy personalities but who cares nobody thinks about that anymore except for you. The funny thing is that all of the Marvel fans I know also love the Wire. It’s just sad thatyou have to generalize people like they can’t have different I treat than you. News flash everyone has different opinions and personalities and it’s been that way since the beginning of time. Sorry to say that your brain doesn’t hold the solution for the problems of the human race. I would think that the great wars would have givin you an idea of that.
    - I Am MovieFan
      
      But what you say here is self righteous isn’t it? You think your taste is better? To be honest you’re not the type of ally that gives the reviewer more credence. If I was her I might see the errors of my bias review reflected in your comment.
Anivia

Ok, you can go enjoying the 1984 Captain America movie now.
Jester

Because everything created by generations past is “real art”? There was never anything created that had a more base appeal and should be for pure entertainment at face value?
- Coole
  
  No. Its because capeshit is bad
  - NakedYo
    
    Get back to 4chan you neckbearded moron. So damn edgy. I almost cut myself on that extreme edge, you insufferable tool.
    - Coole
      
      Take it easy buddy. You don’t have to get worked up that someone doesn’t like your little kid movies.
    - Shawn Patrick
      
      Why are you so angry about kids movies? You retarded or something?
  - Marvel Knight
    
    http://cdn.memestache.com/2012/7/22/62eca2146abe11331e55f49913d68a0c.jpg
    You are so cool bro.
Aj

Thanks, I think similarly. Marvel movies are so cheesy. I’ll watch them, they’re fun, but nothing else. Like eating a 50 cents bag of chips.
- Chris Andersen
  
  And this can be said about every other movie genre including formulaic Oscar-bait dramas.
Ralph Diaz

You must be really old and out of it. Most fans grew up with comics are now around 40 years old. What kids are you talking about. I’m sorry that you grew up playing with marbles and watch kids on tv dancing in a studio for you entertainment. Technology has made it possible for the comics that lived in our imagination for decades can finally be brought to film. If you get a kick out of tearing things down that you don’t understand go ahead but at least try to do it with some perspective.
I Am MovieFan

How about enjoying superhero films AND art?… may also surprise you to know that comics are art.

Andrew Laing

I’m sorry but I apparently missed the Spider-Man origin story in here, or perhaps I was watching a completely different film, thats what it feels like anyway!

Ultron

Apparently having Spider-man even appear counts as an origin story
- badgered
  
  Seriously… you haven’t had enough Spider Man origin stories?
  - Ultron
    
    Oh, I’ve had enough of the origins all right. I’ve known his story since I was four. However, I think he’s the greatest superhero of all time, and I would always love to see more of his stories adapted this time. And hopefully they can get him fully right this time.
  - Fritz Leipold
    
    Yes indeed, I’d rather gouge my own eyes out rather than sit through another goddamn Spider-Man origin story (or another Batman or Superman origin story, for that matter…) But the point here is that Civil War does NOT contain a Spider-Man origin story, Like, at all.
    - Shakes_McQueen
      
      Is there a person alive on earth at this point, who doesn’t already know the Batman and Spider-man origin stories?
  - Fro
    
    You missed the point, There was NO origin story lol.
Thranduil’s Moose

Yeah, completely agree. I didn’t see a single element of his origin in the movie. Besides the suit and getting powers 6 months ago
Fro

I know i was like, origin story?? Uhm… what origin story. Lol. Weird
Llewelyn Foley

Technically showing Spidey at home and Tony giving him a new suit counts as an origin. The only character I can think of who didn’t get one was Black Widow. She was just thrown into Iron Man 2.
- far219
  
  If it happens the way you describe it, then it doesn’t even sound too bad or too shoehorned. Regardless of whether or not it “counts” as an origin story.
- Josh
  
  That’s not an origin story at all. He already has a homemade costume, and has been active as Spider-Man for half a year. We’re not shown anything about how he receives his powers or any uncle Ben stuff. All that’s established is that he lives in Queens with his aunt.
- Fro
  
  That is nothing at all like an origin story bro, you are straight reaching man. LOL. Really reaching man.
MC73

“perhaps I was watching a completely different film” Lucky you.
- Andrew Laing
  
  Yes lucky me as I did actually see the film and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Shakes_McQueen

That was intentional. People are tired of the Peter Parker origin story, so they skipped over the needless table setting. The Batman origin is just about at the same point.

Radioactive spider, Uncle Ben dies, “with great power comes great responsibility”… blah blah blah. I was thrilled that they just skipped all of that rubbish this time, and introduced us to a Peter Parker who already worked through all of that stuff.
- Andrew Laing
  
  Exactly! I’m glad they skipped it, my point being that the review seems to pick out “another” spidey origin as a negative aspect of this film when it was in fact non existent!

Maria Rodriguez

As a movie expert , how you find the editing ? Or the cinematograhy ? Or the score ? How many plot holes you can identify ? How good or bad are the writers ?

Coole

Is this the part where we pretend Marvel movies don’t all have the same bland cinematography, derivative plot and unfunny quips?
- Thranduil’s Moose
  
  Good one
  - Thranduil’s Moose
    
    You’re still here? My free period is nearly over. Then who’s gonna shut you your grubby mouth?
- Mr. Brown
  
  Correct!
- Thranduil’s Moose
  
  You’re still here? My free period is nearly over. Then who’s gonna shut you your grubby mouth?
  
  ….gumbie *mutters something under breath*
  - Coole
    
    This is what autism looks like
    - Nap60
      
      Still insulting people. The only man child here is you if you can’t learn to accept other people’s opinions.
    - Coole
      
      Autism is a condition not an insult and that was a diagnosis. But Im not surprised you didn’t know that.
    - Nap60
      
      I find you very offensive sir.
    - Coole
      
      I find your interpretation of autism as being some kind of insult to be demeaning to everyone with the condition. And I am offended by proxy because of all my autistic friends.
    - Nap60
      
      We can never have an intelligent conversation. It’s insulting to call someone autistic and stop playing that card because I find you very offensive for calling someone “autistic” over the Internet for making a point you don’t agree with. Talk to me when you have grown up a bit and vpcan have an intelligent conversation with someone without throwing insults at them for their opinion. Also learn some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
    - Coole
      
      Please show me the “point” he made. The only information I could get out of his post was that he has autism. This isn’t an insult its a fact. Seems the only thing you know how to do is complain about imaginary insults and make up reasons to find people “offensive sir”. Don’t reply to this comment unless you can think of something to say other than crying about people being too mean.
    - Nap60
      
      Manners make th man. Get some or you won’t get far in life. You’re not that samrt or do you really think you’re a sleek talking person who repeats every point I make. It just solidifies how much you are in over your head. Go to bed kid.
    - Coole
      
      Don’t you think calling “stop saying mean things” a point is a little generous. Keep feeling superior for being a passive aggressive monkey.
    - Nap60
      
      There we go again resorting to insults. Seriously get some help for yourself. Maybe anger management classes should be in place. I won’t stoop as low as you. I’m just too classy for that.
    - Coole
      
      There we go again resorting to complaining about insults well insulting me yourself.
    - Nap60
      
      Sorry I can’t hear you over your potty mouth. I’m done with you.
    - Coole
      
      It’s ok kid. Someday you’ll grow up and realize sometimes adults have pg-13 conversation and if all you can contribute is complaining about people being mean with your own passive aggressive insults then no one is impressed by your cheap moral high ground.
    - Fro
      
      The irony is this guy is calling people who like Marvel movies kids… yet he is acting like a teen going through puberty. Sad really.
    - Nap60
      
      Don’t give him any attention.
    - Ralph Diaz
      
      The point is that your narrow minded and don’t understand objectivism. You would make a perfect Trump supporter if you lived in the states.
    - MC73
      
      “don’t understand objectivism”; even on the Speccie not everyone loves Ayn Rand…
- Maria Rodriguez
  
  I do had enjoyed most ” unfunny quips ” from MCU until now .
  
  Not problem watching the ” bland cinematography ” from Marvel . I’m usually very fastidious with my visuals .
  
  About MCU movies plots in general . It’s true not all movies are the same quality . But interesting enough , I had found variety in film genres between then . Even the weakest ones are entertained enough .
- MC73
  
  Naughty. The Marvel tedioverse is a multilayered artistic marvel, that you just, like, totally don’t understand.
Thranduil’s Moose

Writing is very decent. Cinematography is good, very unlike winter soldier however. The score for me was probably the only disappointment.

Editing is pretty top notch, especially in the action scenes. CGI a bit shaky at times.
Only plot holes are in Zemo’s plan. Relies on a few coincidences.
- Ultron
  
  Ah, I always hope for a good score above most things. :/ Few movies these days actually have scores that amplify what they are trying to accomplish.
- Josh
  
  Completely agreed. The score is definitely the weakest part of the film.
- Maria Rodriguez
  
  Score and Zemo’s involvement in the plot are the things I heard are the weakest in CW . But I also read Zemo’ s part is relative small . So no much damage in the overall trama .
- Llewelyn Foley
  
  The CGI was awful. Not all the time, the Iron Man suit is beautiful, but way too much for a movie with this much backing.
  - EnemyNoOne
    
    Seriously STFU
    - Llewelyn Foley
      
      So I’m not allowed to agree with the OP?
  - Fro
    
    I disagree, the cgi was excellent and there was not much cgi like say BvS and AOU.
- Fro
  
  I actually liked Zemo and his plan was not a plot hole in anyway IMO. Was he used to push the plot forward? Yes. But that is not a “plot hole”
Llewelyn Foley

Plot holes? How about the whole ‘Accords’ thing.

The conflict starts because of the ‘Accords’ are created because the Avengers are a threat is that is un-supervised.

The examples they use are New York in Avengers 1, London in Winter Soldier, Sokovia in AoU, and Lagos from the start of the movie.

Lets look at these tragedies-

-New York: An alien invasion is stopped by a goverment sanctioned task-force.

-London: A rogue goverment agent saves people from a corrupt government group.

-Sokovia: A billionaire genius playboy creates an AI that goes rogue and takes control of a robot army created by the same genius. The robot destroys a small country. A vigilante group saves as many people as they can.

-Lagos: A witch limits the casualties from an explosion.

Why on earth would anyone think that someone like Black Widow should be kept under goverment watch because of that?!

If they truly wanted to keep people safe they’d monitor genius inventors.

Tony spends the entire movie blaming Steve, Natasha, etc for the actions of an alien army, the goverment, himself, and a witch.

After finding out that Bucky was being framed for the bombing he decides to go and help Cap and Bucky. You know how he does that? By sneaking away without the government knowing where he is. But he still thinks the Avengers need to be monitored.

He then turns on Bucky and Steve again after finding out Bucky killed his parents, Bucky and Steve escape. Days later he gets a letter from Steve saying “Bucky and I are busting that Witch you want to be monitored out of prison” he then receives a call saying that the prison is getting broken into and you know what he does? He lets it happen. Why? Because Steve gave him a flip phone…
- far219
  
  “If they truly wanted to keep people safe they’d monitor genius inventors”
  
  If you paid any attention to history or the real world, you’d know that governments looove to generalize things. They don’t care if everything happened because of one guy, they’re still going to blame everyone involved.
  - Llewelyn Foley
    
    So why is Tony blaming everyone else? Are they trying to depict him as a morally questionable schemer trying to shift the blame?
    - far219
      
      Well WAS he blaming everyone else? It seems to me that he just supports the new bill the government pushed out, and since Cap defies it and goes on the run, he decides to chase Cap down. Add in the fact that Bucky killed Tony’s parents and you’ve got yourself some perfectly logical character motivations.
    - Fro
      
      he was not blaming anybody else bud.
- Josh
  
  London was Thor: The Dark world. Washington DC was Captain America: The Winter Soldier. *inhaler whiff*
  - Fritz Leipold
    
    Yeah, I was thinking WTF, did I somehow miss the London sequence in the multiple times I’ve watched Winter Soldier?
MC73

In order: who cares? explosiony, unsubtle, all holes no plot, either terrible hacks plagued with guilt or smart happy rich guys who sit on piles of money, laughing at the idiots who gave them that money.

Jose Striedinger

Would actually like to hear your thoughts on Batman V Superman then 🙂

Stucky Sometimes

Deborah, I hope this comes off as genuinely as intended. It’s totally cool you don’t like Marvel and/or superhero films. But lacking in this review seems to be acknowledgement of the world around you.

Marvel films are consistently well reviewed by large percentages of professional film critics. This one is particular is being reviewed as well as most Oscar contenders.

And they consistently perform stellar business at the box office, some of them being near the top of modern day box office charts.

And those numbers aren’t built solely on the backs of 20-something males and kids. To make $300m-$600-plus or more at the box office, you have to play everywhere. Movie fans in general go see those movies … consistently. A Venn diagram would show the same relatively small percentage of moviegoers who go see the perpetual supply of award-bait biopics go to see these movies TOO.

And then there is their international performance. Again, you can’t dismiss these films as an American pop culture phenomenon. These films perform critically and commercially across ALL cultures, including some with little in common to American culture and childhood nostalgia is little to no factor. These films play equally well in China and Brazil and the U.K., the home of Shakespeare and Downton Abby.

So maybe a more interesting question than why do people like these films is why don’t you? You’re the extreme outlier, any which way you want to measure.

And that’s fine, you’re entitled and not wrong to like what you like. But it seems strange you’d be perplexed over this fact. What about these films well play everywhere and with everyone don’t you understand?

Ultron

Part of the problem seems to be she hasn’t seen every movie and doesn’t understand how the characters function within the story. Also that she doesn’t want to like these movies.
- Llewelyn Foley
  
  Actually understanding what happened in past movies makes it worse.
  
  The conflict starts because of the ‘Accords’ created because the Avengers are a threat.
  
  The examples they use are New York in Avengers 1, London in Winter Soldier, Sokovia in AoU, and Lagos from the start of the movie.
  
  Lets look at these tragedies-
  
  -New York: An alien invasion is stopped by a goverment sanctioned task-force.
  
  -London: A rogue goverment agent saves people from a corrupt government group.
  
  -Sokovia: A billionaire genius playboy creates an AI that goes rogue and takes control of a robot army created by the same genius. The robot destroys a small country. A vigilante group saves as many people as they can.
  
  -Lagos: A witch limits the casualties from an explosion.
  
  Why on earth would anyone think that someone like Black Widow should be kept under goverment watch because of that?!
  
  If they truly wanted to keep people safe they’d monitor genius inventors.
  
  Tony spends the entire movie blaming Steve, Natasha, etc for the actions of an alien army, the goverment, himself, and a witch.
  
  After finding out that Bucky was being framed for the bombing he decides to go and help Cap and Bucky. You know how he does that? By sneaking away without the government knowing where he is. But he still thinks the Avengers need to be monitored.
  
  He then turns on Bucky and Steve again after finding out Bucky killed his parents, Bucky and Steve escape. Days later he gets a letter from Steve saying “Bucky and I are busting that Witch you want to be monitored out of prison” he then receives a call saying that the prison is getting broken into and you know what he does? He lets it happen. Why? Because Steve gave him a flip phone…
  
  How does any of that make sense?
  - far219
    
    You claim to have watched past Marvel films, yet you get something as simple as the location of The Winter Soldier incorrect. Twice, so it’s not a typo.
    
    You also claim that watching the past films makes Civil War harder to understand, but then list a bunch of unrelated problems that don’t support that argument at all.
    
    You also forgot to put a spoiler alert, goddammit!
    - Llewelyn Foley
      
      London was Thor 2? My bad. That movie was so forgettable I didn’t realize they were including it. I thought there was something in Winter Soldier to do with London that I missed.
      
      You failed to understand my point. None of the events that Tony is using as evidence that the Avengers need to be monitored were the teams fault.
      They were the fault of an alien race, another alien race, Tony Stark, and Crossbones.
      At best the movie is depicting Tony as a blind egotist trying to shift the blame for Sokovia, and at worst a plot started entirely on a massive plot hole.
      
      As for the spoiler alert, I was responding to a criticism of the review. If you haven’t seen the movie you shouldn’t be engaging in whether the review is accurate.
    - far219
      
      You’re right that none of the incidents were the team’s fault, but I think Tony is concerned about the collateral damage the Avengers have caused. Can’t argue with that.
    - Llewelyn Foley
      
      That’s a good point. If Tony was worried about collateral damage. It would make more sense. I’ll need to re-watch Avengers, The Dark World, Winter Soldier, and Age of Ultron though. I can’t remember much collateral damage caused by anyone other than Thor, Tony, and Bruce.
    - Fro
      
      thor the dark world is not mentioned in the movie. And the movie actually talks about all the points so you don’t really need to rewatch the movies to understand. I’ve watched the movies many times, but my girlfriend has only watched them once when they came out. She understood everything perfectly fine. Everything is explained by Ross in the movie.
    - EnemyNoOne
      
      SPOILER ALERT:
      
      I think you missed the point of the movie. The fact that they didn’t directly cause some of those incidents isn’t the issue. IThe Vision addresses this by saying “Casuality lead to catastrophe”
      
      The fact that the Avengers do as they please without CONSEQUENCES is the argument put forward by Tony Stark and the U.N.
    - Martin Phipps
      
      Causality leads to catastrophe. A casualty is someone who is injured or killed in a conflict. There is no such word as casuality.
    - Llewelyn Foley
      
      Except in Avengers they WERE a goverment team. They weren’t doing as they please. Why would the goverment use that as an example?
  - I Am MovieFan
    
    @Foley Lmao! Hopefully you understand why you have just echoed in part what is wrong with the original review. London?
  - Tamerlane
    
    I think the problem is when spider-thingy shoots his web at batman-thingy and they get caught in the super secret velocity raptor and turned in giant egg nog monsters and even the Terminator could kill them, even the one with the Austrian accent, any fool knows that, so why turn them all into giant eggnog monsters when you can only kill eggnog monsters with the ghostbusters super zapper photon-get-a-life-llewelyn destruction machines. Pah… I just don’t understand.
    - Llewelyn Foley
      
      Go get yourself a girlfriend (or boyfriend), virgin.
    - Tamerlane
      
      Alright! You do bad too. Go Llewelyn!
    - Greg Price
      
      You would if you paid attention.
- Martin Phipps
  
  She shouldn’t be expected to have seen every Marvel movie but, yeah, it is obvious that she didn’t see Age of Ultron because she didn’t know who the Vision was.
  - Snoggler
    
    actually she did watch age of ultron, she reviewed it. tbh, most of her reviews are negative. The problem I have with her is she’s kinda doing the bashing for the attention.
    - Martin Phipps
      
      Just because she reviewed Age of Ultron doesn’t mean she watched it. 🙂
  - Tamerlane
    
    Are you a virgin by any chance?
    - Greg Price
      
      Doesn’t matter…you’re a troll either way.
    - Martin Phipps
      
      Tell me, does that pick up line ever work for you?
    - Tamerlane
      
      Actually yes. Are you?
    - Martin Phipps
      
      You’re not my type. Sorry.
    - Tamerlane
      
      Sure, but are you?
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Wait, why would she review AOU if she had not seen it in theatres……..
- Tamerlane
  
  That’s because they’re scheisse and anyone over the age of 12 who enjoys them is generally an R-tard.
  - Ultron
    
    Yes, you seem so intelligent.
    - Tamerlane
      
      When you beat off do you wear your Ultron outfit?
    - Ultron
      
      So hostile, so edgy.
    - Tamerlane
      
      Change outfit then, try Catwoman. Miaou.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Real question – how frustrating is it for you to live utterly surrounded worldwide by people over 12 who enjoy them?
    - Tamerlane
      
      What’s the collective noun for a group of adult fans? A Marvel of Losers.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      What’s the noun for living surrounded globally by a Marvel of Losers?
      
      Miserable.
      
      Congrats on that. Sounds pleasant for you.
Jester

Well said. The reviewer going specifically out of her way to claim confusion at the appeal these movies hold. I don’t think everyone goes to these expecting to have some transcendent experience. But that Marvel is trying to engage in more moral complexity is something to look forward to. Either way, there is an audience, they generally love these movies. Her opinion is of no consequence because she is clearly not the intended audience, and she doesn’t want to be in that group.
- Stucky Sometimes
  
  I wouldn’t say her opinion is of no consequence, but yes, what I’m reacting seem to to conceit on her part that the drivers of these films are niches of “fans”, when it should be obvious to any professional member of the media that the drivers of these films are everyone, everywhere.
  - Coole
    
    wrong because I didn’t drive it.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      touche’
JJD

I’d agree, if you want to be a film critic, it’s prerequisite that you basically like films. I get the impression that Deborah basically doesn’t like films. Which is fair enough… but why be a film critic, then?

Adam Heatherly

Grace Randolph is that you?

Aj

Doubt it. Grace looooved Age of Ultron, which I thought sucked.

badgered

“(that big chump Chris Evans) (Robert Downey Jnr, who doesn’t so much phone it in these days as have his PA phone it in for him) (Scarlett Johansson, whose PA’s PA phones it in) (Jeremy Renner, who, as always, has almost nothing to do) (Elizabeth Olson; deadly dull)”

Is this a review or extreme sarcasm? I’m seriously asking. Your style and lack of understanding of the basic Marvel MCU indicates a person of some seasoning, yet this part of your review is childish.

I can’t possibly take your review seriously. Maybe that’s the point. O.o

Pats

If the acting is phoned in, I wonder what we should think of the writing in this review.

There’s zero attempt at analysis, just contempt from somebody who didn’t want to watch the movie in the first place. It’s like asking a child to review broccoli.

Tamerlane

Are you a grown up? Or 12?
- Greg Price
  
  Are you?
  - Tamerlane
    
    Hmmm… I don’t know, is the definition of a grown up someone who beats off to fictional cartoon characters? If it is, I’m 12.
    - Greg Price
      
      Frankly I don’t give a flying rat what you beat off to. These films are not making the big bucks they are by appealing to the stereotypical comic book audience. You must be offended that not every adult has a California redwood-sized stick shoved up their backside like you do.
    - Tamerlane
      
      These films are not making big bucks because there’s been a general cull on r-tards and losers in force since 2010 (official Federal program and UK gov’t programme) and finally we’re starting to see a reduction in their numbers. It’s taken time, but we’re getting there. Phew!
    - Shakes_McQueen
      
      Your comment trolling routine needs to be workshopped a little more.
    - Tamerlane
      
      And yet you reacted. Hey, do you ever watch one of these films and say to yourself ‘this is just a bunch of actors in fancy leotards running and jumping and going pow, zap, bang in front of a big blue screen’, I should get out more often and get a life?
    - Shakes_McQueen
      
      Decent effort. 5/10.
    - Tamerlane
      
      5/10. So you agree with Debs then, not a very good film. Even more reason to get out and see if there really are Lycra clad men in spider suits zapping from one building to another. See how many you can count.
    - Pats
      
      As opposed to beating off to conquerors oh great Tamerlane?
- Snoggler
  
  do you have something meaningful to say or not? I’ve seen 12 year old who’re more informed than 42 year old adults, what’s your point?
  - Tamerlane
    
    That’s the company you keep.
    - Snoggler
      
      I guess you hang out with a lot of 12 year old you consider as stupid? don’t you have better company?
    - Tamerlane
      
      The don’t live life vicariously through R-tard films.
    - Snoggler
      
      ?? not sure you mean “the” or “they” or “then” or whatever, nvm….
    - Tamerlane
      
      That’s because you’re an R-tard.
    - Father Todd Unctious
      
      Whereas you are a to**er. But not good enough for the Highland Games.
      More of a useless to**er.
    - Tamerlane
      
      I just knew you would be one of them.
    - Father Todd Unctious
      
      I am not. I am just using another excuse to chip away at your thin credibility and even thinner sanity.
    - Tamerlane
      
      Captain America can’t save Red Ken now! Besides I think Captain America would have no time for Red Ken’s goose stepping politics don’t you?
    - Snoggler
      
      you have no other retort besides insults? that’s not entirely surprising actually….
    - Tamerlane
      
      But it’s true. Grown up men getting genuinely upset because one random film reviewer in a foreign country panned a comic book film.
      Grow TF up!

David Lopez

”PS: please be careful what you write below the line. I’m a delicate flower and you don’t want blood on your hands.”

Why is it taking so long for people to realize she wanted to make people mad?

Nicolas Mailloux

Satire should not qualify for Rotten Tomatoes.

Nap60

Careful before Mr Coole calls you autistic.
- Fro
  
  LOL

Pinkk

I don’t care about the negative review, though it does come off as a bit of a “I would rather just see this movie have more negative reviews for the sake of negative reviews.”

I say this, as it seems you’re more upset with the idea that they’re creating this cinematic universe (that everyone else seems to want to copy) more than the movie (which it sounds like you didn’t really watch with at least one comment).

As for the worry about who can/will die. Do we ever really worry about that in any movie? o.O Seriously, in most movies of this type, the hero doesn’t die. We didn’t worry about such things in Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour…etc

Coole

“Do we ever really worry about that in any movie?”

Not in any of the movies you would like kiddo
- far219
  
  You seem to have some sort of vendetta against Marvel. Did Marvel kill your family?
  - Coole
    
    No they just made a bunch of bad movies
    - far219
      
      Interesting. Even so I don’t think that is a legit reason to “hate” anything. If you dislike something, ya dislike it and ya move on. It seems to me like you’re just trolling.
    - Ralph Diaz
      
      He has a low self esteem. He gets a kick out of tearing things down.
    - Coole
      
      Interesting use of quotations considering I never said I hate marvel. I don’t and I also think it’s a dumb reason to hate something. Oh so if I don’t like something I’m not allowed to say it. How about if you like something you just move on instead of defending it.
    - far219
      
      I put it in quotations to emphasize it.
- Ralph Diaz
  
  Yeah let’s just generalize the whole world!! Your so smart!!
- Pinkk
  
  That reads as a bit condescending, especially since my movie watching habits runs the gauntlet not only in genre but movies way before my time :p
  Hero dying is more a surprise than something one generally expects. :p

TheNipplesofGod

This person is going to be hanging from their fan in the kitchen by the time these people get done…lol

sunnavab

I’m only here to comment on your awesome avatar. 🙂

Llewelyn Foley

I agree with a lot of this. It’s simply a fun, simple movie. There isn’t any emotional depth because the franchise, quite frankly, couldn’t handle it.

Toby Kirkby

Hello random obvious DC fanboy.
- Llewelyn Foley
  
  Because obviously the guy holding a Marvel ticket in his profile picture, thinks Winter Soldier is the best comic book movie ever made, and rates both BvS and CW at 8 out of 10 is a DC fanboy… SMH
  - Fro
    
    8/10 for BvS, yup DEFINITELY a DC fanboy LOL
MrFreezeRhino

Balding at such a young age.

Sad.
- Llewelyn Foley
  
  I don’t think you understand the idea of a shaved head, large forehead, and low angle photo… Don’t worry kid, you’ll learn one day. Make some friends, get a girlfriend, gain a little life experience. It’ll do you some good 😉
  - MrFreezeRhino
    
    lel I probably have more friends than you and also have a girlfriend. And lots of life experience too actually. You’re just making assumptions while I’m looking at a picture and stating what I see. Nice projection though, baldy.
    - Llewelyn Foley
      
      Excuse me whilst I laugh at the twelve year old (you can’t be any older than that) saying he has a girlfriend.

Kevin Ford

A Marvel movie with basic plot, non-existent character development and cheap humor to cover up for its lack of substance. What else is new?

Stucky Sometimes

Biopics of country, jazz and r&b musicians who took drugs and heydays were the 1960s.

Those are brand new.
- Maria Rodriguez
  
  Did she liked ” Nina ” more than CW ?
  
  Just because is a biopic . It doesn’t mean is better than a superhero’s psychological action triller .
Fro

guess you missed the 69 other positive reviews LOL. But ok.

Snugglesaurus Rex

I went to the ballet. There was too much dancing. I decided to try another ballet. They did different dances, but it was still just dancing. The ballet would be so much better if they did something other than ballet in them.

I Am MovieFan

Lol! Exactly!
j4n0

well she went because, in fact, she hear that there was something different, something deep, but it was not what she was looking for.
- Gary Mitchell
  
  Well there were no superheroes cooking pasta, but I do recall a scene in which 2 of the characters were making some kind of goulash. Does that count, or did it have to be pasta, specifically?

far219

Wait… so you were willing to continue watching Marvel movies after Age of Ultron (which was a disappointment) but not after Captain America Civil War (which has been getting insanely positive reviews so far)?

Dude that’s unfair. Because if you had just left after AoU, we wouldn’t have this rotten review ruining Civil War’s score on RT. On the plus side, Civil War is still at a nice 96%. Rejoice!

Jacob Edwards

1. you just hate marvel and really wanted to write a bad review…2. i’m almost convinced you haven’t even watched it because the vision has only been in one other marvel movie (that’s the red faced guy) because you didn’t pay attention …there is no spiderman origin in this film (its literally summed up in a sentence and you move on)….and at last a good avengers movie?..yes some didn’t like that last one but the first one was critically acclaimed …in fact all marvel movies have a fresh rating or at least a bright red tomato….this also includes the tv shows that tie in to them….3. you can be the sad lonely cat person you describe yourself as above…or you could be a genuinely nice person…but i’m willing to bet you don’t like anything marvel does and bash it without taking the actual time to watch them…i could even picture you in the theater playing on your phone instead of taking the time to pay attention to the damn movie not even knowing what it is about or the character names from what i read above…everyone is entitled to an opinion but writing a bad review to get noticed is pretty sad

Coole

To be fair every marvel movie is the same. I wouldn’t even blame someone for writing a review without even bothering to go to the theater.
- Jacob Edwards
  
  ive been reading your comments further down the list and it would seem you enjoy trying to get a rise out of people….i respect this because it would not surprise me if you were actually a fan of these movies but get a kick out of pissing off strangers that you will never meet in real life…i could care less of your trolling …my point is clear that this reviewer most likely “phoned in” the review because clearly this person did not watch or pay attention to the movie…have a good night
- Tony
  
  Loollll antman heist movie, captain America winter soilder spy/political movie, guardians of Galaxy scfi adventure, first avenger war movie, Thor fantasy adventure etc. So sc fi heist spy/political is all the same genre?
  - Coole
    
    It’s all capeshit which is one genre
- neodymium
  
  youre right about that

TR

Well everyone has an opinion and it is hard to quantify her seriousness, but we can use simple math as a guide against the rest of her arguments to see where she stands……
Marvel’s Civil War is their 13th movie. She over exaggerates the next movie to be the 896th movie, an exaggeration factor of 68 times higher then the truth….So, quite honestly the rest of her article can be held that her poor attention to detail, much less to simple things like fact checking or even caring to do her job properly. She could have pointed out although she doesn’t enjoy this type of movie did she at least notice all those viewing the movie did they at least enjoy it?
Young lady, you are horrible at your job, instead of a classy review you stunk up your websites reputation and they are less then classy for having you on their team!
P.S. I would enjoy knowing how you stand on the James Bond franchise as a whole seeing as there were actually 26 of those movies in reality but using Deborah Ross/tard math I can see how you would get cranky watching 26×68= 1768 freaking movies let alone the hordes of different people playing 007.
That’s 8 people x68= 544 freaking people playing 007….
Hopefully, Deborah when you did this math your head exploded and we will not have to put up with another whiny article from you!
Have a nice day! 🙂

ChadCMulligan

Sorry, you think she really does think there have been 869 Marvel films? I’m getting a bit lost in the sarcasm here…
MC73

Bad Asperger’s day, huh?
HB

Not familiar with hyperbole I guess…?

Brock Lesnar

Wow what a piss poor review. What were you doing? Taking selfies the whole time? Doesn’t deserve to even be on RT.

Ralph Diaz

I learned in film school that a movie critics main job is to judge whether the directors vision worked in the context of the story. Not to simply pann a movie because you don’t like or understand comic book characters.

LupeX

Actually in film criticsm today people bash directors is the dare have a vision that is different from what they specifically want.
With that being said I understand her viewpoint and agree with much of it. CW and the MCU in general are formulaic and stale.
- stahl macintyre
  
  You are such a funny little DC Troll…
  - LupeX
    
    Are you sure you’re in he right part of the internet? You look like a child molester with your rapey moustache 🙂
    - stahl macintyre
      
      It’s a goatee LupeX – I don’t hide behind a fake name and pic like you do AssHat…

MW

Someone decided they would try for some attention by being one of the 4% of reviewers to give this movie a negative review.

It would reek less of desperation if this piece had even a single coherent and valid point about the film…

Josh

…did you actually watch the movie? The civilian casualties in the past Marvel Universe movies is a massive catalyst in the events of this one. There’s also no trace of an origin story of this iteration of Spider-Man outside of a few throw away lines. Your attitude from the start of this review makes it obvious that you just choose to completely write off any comic book influenced movies. What a shame. Enjoy the negative attention you most likely wrote this piece for.

I Am MovieFan

I’m sorry but is this a non-bias review?

j4n0

all reviews are biased
- I Am MovieFan
  
  An oversimplification of the truth. For example a person may not particularly like pop music but can still have the ability to see the difference between a good pop song and a bad one. There is no review here other than “I hate Marvel’. Watch the film, then review film, not the brand.

Abhishek Ranyal

I sometimes wonder how does a pure become impure, or a stupid an imbecile. Chums, this is not a review of Captain America: Civil War. The article is a preconceived opinion–terribly preposterous, which will go on bothering about other sensible notions. Let’s be wise here. The wise forgive and forget. Have a great day folks.

Archtyr

Hey guys, i think most people here are getting a bit too harsh? i completely enjoyed CA Civil War, but i don’t think it’s fair to criticise someone for not enjoying it as much as i did. She has her views and i respect that. Wasn’t that the point of Civil War in the first place? That people always have different views. As Peggy Carter (or her writer) put it, sometimes you have to take a stand, even if everyone else is telling you to move. Since there isnt a Bucky Barnes to save this time, i think we can let off and not declare civil war against Deborah?

Hi Deborah, appreciated your review on its different perspective. i think however, you may have required too much that the characters thought the same way as you? i don’t know i may be mireading your review. I don’t think you can ask every character to think holistically about the political consequences of their actions all the time – Cap is disillusioned with government after the events of CA: The Winter Soldier, and Iron man is disillusioned with himself after Age of Ultron, and after he was reminded of how he could not have done more for his parents. Everyone else is simply choosing their allegiances accordingly. The characters, i feel, are entitled not to have to think beyond that. Just my two cents, happy to hear any response you may have. Thanks for reading.

Ralph Diaz

You make very good points my only issue is that professional film critics have a certain structure and technique that they use to critic a movie. This critics is just giving her opinion based on her paradigm of the genre. I respect a critic that really puts some work towards her review as opposed to this review. This review just seems to be written in the point of view of a normal movie goer as opposed to a professional critic that can separate her own personal biases and review the movie based on principles of cinema. I realize that with the internet anyone can write a review and call themselves a critic I just still have respect for the old school way of reviewing a movie.
- Archtyr
  
  Right, thanks for that! I will probably need to read up on the principles of critiquing cinema (esp since i like reading movie reviews – meanwhile I’m gonna go watch CA: Civil war for the third time this week)
  - Ralph Diaz
    
    I live in the states so I have to wait till next week to get my fix. Can’t wait!
    - Archtyr
      
      !! #nospoilers sorry i forgot it’s only out in international markets so far. I hope yall will enjoy as much as i did!!
talyn530

“Hey guys, i
think most people here are getting a bit too harsh? i completely enjoyed CA Civil War, but i don’t think it’s fair to criticise someone for not enjoying it as much as i did. She has her views and i respect that.”

Personally, I could care less how she feels about this or any other movie. What I have a problem with, is her going out of her way to trash the movie with her personal biases, rather than just giving an objective review. Her brand of derision may be too subtle for you, but I get it! Honestly, she can keep all of her barely concealed contempt for this genre of film making and the people who enjoy it.
- j4n0
  
  idk, yes he doesn’t like the movie, and this is more a review than a critic. The true to be told, a critic from her probably would result in something similar or worst.
  She have a point, she talks to the people who isn’t invested in the MCU and, also, she have some valid points, like, nobody will die since they are needed for other movie, which disappoint me a little.
  Maybe their usual reader likes other kind of movies, and to be honest, probably half of the people here, came just because they saw her critic in rotten tomatoes, so they usually didn’t care about her opinion.
  - Tony
    
    Quicksilver died in the last one.

Therealeverton

Hey you admit these things aren’t for you and I applaud that. We are ALL diffeent and whilst I can’t see, as (so far) most critics can’t how you’re missing the things you feel are absent here, I believe that’s the case for you.. I’m not like, for example, that stereotypical Star Wars fan who can’t conceive that people aren’t born having watched the Original Trilogy and don’t “gasp” think it’s the greatest set of films of all time.

I guess it just seems odd that having been failed so many times you’d see it in a review capacity.People love Sushi and some others can’t even think about it, maybe you just don’t like Sushi, plenty of people who know whereof they speak (i.e. not just “fans” and “Joe six-pack”, people with Kurosawa, Miyazaki, Hitchcock, Ford, Kubrick & Co. in their collections can see the depth and weight in SOME of these films. That doesn’t make you a “fool” or whatever, it just doesn’t work for you.

jack1e

I am disappointed 🙁 still gonna see CACW anyway. there’s still hope for a good marvel movie 🙂

Ralph Diaz

Don’t be disappointed especially if your a fan. If your a fan then I’m sure you’ll at least have a fun time watching it!
- Martin Phipps
  
  *you’re *you’re
  - PUNKem733
    
    Who the F cares?
    - Martin Phipps
      
      Literate people.
PUNKem733

You’re disappointed? Really? 98% of all reviews/fan screenings have been overwhelmingly positive. Yet you chose a negative review where the reviewer seems like they have no clue about not only what this movie is all about, and how things are tied together, but seems to hate marvel/comic movies all together to guide your movie going experience? Jesus…
- jack1e
  
  I understand what you’re saying, actually. I always try to read all kinds of reviews (positive and negative) to a more complete picture.

Ryan Taylor

Why on earth where you paid to write this awful reveiw? You where clearly set against this film before even watching it and therefor biast against it from the get go. It has no “emotional weight” to you because you don’t even know the characters names, never mind invested in their stories. This reveiw isn’t garbage because it’s a negative reveiw, it’s garbage becauase you don’t even know what you are talking about and it’s pure click bait in the midst of great reveiws. You are an awful writer. Somebody with an actual opinion should have written this article.

Rex Frazer Vasquez Malabanan

avengers sole purpose is to entertained the general public and the fanboys. are we entertained? yes! emotional depth? leave it to watchmen.

mommy

This is not a review. This is just a personal opinion written sarcastically.

talyn530

Horrible write-up! If you don’t enjoy what you do, then do us all a favor….and quit!

Droideka75

You are done alright. Done as a critic… You are just a spoiled brat with an iPhone. Meeeeh 897 movies OMG it’s so diffcalt, difikult… Not easy to keep track of them all!!! I still love you guys, I’m going to polish my nails now buuuuuuuh bye

Laura Davis

Right? One or two a year is so hard for someone that reviews movies for a living.

remainsilent

Opinions are opinions, BUT come one… is this even a proper one? A close-minded and biased review. ((Or should I even call this a “”review””))

Rupert

I’m team america! Capt all the way!

Metarean

Sounds like Deborah Ross went in biased and came out biased. No, problem with you writing a negative review but at least pay attention:
-There is no Spider-man origin story in the film. There’s an introduction we have never seen but no familiar origin.
– Yes, there have been civilian deaths in other Marvel films. Just because they happen off screen doesn’t mean they didn’t happen- the movies assume you’re smart enough to infer rather than showing aliens gruesomely killing people.
– Whether you liked Age of Ultron or not Hawkeye had a ton to do in that film.

And for the record:
-If you can’t appreciate action that is executed well then you have no right to enjoy dancing that is done well. Because that’s essentially what action is: dancing with narrative consequences.

It’s disappointing that you’re willing to smear the names and efforts of the hundreds of hardworking people who made a film without at least having the decency to put 1/897 the effort into watching the film as they did making it. I have no doubt you’re a delicate flower; I specifically think you’re a venus fly trap 😉

Jonathan Nair

Biased people will always find something to nag about.

Thank you for setting the record straight!
- Metarean
  
  Thanks, but I only tried nudging the record, others set it.

김윤경

“It may be that I’m misremembering, but were there any civilian casualties in the past 896 films? … But the plot needs what the plot needs so now the Avengers have always blown up innocent people”.

1) Yes you’re misremembering. The first Avengers has reporters and self-proclaimed critics placing fault on the Avengers, and in Age of Ultron the media broils regarding Hulk vs. the Hulkbuster, so much that discussions of arresting the Hulk is in the air and Hill tells the team to stay in stealth mode. 2) You’ve obviously missed Ross’s words and the entire frame of this film. It’s not about the truth and numbers, but it’s about “Perspective”. Yes, to some they are heroes, but for some (especially the victims of Ultron – since Tony basically created Ultron) they are the ones to blame. The main villain himself is the personification of this “perspective”, so I really can’t understand where you’ve missed.

“This could have then set the scene for, perhaps, saying something almost interesting about government control, military might and divided loyalties,”

Err, yeah, flashback to Captain America : The Winter Soldier? The whole film was about government control and power being put into the wrong hands; is basically the reason Cap is taking his current stance; and not only opens the threshold for the discussion surrounding the accords but is the direct reason for the accords being implemented at all, because before CATWS the Avengers were under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s control.

You’re saying that this is the last Marvel movie you’re going to see, but based on your writing this seems more like your first – you’re seriously out of your depth here. Personally, I don’t expect anyone who’s determined to take texts as a joke to actually bother trying to read into the text at all, so I sincerely applaud your decision to stay away from MCU.

MC73

I made my mind up some time ago not to watch any more Marvel films, in fact no more superhero films, although I made an exception for Deadpool.

The whole genre, with its reboots and mash-ups and retcons, is creatively and intellectually bankrupt. it has very little to say and says over and over again, with bigger explosions.

Still, Debs, the laughable defences below of this ridiculous nonsense almost make it worth reviewing more. A few amusing quotes from the emotionally and intellectually-stunted nerds:

“you’re seriously out of your depth here” – trust me, if she can turn her laptop on, she’s not out of her depth with this guff.

“This is not a review. This is just a personal opinion” – you can look up the meaning of words online if they confuse you.

“if you can’t appreciate action that is executed well then you have no right to enjoy dancing” Me like big boom, big boom and fighting art. Me like art. You no like boom, philistine.

“I learned in film school that a movie critics main job is to judge whether the directors vision worked in the context of the story.” You learned nothing in film school.

김윤경

“if she can turn her laptop on, she’s not out of her depth with this guff.”
You’ve just about defined the word “Keyboard Warrior” for me.
Metarean

You qouted me so I’ll respond:

‘”if you can’t appreciate action that is executed well then you have no right to enjoy dancing” Me like big boom, big boom and fighting art. Me like art. You no like boom, philistine.’

Good to see you think it’s easier to mischaracterise someone than actually respond cogently to their points. Where did I say I like ‘big booms’? I simply contended that WELL EXECUTED action is equivalent to dancing (good dancing I mean). And it is: they’re both technically impressive, and physically visceral, choreographed pieces of movement that have the power to tell stories and inspire awe and emotion. They’re both art in and of themselves. Are either of them my favourite things? No. I just find it strange when one gets a bad rap regardless of quality and the other is accepted as fine art. I suppose you don’t like or admire The Raid, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, or Jackie Chan?

But hey, who knows, maybe you and Deborah don’t like dancing either and that point’s null, lol. Just don’t be hipocritical and please don’t misrepresent me.
- Fro
  
  Got em

SG

This is a film for children who refuse to grow up. It has no complexity. It is utterly predictable and without charm or wit.

The review is objective and true. Keep it up Deborah.

Tony

This review is false and expected when he goes into a movie with a biased hate for them. Film for children must be a zack Snyder fan?
This review wasn’t objective or true at all.
Shawn Patrick

If she hates a whole genre, then it can’t be objective. If you would grow up and stop being so stupid, you’d understand that. Also, did it ever occur to you that these movies are made with actual children in mind because they’re such a big demographic and that’s ok? Or that adults liking them is pretty common and one can like high brow art films and mindless action too? Only someone with an immature mind like yours would think otherwise.
Ultragonk

Yes for my part I only watch film adaptions of original Shakespeare plays and only in their original language.

Ste L

Why do a review of a type of film you obviously hate, because no matter how good the film actually is you will be negative and bias!!
Why couldn’t someone more objective and not so set in their ways have done the review?
At least everyone reading this will know to ignore the review if they enjoy these type of films.
Funny how the majority of other ‘professional’ critics are praising the movie, maybe they can see the film for its strengths and qualities even if it isn’t ‘their cup of tea’ so to speak!
I know I’ll LOVE THE FILM SO YOUR PATHETIC OPITION WON’T EFFECT ME (or anyone else for that matter)

Fritz Leipold

It’s like reading a review written by my grandmother who has senile dementia…

Mark

You say that you “don’t begrudge those who love the Avengers, as they so passionately do”–but I’m not sure that’s true. I think you do begrudge, because otherwise why bother reviewing a genre of films which you have no interest in or understanding of?

Of course I’m not saying that any negative review of a superhero film is unfair, just that you are so obviously not the intended audience for this sort of thing that the fact you’ve decided to review it at all seems to me an excuse for you to simply vent against all the people who have the gall to love something you can’t comprehend, and some of your comments come off as decidedly unfair to the cast.

I’m not the person to review romantic comedies–I just have no interest in them at all–their standard structure (will the pretty, plucky protagonist end up with her true love after all???), their samey-samey characters, their cringe-inducing attempts at cute dialogue, all of it just bores me to tears. But I don’t insist on reviewing every single one of them and declaring that they’re all mystifyingly bad, either.

SG

‘Something you can’t comprehend’. Please.
- Metarean
  
  She said “I’m genuinely perplexed”. Don’t be so eager in your defense of Deborah.
- Shawn Patrick
  
  She clearly can’t. That’s not an insult, it’s just not her thing. I can’t comprehend why my daughter likes Justin Bieber music. I think it sucks, but clearly he appeals to a certain demographic. It would be stupid of me to do a professional music review of one of his albums because NO, I don’t get it and I don’t even want to.

Jonathan Nair

Scrolling down this page, reading everyone’s comments just makes you realise that some people are just insufferable bores going through life nagging and complaining about everything because thats what they do. This movie was made for real fans of the Marvel Comics franchise and if you’re not a fan than you will obviously find something to moan about.

All things considered, the movie was absolutely outstanding and reviews like this actually make you want to watch the movie just to see what these sour krauts are on about.

Fritz Leipold

There are plenty of people – real, intelligent *adult* people – who are NOT Marvel Comics fans and actually love the MCU films. No movie makes nearly $1.5B relying on just comic book fans.

bobbasic2002

This reviewer is a bloody moron!

wibbling

I don’t believe that, they’ve just a different opinion to you and I.

Δημήτρης Σωτηρόπουλος

This is one of the worst professional reviews I’ve ever read. I’m not defending the movie or Marvel, I just think this is bad writing. I’ve found other negative reviews much more interesting and coherent.

Derek

Looks like it’s about time for someone to retire.

InsanusMaximus

Eh, every movie has its detractors. That’s life.

What’s less acceptable is someone going into a movie with an agenda. You decided that you were going to hate this movie before you ever saw it, and your review reflects that. Fans are expected to be biased; reviewers are supposed to be objective. You obviously were not.

hector

yep going into the movie with an AGENDA is clearly unprofessional and show complete disregard for a code of ethics in terms of beign unbiased which is what a person reviewing things for the public should do. disspointing.

HB

A truly excellent review. Carefully considered and thoroughly enjoyable. I wouldn’t worry about upsetting the Avengers fans, these folk are rarely seen to be fanatical or obsessive about this sort of thing. I imagine they will take this in their stride and happily head off to read the more positive reviews you mention above.

Thanks Deborah

Jason Kramer

It’s nice to know that you’re as smug, condescending and pretentious as the ‘critic’ who wrote this hit piece. What’s next, are you going to delve into semantics and inform all of us sub-human, low art nerds that Civil War isn’t really a “film”, but a “movie” instead? Birdman, which is most likely sitting atop your high art blu-ray collection, is waiting for you in all of your priggishness.
- HB
  
  Jason, meet trap. Trap, meet Jason
- HB
  
  Jason, meet trap. Trap, meet Jason.

Scott Alavezos

UGH! This is really hard to read, if not simply for the glaring bias. Look dude, if you don’t like super hero movies then don’t watch them. It’s clear they’re not your cup of tea. So why force yourself to go through it? I suspect, your agenda is merely to be able to write this ridiculous review to have an outlet for you to spew your bile. However, I have to ask… If it’s GLARINGLY evident that you didn’t even watch the movie, why bother going to the theater at all, if you simply just want to cut down the movie? You could have done that without even going.

It’s super hard to read the words “origins story” over and over and over again. That “s” doesn’t belong at all and makes it roll off the tongue like Thanos’ space throne. What makes it even harder to read is the fact that since you weren’t even watching the movie you didn’t pick up on the fact that there is NO ORIGIN STORY for Spider-Man in this film.

Your contempt for the genre is obvious. Why subject yourself to the movie, and by continuation, the public to your horrid review?

Launian

Thank you! I was reading the review and thinking “lady, his origin story literaly was “when what happened happened” or something along those lines…”

Adam Lewis

By the way, people really need to stop describing Civil War as a film. It’s a movie, not a film.

jpgcne

Film movie.. Stop not linking them….. it is what snobs do to try and be cool
- Adam Lewis
  
  No, it’s what people educated in the art of cinèma do.
  - Brad Holtzer
    
    Ooooh lovely use of an accent. Enchanté. But seriously, are you differentiating between “film” and “movie” because Civil War was shot on digital and not film? Valid. Or is this just a pedantic exercise in posturing to better lube up your ego? Money is on the latter. It’s a silly distinction to make. Your distaste for a particular genre doesn’t remove the “art of cinèma” from superhero movies. Good day, sir.
    - Fro
      
      ooooh, great post Brad. Mike drop!
  - Greg Price
    
    Ever seen “Dead Poet’s Society”? Remember “J Evans Pritchard, PhD”?
    
    Don’t be “J Evans Pritchard, PhD”.
  - wibbling
    
    Troll! It’s a film! Who cares! Good lord, you’ve even accented cinema! Crikey O’Reily man.
  - Marvel Knight
    
    This is why you have no friends.
    - Adam Lewis
      
      I don’t need friends. My intellect and superior taste in film is all I need.

SunnyD

I enjoyed listening to Chris Evans on Radio 2 interviewing Chris Evans this morning – I didn’t enjoy reading this excuse for a review by someone who obviously would be better placed watching a rom-com and gushing over pathos – I think Debs needs to lighten up or take her (or someone else’s) kids to see the next Marvel movie

HB

Come again?
- SunnyD
  
  Lol – I said “I enjoyed listening to Chris Evans” (that’s the ginger DJ on Radio 2 “interviewing Chris Evans” (that’s Cap America) “this morning”
  I then said that the author of this hatchet job would be better off reviewing rom-coms (romantic comedies) OR take a chill pill/take kids to the next Marvel movie

MikePage

I’ll go one better and say I ain’t even bothered to see this one. I was bored of superbeing movies 5 years ago. When my daughter was quite young she’d want nothing better than going to see the latest Barbie movie and that’s totally understandable but now we have supposed adults queuing up and paying decent money for something little better. And the media is saturated with this shallow dross! People sure are taking their time to grow up these days.

UKMikey

People sure are taking their time to grow up these days. Especially people who rock up to websites to decry escapist fiction. Honestly.
wibbling

What does a grown up do? Sit about talking about mortgages and the cost of school fees? Flip off. I want to sit about playing a silly computer game with my chums – and we’re nearly 40. This expectation that adult hood means not doing anything mindless is absurd.

The other day at a truly stultifying dinner event we had our half of the table discussing who would win, Iron Man or Cap. Accountants, lawyers, engineers blithering on about superheroes because you could see the crushing defeat in the eyes of these people when someone started talking about the grapes in the wine. That poor fellow was himself completely lost and he really opened up when we talked about cosplay and board games.

Why do you think we ‘grown ups’ are supposed to stop doing things that make us happy.
- MikePage
  
  I didn’t say what you shouldn’t do, only what I wouldn’t.
  
  Maybe I bore easily. Maybe I need something deeper. YMMV.
  - Launian
    
    No, you did said so. Implied that doing things like watching superhero movies is a sign that people haven’t grown up, wich means . Wich is a supreme biggoted thing to say, IMO.
    
    On the other had, you’re probably just a troll…
    - MikePage
      
      Your concept of audience is as flawed as your spelling.
- filmklassik
  
  *Half* of the table of grown adults was participating in a conversation about whether Captain America would defeat Iron Man?
  
  Okay, the ship has officially left the port… the merry laughter of the revelers fading… and here I am, alone on the dock, watching it sail toward the distant horizon.
Zero

Nothing is more childish than the fear of looking childish.

Lord_Albion

In my opinion, the fault with this review lays not with the reviewer, but with the editor who commissioned her to see it. A film review should not be based on a reviewer’s attitude towards a genre, but whether that particular film is technically and artistically well done. I abhor football. If I were asked to attend a football match and review it, (not a likely scenario, I grant you,) I would politely decline as I would feel prejudiced against it and give almost certainly give it a bad review. Someone with an affinity for the genre and for action films in general would have given this article more authenticity and made it more worthwhile. I have no problem with a reviewer giving a film a bad review if they can state why that particular film doesn’t work and site examples of better executed alternatives. I have read many reviews of CA:CW and some of the negative ones make valid, well argued criticisms. This article does not. (Also, it’s a movie based on comic books. I love comic books, but let’s not pretend, that on the whole, they are anything other than disposable entertainment, that are fun and diverting whilst being read and enjoyed. Why should the movies be any different.)

watership

I am very much a lover of the superhero movie genre, but this is ‘a movie’ all the same. This is the art form Deborah Ross reviews. So I think her seeing it, and reviewing it, is valid. There is no doubt that anyone who reads this understands that she’s not a fan of the genre, and with that understanding a reader can draw their own conclusions. Opinions, reviews and commentary like this one are necessary because we’re not homogeneous consumers of media, and dissenting opinions matter. I have yet to see the movie, and I anticipate that I will enjoy it and therefor disagree with this review.

Good. Who wants to live in a world where everyone agrees with each other anyway?
- Greg Price
  
  I used to have a book that compiled press clippings about Star Trek. Part of the book were the reviews of all of the (to that point) movies in the franchise written by a certain reviewer who hated science fiction and hated Trek in general. He began every review by reminding the reader about his hate, then basically said “That said, here’s my review of the the new Star Trek film”
  
  Why did he waste his AND our time?
- WuBoy
  
  You missed the point of his criticism. The point of a review is to discuss the merits of the movie so people can decide whether or not its something they want to see. She didn’t do that for this movie so much as she tore down the superhero movie genre and this movie by extension. I get this may be her job or something, but she started her review off by saying that she didn’t want to see it because she knew she wouldn’t like it. Not everyone has to agree, but you at least have to view a movie with an open mind before you can give a useful review on it.

Schizo

Disappointed. I was brought here thinking that the argument is solid with contrasting but interesting different, thought-provoking perspective of how Civil War is not so compelling, since I’ve watched it last night and have several things that I dislike (but overall, I like it).
But I found out the reasons listed in this article are so..empty, lack of substance, baseless supportive points and full of negative bias. Left me thinking a few time, ‘did this author watching the SAME film/movie that I watched or was the author watching a different movie or not watch it at all??’
I think if somewhere in the future you ‘accidentally’ get to watch this movie, your point of view will be a lot different when you’ve free your mind from bias/negativity/hating mindset.

Josh

This isn’t even a review. This is just a poorly thought out bashing of a genre.

Riz

Finally! A critic who is reasonable, who doesnt fall for jokes and expects the movie to meet its standards. Thank you…

I support #TeamSuperman #TeamIronman

Let’sBeFriends

HAHAHA
- Riz
  
  hohoho
Anirudh Menon

Based upon your dp, I’m sure you ain’t biased at all.
- Riz
  
  http://www.gifbin.com/bin/042010/1272535664_roman-abramovich-is-happy.gif
Marvel Knight

Your profile pic makes you lose all credibility as far as taste.
- Riz
  
  haha, says the one who has spidey as his profile pic…..Is your spidey senses tingling 😉
  - Marvel Knight
    
    Spidey has had critical success. The DCEU on the other is 0/2 on that front.
Zero

You clearly support DC. Which automatically makes all your opinions wrong.
- Riz
  
  haha.. Sounds funny… Just because Marvel delivered few average movies and then the Avengers, does that make Marvel superior to DC???
  
  Go check the history bro… DC always wins and has big fanbase than Marvel would ever imagine.
  
  DC is clearly the winner in Comic and Animation…This whole DCEU got late because of Warners commitment to respect Nolan verse which took upto 2012, simultaneously earning over billion dollar each.
  
  Just wait for next few months…. When Justice league hits screen, you wont probably remember there was a MCU.
  - Zero
    
    Simple answer… Yes. Marvel is superior to DC.
    
    I have know idea what history you are talking about. It must be an alternate reality. Because in this one Marvel has outsold DC comics for 35 years. It’s fanbase is tiny. Outside of Superman and Batman nobody cares about any DC characters.
    
    Also Justice League is going to be a massive flop. The DC film universe will then die an early death.
  - stahl macintyre
    
    Yeah, except it’s being made by Zack Snyder who is 0 for 2 right now, Get ready for 0 of 3…
    - Riz
      
      Are you sure it would be 0 of 3? Get ready for disappointment bro.
    - stahl macintyre
      
      Believe it or not i AM disappointed. See, unlike you DC Fanboys who see everything DC is Good & Marvel Bad; I just want everything to be good… so I can enjoy it. As excited as I was for BvS, I knew it wouldn’t be any good because Snyder directed it. He did a horrible job of MoS & worse with BvS. However, I’m not a hater like you; I’m quite sure Affleck will do a fantastic job with his stand-alone Batman feature, which he will Write, Direct & Star. I just have no confidence in Snyder – at ALL – Why? Look what he has done with the DCEU so far.
    - Riz
      
      you say you want to enjoy a good movie, but you come forward tagging me a hater.
      
      Listen, I had no hate for marvel. I was equally excited for Avengers as I did for Batman V Superman.
      
      The extreme stupidity of Marvel fans who started boosting we have numbers and kevin fiege even before BvS was out and to top that, the deliberate negative rumor spreading done by Marvel terds all over internet on BvS, pushed a guy like me to see the reality.
      
      Call me hater, call me moron..but the fact remains is that, DC will always be an edge over Marvel… Just give it a year…
      
      Fact:
      
      Marvel characters made famous by guys like Downey Jr, Chris Evans. The characters which people had no interest about.
      
      DC Characters like Batman and Superman, made the respective person famous, Christopher reeve, Bale……….
      
      So in a few years when RDJ and Chris Evans retire, you can find Marvel in the gutters!
- Riz
  
  FYI, I also happen to support Iron Man, Hulk….

ogwhit

If this movie is another predictable movie I would consider it as a fail.

soulbadguy

I can’t believe there were reviews that gave this film 100/100. Honestly it’s oozing with plot holes, and the big plot device is a tape (which in our modern age can easily be manufactured) :/

Let’sBeFriends

You mean the big plot device which is threaded throughout the film and verifies something 2/3 of the main characters are shown to already know themselves?
:/

Greg Price

Did the author write an entire rant against this movie just to use the word “Brexit”?

I’ll give the author a half-point about shallowness if talking about the main Avengers line movies, but many of the solo titles have shown much more depth than that, and the Cap films the most of them all.

Let’sBeFriends

I like how the author makes a point as if they willingly chose the films they review. Taking a theatrical stand and getting paid for it, truly suffering for art.

wibbling

The films are not high culture. They’re big screen comic books. They are entertainment, not moralising lectures, not intended really to make you think: junk food for the brain, if you will.

However this doesn’t degrade them for what they are. There’s a conceit that to be considered ‘h-intellectual’ one has to have read Plautus and commented on the interplay of Pyramus or talk about macro economics. Sometimes – in fact, even more so these days – watching 2 hours when you don’t have to think and can just whiffle through, smiling, grinning inanely and watching stuff blow up is a good thing.

Greg Price

Just because a film is entertaining, that doesn’t mean it is “junk food for the brain”. As the old saying goes “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”. The best films entertain AND make you think.
Ty Alex

If you need a movie to make you think you clearly are looking at the wrong place. We call it education.
- Greg Price
  
  Anyone who can’t grasp the idea that art can be both entertaining AND thoughtful isn’t just uneducated, but actively stupid.

Brian

Seems like you went in disliking it without actually caring to watch the film and it resulted in one of the most embarassing reviews I’ve read in a long time. You really just sound bitter towards, well, everything. You insult not only the movie but the actors themselves and then add a footnote at the end saying oh please don’t be mean to me in the comments. Thanks for the laughs on this one

BintmeisterGeneral

Although I haven’t seen this film, I’m confident it is utter trash; and that I don’t need to see it in order to make that statement. The reason is this – I’ve seen the other 896 films and they were all trash. Some will argue that you shouldn’t judge a film if you’re not it’s intended audience, that “switching off” and watching a Marvel film is ok as that’s what it’s meant for, etc. Every other superhero film I’ve seen has been contrived, with oodles of plot holes, a lack of depth, poorly-written characters making stupid decisions etc. These are elements that some would consider essential to a film, among others. Completely with Deborah Ross on this.

stahl macintyre

Sounds like you should apply for a job at the Spectator; you and Deb could both review movies without going to see them…

Ade

It’s all getting too silly…

Tamerlane

Nice one Debs, you’ve united all the R-tards against you.

NORMAN DOSTAL

shes among FIVE people out of 82 that didn’t like it-methinks shes the tard here

vertigo93

If someone doesn’t like a film, then fair enough – that’s the joy of subjective opinion. But my issue here is wondering if the reviewer has even seen the film. Spider-Man in this doesn’t have an origin story.

Scott Steinle

When you are so firmly possessed with a sense of bewilderment at the opinion of the majority, have you ever stopped to consider that maybe you’re the problem, and not the other 95% of people?

MaeseDude

Another Spiderman origin story? Did you even actually watch the movie?

Corvo

As far as I readed her previous critics about other movies, she’s never satisfied. I can only guess that she (negatively) criticizes everything thinking she’s doing a good job. Never again Spectator.

Steve Mc

I haven’t seen this film yet, and I am also a bit weary of superhero films, but why send someone to review a film that is so unsuited to their taste? It only produces a biased review – like asking Ken Livingstone to review a new production of Fiddler on the Roof…

creepythinmanlivez

PLEASE DON’T REVIEW THESE FILMS ANYMORE. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

Ultragonk

I think you’re right in this being the last comic book movie for you as you clearly get nothing out of them and that’s fine there’s no law saying you have to like them and I don’t see the point in you wasting your own time reviewing a movie you know you’re going to hate. Unless the Spectator thinks it will bring in the page visits then maybe you can drop something in there about these movies being racist, get those numbers up.

Certainly you review comes across as you pay no attention to the movies, the red faced one always popping up? This is only the second movie he’s been in. a Spider-Man origin story? It was hardly touched on. No mention of past civilian casualties? There was a big mention of all the death and destruction at the beginning (It’s even in the trailer).

So yes, I hope this is your last comic book movie and you instead get to see something you can really sink your teeth into.

Anirudh Menon

Yeeeah, you’re a talentless hack posing as a critic.

Juan Pablo Gonzalez

This review is, at best, clickbait.

Shannon Potratz

I’m genuinely perplexed why anyone who’s already made up their mind that they don’t like Marvel movies, would go see (and review) another one. Oh right, click bait…

pistachiowildebeest

You’re the wrong person to review this movie, as you’ve lost all capacity for joy.

Fredrick Ferruzola

The red capes are coming… The red capes are coming!

Edson Carvalho

To evaluate a movie, first of all, you have to be prepared to “join in the fun.” Cinema is not all the same. Every style, every genre, every strand is a universe to explore. I believe is a mistake the existence of critics for film. The right thing would be that there were critics for movie genres. If not, what happens is what is happening here: A piece (the critic) improperly embedded in the system (the genre) that will only make the machine rumble (the fan’s response). And it will not meet the needs of the public who likes this fun.
First of all, to understand this genre, the critic need to have the ability to be enchanted and the humility to deny his reality in favor of another fantastic one. A hardly believable one, but possible in the realms of imagination. Being grouchy in superhero genre is something that will not work at all.

IanF

Ok, if you don’t like superhero movies then fair enough. This review seemed more bashing the genre than reviewing the film to be fair but you know what I still enjoyed reading your perspective.

SAMURAI36

Again, she never said she disliked superhero movies. Just Marvel’s particular brand of them.
- Sal3669
  
  Then why would she watch it. She’s probably been hyped up (and obviously) disappointed by the Avengers, or AoU, or actual bad Marvel movies like Thor, Incredible Hulk, Antman, etc. SO what makes this specifically so different that she (expectedly) would go in , expecting to hate it.
  - SAMURAI36
    
    I answered this already. She’s obviously getting paid to review movies. Not sure what’s so difficult to fathom about that.
    - stahl macintyre
      
      She hasn’t reviewed a single DC movie; no BvS, MoS, none of the Nolan trilogy – Just Marvel & The Amazing Spider-Man
- stahl macintyre
  
  Look at her reviews on RT; she hates ALL of the Superhero movies she’s reviewed. She didn’t even review BvS…

Strider

If you hate a genre, do not review movies in it. You said this is your last one, but you are simply making a negative because you don’t like the entire genre. That is unfair to the movie you are reviewing and makes you look like biased (which you are in this case), which is a fault for a critic. At least a critic that wants their reviews to mean something.

SAMURAI36

Except she never said she hated the entire genre. Just a particular franchise within the genre.
- Peter Gorman
  
  I’m undecided on whether i think she even watched the movie. Maybe she came in for the beginning but was sent out for using her phone and took it out on her review. “Comic book movies look too much like comic book movies! Thumbs down!”
  - SAMURAI36
    
    Except–once again–she never stated that she doesn’t like CBM’s. Just Marvel’s version of them.
    
    Also, your logic is extremely flawed. You’re essentially saying “she couldn’t have watched the movie, otherwise you would’ve loved it”.
    - Sal3669
      
      No the logic is more of she already hated a specific genre, but went to watch it for … hype? … then comes back (expectedly) disappointted because a super hero movie did not fufill her expectations, despite said expectations being not the right high notes a superhero movie has.
    - SAMURAI36
      
      I think you’re smart enough to know that that’s not “logic”, that’s just your opinion. All you have to do, is click on her name, and see that she reviews movies. I don’t get the impression that she does that strictly for her entertainment; she’s likely getting paid to do so.
      
      As such, it’s no different from any other film.
      
      The truth of the matter, is that you just don’t agree with the review. And that’s fine. But have you seen the movie yet? Otherwise, you don’t know if the movie is good or not.

Lord_Santa

You see, reviews like this don’t make sense to me. It’s a movie about people who wear weird costumes, wield magical/sci-fi powers fighting. It was never meant to be an art house movie. I watched it and I was thoroughly entertained, I’m also invested in the characters, so some of the scenes were gut wrenching for me.

I love artsy movies and Oscar-bait stuff like “Birdman”, ” Whiplash” and “The Revenant”, but I also love superhero films like Captain America, I enjoy it for what it is and I recognise that it’s for a different audience, most critics recognise it as well and that’s why Civil War has been praised almost universally.

Scott Lee Frost

As others have said, this is NOT a review, it’s a bashing of a genre. I get it, you don’t enjoy Marvel (or comic book based?) films, but either don’t see it or keep an open unbiased mind. I love all genre of film. Why? Because a good film is a good film, regardless of subject matter.

Also a question. As a film critic, which I’m assuming you do full time, how can you just choose not to watch a whole genre of film?

Big Ulf

No, it’s a review all right. I just saw the film today and beforehand I’ve been largely a fan of Marvel movies – Winter Soldier was fantastic and Ant-Man was a lovely surprise. But this one…there’s just so much trying to shoehorn in there and all clearly about characters other than the lead. A few fun moments, but really not a great film.
- Scott Lee Frost
  
  My problem isn’t with the negativity of the film (I’ve disliked many Marvel films), my problem is with the bashing and dislike of the genre BEFORE seeing a film. To me, that does not seem very professional. If you go in despising something beforehand, you probably won’t like it regardless of quality.
- Sal3669
  
  THe problem here isn’t that she hates the film. THe problem is she watched it despite already hating the genre. Like WTF? Why? Even a DC fan (reasonable ones) has at least half the decency to go into depth as to why he or she thinks the films missed the mark. THis is not one of them.

N. Scott Robinson

I think you are totally correct in your review/editorial. The larger than life cast of characters works very well on a printed page but on a massive CGI screen it fails miserably. In my opinion, films such as these should be more about a single super-hero not teams of super-heroes. Guardians of the Galaxy worked in its weird mix of humor, aliens, and familiar soundtrack but Avengers? There are just too many characters flying around blowing things up simultaneously on the screen for the eye to comfortably follow.

marvel22

This isn’t a review. This is a biased rant. She didn’t even pay attention to the movie.

Guillaume Drucy

Completely with Deborah here. This movie completely lacks substance even when compared with other Marvel or Avengers.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, my girlfriend recognizes agrees with me on the lack of depth and yet she thoroughly enjoyed the movie for its action, jokes and sexy characters (in her view) but why are all the critics talking about emotional depth here I really wonder! There is none! The dramatic tension (should the Avengers be government controlled or not) is a transparent pretext to showcase all those superheroes fighting each other for a couple hours on end without much soul, depth or purpose. It’s like watching an extended videogame but without even being able to hold the joystick…

Stucky Sometimes

“…but why are all the critics talking about emotional depth here I really wonder!”

Gonna go with ‘because they don’t agree with you’ on a lark.
Launian

Civil War isn’t really about the Accords; it’s about friendship, and ideals, about Iron-Man putting his personal feelings (his guilt over that kid’s death whos mother confronts him at the MIT) before his friendship with Cap. It’s about Cap letting old relationships cloud his vision, going rogue trying to save Bucky instead of trying to work from within the system to do so. It’s about Wanda feeling once again as the freak she thought herself to be before AoU (remember that she was instrumental in Ultron’s plan, wich happened to destroy her home and almost destroyed the world), and fearing herself again. It’s about Vision coming to grips with the fact that he’s more human than he ever thought possible, and with the fact that sometimes cold, logical calculations aren’t enough to get the right answer.

You want emotional depth? Watch the last fight again, where Tony goes berserk even tho he KNOWS Bucky had been brainwashed when he killed his parents, and that he IS NOT a threat anymore. Think about how his knee-jerk reaction almost drove him to off Cap, almost drove him to kill someone who didn’t need killing (wich is an ancient dilema for any superhero), and how Cap finally gave up everything he once stood for when he left his shield behind (remember he’d been having a hard time reconciling with authority since TWS).

Yes, MCU movies require you to have previous knowledge of their chatacters. But then again, is that a bad thing? After all, nobody really complained when Gandalf didn’t get an “origin” story in The Hobbit, did they? Because we all knew the character from LOTR, and we all knew we knew him. Remember, Civil War is the third installment in the franchise, and you could say all franchises up until know share Avengers films, so is it that hard to think the producers, directors and writers thought you might’ve seen the rest of the movies before planning out this one?

heywhatsthatguydoing

hahaha is this review a satire? i haven’t seen the movie so i dunno if it’s any good or not, but this write-up is an absolute joke. are you actively positioning yourself as an out-of-touch backwater ignoramus? “yabba yabba my old cat can’t play the ukelele heuehueheuheuhe” WHAT IS THAT? please never try jokes again.

marvel22

It’s honestly pretty sad. She’s just some old cat lady.

Chris Campbell

this review is totally incorrect

Captain America: Civil War’ is a very special kind of movie.

It’s one of those films that literally gives you everything you want in a blockbuster, plus some stuff you didn’t even realise you wanted.

It’s proof that you don’t need to be grim, dour and humourless in order to be mature. You just need rich characters, relatable motivations, REAL drama and emotional investment. And some spectacle doesn’t hurt, either.

I saw it at IMAX Melbourne, Australia Laser 3D. I loved it. Better than Avengers? That’s a hard one, it could be?

Loved the themes, characters, Spider-Man got just the right amount of screen time. Action was so creative and intense. Humour was scattered throughout (fantastic laughs as always from Marvel), and lastly fantastically evolved and matured characters. I’m still torn between between the two.

Those action scenes were really really well done, so damn creative. The airport sequence was really quite funny and great action giving every character a chance to shine, and the and last fight especially was intense. Performances were great across the board and from Downey and Evans they were exceptional as always.

marvel22

This comment is better written than this entire “review.”

Dr Bock

I quite agree, the cartoonish end of popular entertainment lacks any sense of real peril, as, for example, with Dr Who, where death seemingly has no meaning, as people get resurrected willy nilly. On the basis of not really liking morally conventional and simplistic superhero movies I did find myself enjoying, perversely, Zack Snyder’s grimly Nietzschean Batman vs Superman, mainly because it seemed that pretty much everyone in that movie seemed to be suffering some low level of clinical depression and they seemed to give freer rein to their psychopathologies; which appealed to me as a huge J.G.Ballard fan. Conversely much of the visual noise of Civil War bored me.

FatherJohve

So the only way to have peril is kill characters? These people don’t want to kill each other
- Dr Bock
  
  For my part it loses my interest, nothing really has any great worth or value if X who ‘dies’ is going to be resurrected next movie/episode.
  - Fritz Leipold
    
    Like Superman?
  - thegameplay ness
    
    Funny enough, that is precisely what happens in BVS. In the same movie he’s killed off we get hints to his resurrection, as well as the fact that he’s confirmed for the JL movie.
    - Dr Bock
      
      Which was boring, and far less fun than everyone going through that movie having to deal with Snyder’s dark, depressing worldview. Though how you respond to that does depend on your sense of humour, I’ll admit.

Hari Shankar

Its Probably the the BEST Marvel Movie in recent times – evocative CG and VFX – Just enough, mature and pure mastery of modern film making techniques with wide bandwidth narrative – Dawn of Justice just looked like a mere attempt which was in the end laughable. – Double Thumbs up and 5 Stars!

This review here seem to be full poor conviction – there are ways to cater out your opinion – as they say, those who can’t do – write, so there goes..better off hearing your cat play the ukulele deborah.

Someone132

Well, all I really need to know from the author is whether he thought it was better or worse then Winter Soldier. That one was also lauded for depth, but obviously had none of it, attempting to grasp the issues of the drone debate, the surveillance debate and the general American power debate, and totally misconstruing all of them at once. It was still a slick action movie (unlike say Age of Ultron, which wasn’t even that), but no more.

Though I must say, some people did die in the first Avengers. It’s subtle, but they do show you a wall of TVs immediately after the fight, and some of the first images are of memorials to those killed and such.

JJD

My brother kept harping on about how great that Batman film with Heath Ledger was. So I watched it, about 6 months ago, and it was rubbish. All the more rubbish for its feeble attempts to “say something” about the human condition.

It was then I thought: there should be a moratorium on superhero movies. Enough is enough. There’s nothing new to do, everything that can conceivably be done has been done. The genre has reached saturation point. Let it lie, at least for a few years.

NORMAN DOSTAL

sorry, but we have to call imbecile here-The Dark Knight is hailed as one of the best films of all time
- DeltaNaught
  
  Exactly – which is how you know it’s crap…imbecile.
- JJD
  
  “Chaque age a ses plaisirs,” as they say.
  - NORMAN DOSTAL
    
    well said, but I think this one will hold up for future generations
Peter Gorman

JJD doesn’t like the Batman movie that won two academy awards, blames the rest of the world for some reason. Good post dude.
- JJD
  
  Heath Ledger did a great job as Joker. Doesn’t stop the film being pants, though.

paulwt

Thought upon finishing this chatty drivel – ok, bye.

Tim Tim

“Cartoonish” Its a movie series based on Cartoons, comics and toys. If your looking to ask yourself about the state of modern society or control versus anarchy then you are surely mistaken. What your really here for is for the realisation of some of your favourite hero’s dukeing it out on the big screen. “Emotional depth?” I’m sure there are some independent movies in some movie festival you ought to be watching. This genre simply isn’t for you, sorry about that.

Robotman

You call this a review? It’s more of a hate on blog about why super hero movies suck. You’re ranting about set pieces, CGI and too many films blah blah blah. This is a big budget superhero blockbluster, so do you expect no CGI, action or set pieces in the film? The MCU is based on thousands of comics, so do you expect them to make only one film? I can say all Oscar films suck because writers/actors force themselves to feel important and come off as fake. This isn’t a review, but a rant.

Robotman

A “review” dissects the film to tell us why the story is bad, why the acting is bad, why the CGI is bad, why the direction is bad, and why the pacing is bad etc. This is just about your personal hate against super hero films.

NORMAN DOSTAL

chick doesn’t get it…maybe stick to Mother’s Day?

Lisa Drew

Finally I have found someone with the same outlook on these recent marvel films. I am a massive comic book nerd but have felt really let down as a fan by the recent films. I too am perplexed as to how people see emotional depth when so many big personalities are fighting for screen time. Black widow is purely a pair of boobs suffering from smurfette syndrome and hawkeye does god knows what, tagging along like some lost sheep. The storylines feel predictable with no development just pure action shot after action shot. Maybe i’m still bitter that quick silver couldnt run fast enough?!?!?! What the f****k?

chizwoz

Did they really have much choice about making Black Widow NOT a pair of boobs. Even Joss Whedon and his worship of women couldn’t make her not crap.
It’s just an inherently crap character like Hawkeye.
- Peter Gorman
  
  Joss set her up great in Avengers and then (inexplicably) tore her down in Age of Ultron. Not sure why nobody tried to stop him from portraying Widow as a needy, damaged mess in Ultron after the masterful portrayal seen in Winter Soldier as a clear blueprint of how to do it. Joss was a bit overwhelmed in the sequel, methinks. But to the broader point of Lisa’s apparently impossible comic booky standards, no movie will ever meet your own subjective perfect comic book movie, and more importantly, there is no reason to. These movies are for everyone, and because of that new fans are being made every day. These new fans would probably just be confused by a dogged adherence to somewhat poorly written comic book precedent.
  - chizwoz
    
    Wasn’t the stuff in Ultron already part of her established character backstory though? I didn’t think Joss had invented it.
Stucky Sometimes

Not for nothing but Quicksilver didn’t try to outrun the bullets. He tried to get in their way.

So fast enough for what, exactly?
- Lisa Drew
  
  Fast enough to protect someone from gun fire and not die in the process. He seems to do a prefectly good job in the comics.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Movie isn’t the comics.
    
    Scarlet Witch didn’t have “hex” powers either.
    - Lisa Drew
      
      The movies are based off the charcaters from these comics and as I mentioned before they are not being done justice in my eyes as an avid fan.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      That’ fine.
      
      I’m just suggesting if you expect movie characters to be either effectively immortal or omnipotent, as a Flash or Quicksilver would logically be, you have very high expectations.
      
      The things with comic books it allows for wonky exposition to explain how a character will defy the laws of psychics. Despite its lack of logic, a superspeed character will outright explain how they’re doing something, despite not having time to express their thought in the superspeed time it took them to do something. That’s what static images and speech and thought balloons let you do.
      
      The point is, Quicksilver heroically sacrificed himself to save other. IMO, quibbling that in comic books he would have found some psuedo-science way of deflecting ammunition from a jetfighter while at the same time explaining how he was doing it seem to miss the point.

chizwoz

Are you sure you’re reviewing this movie and not just blockbuster superhero movies in general?

neodymium

blockbuster marvel movies
- chizwoz
  
  Good point actually. Nolan’s Batman movies were brilliant.

Derek Ng

Having not seen the movie, I can’t quite comment on which the reviewer is right or not about CW. However having gone into depth about what she doesn’t like about Marvel movies in general, I have to say I too am perplexed. Perplexed as to why her (or her editor) set out to review this movie, when she has already shown a bias towards it.

If I, as a reviewer, made my intentions clear that I wasn’t into say, French arthouse, and I kept on reviewing or being sent to review French arthouse movies, what exactly was the expectation? That a person would suddenly dismiss any personal, historical bias and review without prejudice?

No personal swipe intended, but the reviewer or whoever gave her this assignment clearly lacks any professional forethought, and if she was going to be reviewing movies such as this again, maybe hide her extreme distaste of this type of movie a little better. Otherwise she just opens herself up with her lack of professionalism and integrity.

Whyshouldihavetoregister

A critic’s job is to analyse popularity, not to endorse it.
- Derek Ng
  
  Actually…no. A critic’s job, according to a google definition is ‘a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works, especially one who does so professionally’. If one is to do so ‘professionally’ then you would expect a note of professionalism in whatever they’re writing. And unfortunately, as many people have pointed out, this article rings with personal bias somewhat profoundly.
  
  And sure, Deborah can criticise story beats, acting, CGI, etc. But if she’s already made it very clear she doesn’t like this type of movie, it’s hard to take her opinion with any weight.
- Martin Phipps
  
  Roger Ebert used to say that if he went to see a horror movie then he would ask “Is this a good horror movie?” and if he went to see a romantic comedy then he would ask “Is this a good romantic comedy?” He would not write a “review” of a movie telling people how much he disliked an entire genre. That is irrelevant.

Chris

I can precis this 500 words into one: “clickbait”.

Whyshouldihavetoregister

Gee, I thought the comments on Youtube were as dumb as it could get. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Chris Skalicky

I could tell by the first part, heck the first sentence,, that this reviewer could have cared less before even going into the movie. Why even waste your time if you don’t even care before going in? It’s fine if you didn’t like the movie but when you don’t even enter the film with a clear mind you’re credibility as a reviewer comes into question.

Sara Stark

It’s fine that you hate it, everyone has their own opinion, but you didn’t have to even see the movie. You most likely weren’t looking forward to it. Go and see a movie you know you’ll enjoy and right a great (or not so great) review on that!

Mark Alkline

You know that this is their job to go to movies and review them… even if they don’t want to. You think the majority of reviewers want to go see transformers movies? No, but they work for a journalistic company that sends them to screenings and write reviews on them. If critics would go to the movies that they wanted to see and avoid the ones they don’t, movies would be rated a lot higher on RT.
- stahl macintyre
  
  I’ll say this again: She’s a joke. I wouldn’t care if she went to see it and ended up deciding it wasn’t for her – she hates Marvel movies, she disliked everyone she reviewed & the title of her review backs that up. Enough with the whole ‘It’s her job to review the movie’ argument – No it’s not. it’s her job to review ‘movies’; she didn’t review BvS or Deadpool, so Deb could have NOT reviewed this one – but she did, and she will again…

Mirjeta Krasniqi

More contrarian shitposting from The Spectator. Who would have thunk it?

WWHeisenberg

I don’t think I’ll watch this movie. It sounds like any other Avengers CGI infested borefest. First Avengers was good, as was the first Captain America …now it’s just milking money time.

Stucky Sometimes

Always a curious criticism. ‘The first one or two 2 hours movie were good, but after that they’re run out of stories and they’re just milking it.’

Has anyone heard of episodic TV? Hours upon hours upon hours sometimes years upon years of the same characters, same premises, etc.

There is already more hours of the Night Manager than there is Avengers movies.

What am I missing?
- AbsoLugia (Akinator)
  
  PREACH
  - Michael Hart Livingstone-Machn
    
    donkey
thegameplay ness

As far as I’m concerned what you said is pure rhetoric. You haven’t even explained your arguments, and instead resort to parroting generic arguments.
Zero

When did simply saying “CGI” become valid criticism? Some people act as though CGI is inherently a bad thing. That’s absurd and ridiculously simplistic.
- Mirjeta Krasniqi
  
  Here’s a scene from Return of the Jedi I like to show people who whinge too much about CGI. Just take a look at the compositing of Han and Luke at the start (it looks even worse in HQ):
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhLdAyKIFw
- neodymium
  
  i remember when they made that complaint about BvS…too much CGI, too many oscar winners, too mopey, too dark! too joyless, too loud!
  
  just….retarded. What do you expect in a superhero movie??
LupeX

It is, but I say you should go see it. It is formulaic and has the same rhythms and beats as the other ones but it is a good time at the movies.

Bobby Sheppard

The thing is how many of you on this thread that hate or dislike such films even read or previously read Super Hero Comic books on an obsessive basis like most of the fans (to include my forty something self) as a teen or adult? Most folks who hate these movies, would never like these movies or care to see these movies unless somebody made them go or someone they sincerely cared about insisted. This film critic Mrs. Ross, is exactly this type of person, and to be honest her critique is biased before she even sat down with popcorn to watch the film. Her comment “the red faced guy who seemed to be popping up all the time”. Seriously? If you knew anything about the Avengers you’d know that was “Vision” and the best possible screen impression any of us have seen. Seriously, guys YES, stop watching these films because they were never meant for you.

Stucky Sometimes

i disagree with this. It perpetuates the same false premise that the review did – that these movies are made for and only play to long-time comic book fans (of which I am one).

That is simply not true. These films are crossover, mainstream successes by any definition of the terms.

Avengers and Age of Ultron made $2.9 billion between them. You don’t do that if you were just meant for obsessive fans.
- Bobby Sheppard
  
  I agree Stucky, but the point I was trying to make is that those who generally feel so strongly about how lousy the movie is, are not people who would like this “type” of movie anyway. If a person primarily watches Jane Austen films, and Indie flicks I very seriously doubt, they will see the emotional appeal of the mental drama of a man trapped in the body of the HULK.

Gary Mitchell

There wasn’t “another origin story” for Peter Parker/Spiderman – in fact, he was introduced into the story with the shortest of origins, it being assumed that the audience had a pretty good idea who he was by now.
One would assume that there have been casualties in the other movies, but to imagine that because a pg movie didn’t dwell on them they were non existant is, at best, rather disingenuous.
I gave up after this, because you obviously hadn’t been watching the same movie.
Still, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the “Superhero’s making pasta” movie that you pretend to so long for (hardly an original joke there – but feel free to wave around as many stale tropes as you want) I have the feeling you’ll have a lot of leg room in the cinema.
Sour grapes and contrary for the sake of it. A faux poserish review.

LupeX

But isnt that her point? There have ALWAYS been casualties, why are they acting ‘brand new’ now? … because if they don’t then the plot cant forge ahead.
It is a valid criticism, she just chose not to overtly suspend her disbelief like many of these films ask us to
Also Spidey did have an origin story here, it was as short as possible, but Spidey is a character that’s even more overdone than Batman (recency bias). So it makes sense that one would be fatigued from seeing him over and over and over and over and over again.
everyone, including you, is entitled to feel how they want to. And tbh her reasons are very very valid.
- Gary Mitchell
  
  Yeah, we are indeed all entitled to feel how we want. Except, apparently people who didn’t like Batman v Superman. Shouldn’t you be haunting the “Marvel is buying off critics to destroy Snyders career” threads. Agenda much? Whatever. Not interested.
- thegameplay ness
  
  But that’s already been outlined. We even see the affects of New York and DC I’m Jessica Jones, Daredevil, as well as agents of shield. Zemo himself is a product of the battle of sokovia; it’s all been established.
  
  As for Spidey? Does he get an introduction? Yes. An origin? No, no he does not. Unless, that is, you constitute an origin story as getting a new costume .
- stahl macintyre
  
  Her reasons weren’t valid; like you LupeX, the only reason she writes is to bash Marvel… and if you can’t see that, then it makes perfect sense that you think BvS is – Deep.

Axe

Doesnt matter what haters think thou… clearly favourites heavily overweigh haters

Michael Hart Livingstone-Machn

because Marvel people are simples!

Peter Gorman

Pretty lousy review. You should try to remain objective fella.

Adam Lewis

She was objective. Literally everything she states, from Marvel’s terrible, unfunny quips to its lack of emotional/character depth, is objective fact.
- Peter Gorman
  
  Oh my mistake it was a lady doing the bad review. My bad. Sheesh Adam you make it sound like Marvel beat you up and took your lunch money.
  - Callipygian
    
    Yes. ‘Deborah’ might have been clue.
- AbsoLugia (Akinator)
  
  Saying jokes are ‘unfunny’ is a matter of opinion, as in emotional and character depth. How is saying ‘this is good’, basically, fact?
- Scott Alavezos
  
  Literally everything? I don’t think you understand the meaning of words. Here let me illustrate…
  
  “Captain America: Civil War is the 897th instalment…”
  
  There are several more. As in “many”.
  
  How about her assertion that this movie contains “yet another spider-man origins story” Ugh, I hate even re-writing her own words, they’re so droll and out of touch. How much objective fact is there in her contention that Spider-Man should drop six of his “origins stories”, (blech, so painful)?
  - LupeX
    
    I think you’re like Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, you don’t understand the use of literary devices.
    - stahl macintyre
      
      Oh yeah, because they’re(wait for it)…
      ‘Deep’
  - stahl macintyre
    
    Here Here

SAMURAI36

Excellent review. I’ll be forwarding this around.

Martin Phipps

I posted my own review and it didn’t get approved, possibly because it contained spoilers. It is dificult to talk about what you like about a movie without refering to specific scenes.
The upshot is that whereas Batman v Superman made Batman out to be basically a villain who wanted to kill Superman, Captain America: Civil War had Tony Stark [Iron Man] and Steve Rogers [Captain America] be ordinary people. There was a scene where Tony gives Steve a pen and tells him that if he doesn’t sign what is essentially a contract then he will essentially be fired. When that happens in real life, who doesn’t want to punch your boss? And when a boss is under pressure from HIS boss to make the employees sign the new contract, what boss doesn’t want to punch their employee in their “perfect teeth”? Anyway, yada yada yada fight scene whatever they thought were spoilers yada yada good movie.

Callipygian

Did you mention h=ll, by chance? Staff writers are allowed to spell it out but no one else may. It’s a little oddity of the site. Same often goes for secks. Juvenile, really.
LupeX

Yes finally someone who understands Batman as the central figure in an Elizabethean Tragedy! It made his character arch emotionally powerful. This once spotless knight that we all know and love after 20years of failures and frustrations and nightmares and torment had become a shell of his former glory. it was so emotionally rending to witness and the moment he realized it too was powerful.
Wish more people were as intelligent as you are. Most people just said ”Batman doesn’t kill, doh! that movie sux!”

Sandro Spidey

I watched 2day …. It’s amazing!!!
If you don’t enjoy it … The PROBLEM is yours!!!

Right???

Shakes_McQueen

This just reads like someone who thinks comic-book films in general are miserable experiences for them (the opening snark about this being the “897th installment” kind of tipped me off). Which is fine – to each their own – but why on earth would you have such a person write a review for it?

The movie itself actually lays out the major events of collateral damage in previous films – it isn’t something they just made up out of thin air. I mean… jesus.

This is the review of someone who considers the entire comic-book milieu to be beneath them, and did before they even walked in to the theatre. That’s a position you’re entitled to, but what on earth would people who might be interested in this film get out of reading this?

“I don’t begrudge people who love these films – now here’s an analogy about how you’re all little boys who like to see toys smash together” – Yeesh.

Upright Man

I get the sense that they realised that there are quite a few normal people, including Speccie readers, who are surprisingly interested in this sort of thing (as several of these comments have revealed) and they thought it would be a good idea to engage with them.
But then they realised that no one at the Spectator is into it themselves (or any who are were busy) so they tried their best to make some good points but couldn’t prevent it from being a largely uncomprehending and uninformed article.
Zero

I ignore any review in which the first thing the critic does is make sure everyone if fully aware that they’re above it all.

Keith Alger

I’m a big marvel fan, but far from the masterpiece that other reviewer have claimed this film to be, I found: It had massive plot holes. There were a couple of really dodgy bits of CGI. There was an awful lot of flat dialogue, sometimes leading to the point where I had to ask myself if that was supposed to be a joke. Frankly for me this was the worst Marvel film other than “The Wolverine” that I’ve ever seen!

Kenedy M

“I’m a big marvel fan but….” every DC fans when they want to bash a marvel flick

Zero

When you’re so thoroughly in the minority, the problem might be you.

Callipygian

Not really. I’m in the minority that voted for Rubio, and come h=ll or high water I ain’t votin’ for Trump.
ThatOneMFer

When is not liking a movie mean there is something wrong with you? Fanboy logic
Mark Alkline

No it’s not. The minority were the people who thought the earth was round in the 1400’s. Plus, this is movies… everyone has a different taste. Just because their opinion of a movie differs from yours, doesn’t make their own opinion wrong to their personal taste.

Tom Connolly

Might I suggest that if you are in search of “emotional depth” in your cinematic experience that you look beyond a franchise born from simple comic books that were designed to entertain and occupy the youth of yesteryear.

Leave watching the antics of these fantastical characters to us lesser mortals whose expectations are limited to enjoying 2 hours of innocent fun engrossed in the swashbuckling adventures of our favorite superheroes as they come to life off the pages of the comics we read as kids.

Instead perhaps you should restrict your viewing to more emotionally satisfying and “uplifting” film experiences like the recent Oscar winning and acclaimed “Revenant” where the morbid and grossly realistic depictions of horror, pain and anguish will take you to such “emotional depths” that you will likely go in search of a strong drink or a couple of Prozack to fight off the depression before the credits start to roll.

I will stick with Captain America…or better yet Deadpool.

LupeX

Batman V Superman had emotional depth. But what did critics say – too gloomy, too mopey, no joy, Batman was too brutal, etc. etc.
There needs to be variety in this comicbook thing or theyll all end up being the same. CW already felt just like she described –
“The rhythm follows the same rhythm of all these films: set piece, lame joke, set piece, lame joke, bunker in Berlin, set piece, lame joke, set piece.”
fun but formulaic.
- thegameplay ness
  
  That’s the point though: BvS was trying so hard to be something more, but just came off as mopey and childish.
  
  Dark == depth
  - stahl macintyre
    
    Exactly – what was Deep about BvS?
    - thegameplay ness
      
      I guess Snyder fooled them all. He put on a dark color pallet, made everyone mopey, and shoehorned jesus references to fool audiences into thinking that his material means anything.

John Allen

It’s a superhero film. Was it entertaining? Yes. Was it 1 hour too long? Yes. Does it have emotional depth? A little. I guess it depends on how much you care about these characters. If you have no interest in them, then you’re less likely to enjoy the film. It’s always down to personal taste at the end of the day. I admit to being slightly bored up until the big comical fight between ‘Team Cap’ and ‘Team Iron Man’ The humour worked well there. It was a popcorn movie for me. Fun, but forgettable.

Craighy Barbour

Civil war? No! Convuluted story which just happens to have hero v hero sequences? Yes.
What the russo’s have done is ruined the prospect of actually having an actual “civil war” movie in the future once marvel have struck a deal with fox for the the x men and fantastic 4 rights similar to what they did with sony to put spiderman in the movie.
Lets face facts here people, marvel already have all the charcters in the graphic novel, except for xmen and f4 ones. Cap amaerica 3 so easily could have involved tony stark & co without the accords supervision aspect and concentrated on the other aspects of the movie i.e bucky/winter soldiers. Instead, sadly not, theyve took the pie out the oven too soon.
Huge let down im sorry to say, but its what weve come to expect from all superhero movies nowadays, isnt it.

Stucky Sometimes

X-Men film universe and MCU are incompatible at this stage. Both exist on the premise the other doesn’t.

The existence of mutants fundamentally alters the foundation of the MCU and vice versa.

The only way to “combine” universes in a way in which Civil War makes sense is to reboot them both.

THIS Civil War doesn’t preclude a faithful adaptation of the comic book limited series, the last 16 years since the first X-Men does.
- mongoink
  
  except for quicksilver, lol
mongoink

and the world can do without you
Bricketh

To be fair, Chris Evans and RDJ would likely be long gone from the MCU roles before they could ever get control of X-Men. FF may be more realistic, but is still unlikely due to the length of time that would likely be needed to work out such a deal (Spider-Man’s deal took a couple of years, at least to work out, and maybe as many as 4 since there was talk of including Oscorp Tower from ASM in the Avengers’ NYC model). The Russos said that they included Spider-Man from the beginning, even though they were told to have a plan b, in case negotiations fell apart, so they were able to plan out well ahead knowing that the talks were going on. At best, FF negotiations would have started AFTER the last movie came out and bombed, so I’d conservatively figure that to be a 1-2 year process from now to come up with an agreement, at which point we will be staring at Infinity War (which could, if worked out, include FF). It is doubtful that the Avengers will come out of IW in-tact, as I’m sure Evans, RDJ and others will be ready to move on by that point, so we would not have had a strong chance of Civil War with FF, much less X-Men, AND the established Avengers if they had held off on that film until they had all rights back (short of a total MCU reboot with new actors).
- Craighy Barbour
  
  Fair point, well made.
stahl macintyre

Marvel spoke with Fox about adding F4 & X-men to the movie – Fox said NO. Marvel responded by cancelling the F4 comic & not allowing those writing X-men storylines to introduce / create new X-men characters, because Fox gets to add them to their movies based on the fact that they are X-men / Mutants.

AbsoLugia (Akinator)

You know, with her last name, and the way she’s hating on the Avengers so much (I’m still not over that ‘red-faced guy’ offence), anyone would think she’s related to GENERAL THADDEUS ‘THUNDERBOLT’ ROSS

mongoink

aaah, red hulk reference, nice

11thKenpachi

Lmao got the marvel nuts going crazy.

stahl macintyre

Yeah & if she reviewed BvS you’d be losing your mind too…

Snoggler

Tbh this kinda clickbaits targetting at fanboys and trolls is unworthy of a title like The Spectator.

Jethro Asquith

Watched it today… awful movie.

mongoink

idiot
- Michael Hart Livingstone-Machn
  
  mongo you clearly are a troll or a child trying to be a man! Jethro it was not awful. But it wasn’t the best like some are saying. Avengers still remains the best in Marvel!
  - Jethro Asquith
    
    Michael, in my opinion it was awful – it left me bored and uninspired. I know it is just my opinion, and counts for nothing, and my wife loved it and my daughter was indifferent. As to mongoink – if you really believe someone having an opinion that differs from yours is an idiot then you must assume the whole world is made up of idiots (actually you may be on to something here) 😀
- ThatOneMFer
  
  Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Cadman Gloria-dan

Watched it today…. one of the best comic book movies to date i would recommend it to any one who loves comics, action and entertainment.
To other who want something real… stay home and watch the news!

mongoink

douche!

Steven Lornie

How can you expect to enjoy any emotional depth if the reviewer is too naive to even enjoy one Marvel movie? This is some narrow minded thinking and a poor review. I respect people having different tastes but this is not the case.

Michael Hart Livingstone-Machn

so based on your opinion because he sees the flaws just like many saw with BvS he is wrong, naive, narrow minded. Does that not make you the same. I enjoyed Civil War wouldn’t say it is the best Spidey and Ant-man and Black Panther were great. Caps was hollow, Bucky was meh, Iron Man as much as I love the character should really just give up. Black Widow and Hawkeye irrelevant. As for the rest meh! That saying I do look forward to a new Spiderman the nervy kid was a good approach abit similar to Raimis. But I also liked BvS in a different kinda way. But I am naive narrow minded probably because my opinion differs from yours.
- Kenedy M
  
  You are a DC fanboy and that’s obvious the moment you start defending that yawning pile of steaming crap called batman v superman:let’s fight coz we gotta make money.
  - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
    
    This DC vs Marvel BS has to stop ASAP. The way I see it, you either love superheroes or you don’t. What are we supporting football clubs here? In my opinion, both BvS and Cap 3 were good. Not as good as they should have been, but still enjoyable. Overall, I would say that Civil War is better put together, but BvS has some great scenes as well. I am hoping for an improvement from both franchises in the future, especially DC.
    - LupeX
      
      The audacity of you! Who do you think you are trying to speak intelligence to a comments section? THIS IS THE INTERNET!!! *kicks you down a well*
LupeX

I actually think that her review is pretty much spot on. i saw Civil War and this rings so true
“The rhythm follows the same rhythm of all these films: set piece, lame joke, set piece, lame joke, bunker in Berlin, set piece, lame joke, set piece.”
It felt stale for me. Now bear in mind that I enjoyed it. But the truth cannot be denied, these things are formulaic.
ThatOneMFer

Oh no, someone doesn’t like a movie I do so I have to attack them personally on the internet!

ScottAdler

“It’s been said that when a young boy has a toy in each hand what he
most wants to do is to smash them together, and that’s what these films
are. Maybe that’s true, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is that I’m done.”

Just a tad sexist, aren’t we, Deborah?

johnhay

Yeah, you’ll notice she plays this five-year-old (of any gender) trick several times in her work. She’ll make a negative, nasty, false, or speculative statement as if faceless other people are saying it — notice the passive voice, “It’s been said” — and then immediately try to scramble up to the high ground by saying, “Could be, I don’t know. I have no opinion.” She’s really a terrible writer, which is why she’s never produced any film or creative work at all. But, hey, anybody can rip apart something and be a critic.

“It’s been said that” those who can, do. “Maybe that’s true, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is” Deborah Ross can’t.
- stahl macintyre
  
  She’s a joke. I wouldn’t care if she went to see it and ended up deciding it wasn’t for her – she hates Marvel movies, she disliked everyone she reviewed & the title of her review backs that up. Enough with the whole ‘It’s her job to review the movie’ argument – No it’s not. it’s her job to review ‘movies’; she didn’t review BvS or Deadpool, so Deb could have NOT reviewed this one – but she did, and she will again…
filmklassik

Okay but is it accurate? Does the expression she’s quoting describe a phenomena we recognize?

Not, “I can think of some exceptions.” Because there are always exceptions.

The question is, is her observation, generally speaking, accurate?
- thegameplay ness
  
  No, no it’s not accurate. But thanks for asking.
  - filmklassik
    
    Persuasive.
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Wait..l I thought you were genuinely wondering if I thought her assessment was inaccurate? Since when was I suppose to persuade you???
      
      I didn’t sign up for this!
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Weren’t you asking me for my opinion? Never did you ask me to persuade you.
neodymium

“you know it’s true what they say about little boys…born with no inclination to share.”

ha
- ScottAdler
  
  Obviously, you have never raised daughters.

DCISBETTERTHAN MARVEL

It’s still better than Iron Man sequels, which should’ve been called “Iron Failures”, so that was enough for me to enjoy it.

Kenedy M

And a million times better than batfail v supefail,I could sit in the theatre watching that movie, so why can’t I enjoy this action packed fast paced movie.
- Mark Alkline
  
  Ha! I bet you didn’t even watch CA:CW. How could you say it’s million times better, lol. Fanboys.
  - DCISBETTERTHAN MARVEL
    
    This movie had screenings since the last month.

Wen Sheng Foo

Totally agreed, the action were nice but had zero danger feel as eveb falcon and black widow look invincible and the shockingly bad twist about zemo plans is as bad as the fake mandarin. So much effort for a vhs instead of just giving tony stark the info and the cassettes and vhs in marvel are also indestructible as both can be played after 20+ years

Stavros Hadjiyiannis

I agree. After the rave reviews by the comic book aficionados I expected something genuinely spectacular. The fight scenes are seriously lacking in imagination. Some of the heroes don’t get to use the full extent of their powers. First of all, Scarlett Witch and Vision get massively short changed. They should have been doing a lot more in this film. Iron Man should also have been doing way more damage etc. The fights lack some cutting edge since almost nobody is trying to kill anyone. I think that the Civil War concept is flawed for a movie since it is impossible to have any real stakes. Just have the heroes have some scuffles in the early part of the film and then give them some good villains to kill, as in the first Avengers film. In conclusion, was this much better than Batman v Superman? I don’t think that it was, yet Batman v Superman has been brutalised by the critics while this one has been praised to the high heavens.
- Wen Sheng Foo
  
  Yah, totally agree. The plot in bvs is definitely deeper but editing issues make it difficult for general audience to understand. Also the fights in bvs had the danger feel as u can feel batman was really trying to kill superman while doomsday was threatening. Lex luthor may be eccentric but he definitely is scarier than zemo with his god killing plans
  - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
    
    Yes, we are both on the same page. Civil War is more coherent, better structured and is more fun. BvS tries hard to be more profound and operatic but it only half-succeeds. I also prefer the Batman v Superman fight than the much-hyped airport scene. What makes the BvS fight more compelling is that there is a real assymetry between the two gladiators. Superman is infinitely more powerful, while Batman has the kryptonite trick up his sleave. The BvS fight is also far more brutal. Don’t get me wrong, Civil War has some awesome sequences as well, but I overall I thought they were a bit formulaic. In my opinion, both films are good but both could have been better. In all honesty, and I never thought that I would be saying this a few months back, Deadpool has been the best comic book movie this year.
  - stahl macintyre
    
    Deeper? Lol

Johnny Simon

Marvel movies are not meant to be watched for depth or complexity. They are superhero movies for crying outloud! You watch them for the action and because you used to read the comics back in the day. Maybe you should stop watching them altogether.

Stavros Hadjiyiannis

Exactly. Like I said on this comment section before seeing the film, I will repeat the same after having seen it. One either accepts the comic book origin of these films (and the heavy fantastical element that inevitably goes with them) or they don’t. If you don’t accept it, then these films are clearly not meant for you. Don’t get me wrong, Captain America 3 can be criticized, but within its own context. In the case one rejects superhero films altogether, then he can attempt a more general critique of the genre in its ENTIRETY. Having said that, I will have to stress the following: ALL films are fantastical in nature. Realism is not what the art of cinema has to offer. I challenge anyone to name a great film that is not fantastical in some way or another. Some films are fantastical in the way their main characters possess superpowers, others are fantastical in the way that their main characters always seem to come up with witty answers, others in their theatricality etc etc etc.
- Paul S HK
  
  Seven Samurai?
  The Leopard?
  L’Ascenseur a l’echafaud?
  - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
    
    I have not seen any of those films and the only one I am familiar with is The Seven Samurai. Even if you are correct, then you had to go back several decades and all the way to the land of the rising sun to find something of a legitimate candidate.
    - Paul S HK
      
      Why am I responsible for your lack of depth of knowledge about films of top quality?
      Hard to be a God?
      From last year, that.
      The Limey?
      The Servant?
      In the Heat of the Sun?
      Fantastical can be part of great films… Tarkovsky, Losey, Greenaway…
      I’m only saying the idea that the fantastic (or lack of realism) is their defining quality is totally wrong.
    - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
      
      The films you have chosen are Non-hollywood, as well as quite ancient. Okay, it’s not your fault of course that I have not seen them, but I think you can understand the point I was trying to make. Even the films that pretend to be realistic, deep and thought-provoking tend to employ exaggerated elements that border on the fantastical. This is especially the case with by far the most popular films on the planet, those made by Hollywood. Yes, there are some films here and there that are indeed quite grounded, but they are both extremely rare as well as quite marginal. When one refers to the actual movies that people actually pay money to watch, they tend to be quite fantastical, regardless of the genre.
    - filmklassik
      
      I hope you’ve seen or are familiar with American classics like CHINATOWN, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, UNFORGIVEN, CASABLANCA, etc.
      
      All these films contain melodramatic elements and moments of contrivance but as with most comparisons in life, it finally comes down to a matter of degree.
      
      And comparing the degree of relatable human emotion in Marvel’s latest kiddie “spandex and lasers” movie with something like CHINATOWN or THE GODFATHER is simply ludicrous.
      
      But more and more people seem to be doing just that.
      
      Spandex and laser movies are, almost by definition, absurd. They have their origins in the funny books. And when filmmakers seek to impose a kind of ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN-style seriousness and solemnity on them, they look even more absurd.
    - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
      
      I agree with what you say about relatable human emotion. Of course, all the films you have listed are far more realistic than superhero flicks. I think that is quite obvious. My point was that in cinema, an element of exaggeration and outright fantasy is almost always ever present, even in those films that like to present themselves otherwise. For example, The Godfather. The fancy dialogue, the theatricality as well as the idealisation of gangsterism render that film quite high on the fantastical scale. The Godfather is a perfect example of what I am trying to say here, films that pretend to be more realistic than they actually are. Chinatown I only saw once, and the only thing I remember from that film was how boring it was. Casablanca has choreographed dialogue and is also historically misleading.
      
      I will definitely accept Unforgiven however. Some liberties as well as exaggerations are employed, but yes, that film is beautifully grounded.
    - Paul S HK
      
      Gone with the wind, Titanic, Sound of Music, Dr Zhivago, Ten Commandments.
      Half the highest grossing (inflation adjusted) films in the top ten are grounded in human drama, not fantasy.
      Hollywood films all.
      A bit older now it’s true.
      Also true that fantasy attracts larger audiences these days.
      As for being marginal, these films are regarded as amongst the best ever made, winning prizes the superhero films can very rarely aspire to.
      Popular and quality can go together!
    - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
      
      Titanic: ultra sentimental and melodramatic love story. Also, extremely unlikely considering the class gap between the two leads.
      
      Sound of Music: Juvenile musical for crying out loud! Also, corny love story as well as obscene historical revisionism. Comic book movies are literally documentaries by comparison.
      
      Dr Zhivago. Never seen it.
      
      The Ten Commandments. As realistic as movies about ancient Greek mythology.
      
      BTW. I absolutely love all the movies you have listed in your final paragraph. Except Mad Max. Blade Runner is probably my favorite film of all time. Alien and Aliens are not far behind.
    - Paul S HK
      
      You’re right about them, but I was just politely disagreeing with your comment:
      “There are some films here and there that are indeed quite grounded, but they are both extremely rare as well as quite marginal.”
    - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
      
      Allow me to phrase my thesis in more precise terms. Cinema is an art medium compatible with fantasy (and propaganda) and it is under that form via which it becomes most efficient.
      
      In fact, now that I think of it, much of scholarly discourse tends to operate in the same way (to a lesser degree obviously)
    - filmklassik
      
      I’m curious as to how many movies made before 1970 are in your Top 20.
      
      I’m also curious as to how many b&w movies are in there.
    - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
      
      Lawrence of Arabia. Vertigo. Citizen Kane. Maybe The Birds as well.
    - filmklassik
      
      Serves me right. I thought you were just another clueless Millennial who thinks the Movies began with STAR WARS. Apologies. And glad I was wrong.
      
      Great list, by the way.
    - Stavros Hadjiyiannis
      
      No need to apologize. The truth is that many pre1970s films don’t hold up so well anymore, especially the corny music. Oh, I love Sergio Leone’s westerns as well. The Good the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West are masterpieces. I am not sure they would be in my Top 20 though.

johnhay

There are two #TeamNeither: Hulk and Thor aren’t in the film. But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of some good snark. It’s fine. You don’t get or like the movies, but you’re absolutely tearing into people who enjoy it, which you admit by the lame last paragraph attempting to defuse that. You don’t make films, Deborah. Your resume lists you as a “journalist,” so go do some journalisting.

It’s good that you’re into facts if you’re a journalist — although I note you have a very thin resume in that regard, it’s just another reason you ought to be working harder at that, and perhaps is why your editors demoted you to comic book film reviews. However, let’s say you’re a good journalist for the sake of argument, and not one about to get the sack. That may make you too literal to suspend disbelieve, have a little imagination, and find the deeper subplots in guys with spangly costumes and shiny armor. That doesn’t mean the subtexts aren’t there, just that you are not the target audience.

LupeX

I dont agree with everything in your review but you nailed something that overwhelmed me while I watched this film
“The rhythm follows the same rhythm of all these films: set piece, lame joke, set piece, lame joke, bunker in Berlin, set piece, lame joke, set piece.”

Captain America: CIVIL WAR is an enjoyable good time at the theatres but ultimately, it is an unambitious film that coasts on the coattails of MARVEL’s formulaic story telling.

Batman V Superman was a prefect counterbalance to this type of formulaic filmmaking but its demise might have been that it was too intellectual for many audiences, afterall may of its critiques read like “thinking hurts my brain” but it certainly was intellectual and ambitious and was the furthest thing from dum entertainment. For taking that risk alone I applaud it.

… Or maybe Im wrong, maybe a talking raccoon and Deadpool’s d!@k and fart jokes are simply more interest

PS: To those who would waste their time trying, don’t try to come at me for having an individual opinion. I’m not going to think otherwise because you so desperately want me to.

Stucky Sometimes

“PS: To those who would waste their time trying, don’t try to come at me for having an individual opinion. I’m not going to think otherwise because you so desperately want me to.”

Nothing wrong for having an individual opinion. Thing is, you don’t need a internet forum to have one. Why did you post on a public discussion forum the sole purpose of which is feedback if you aren’t seeking a response/some form of interaction?

You looking for only agreeable feedback?
- Laura Davis
  
  They called BvS “too intellectual”. And don’t understand that Deadpool isn’t even in the MCU. Someone isn’t paying a lot of attention to warrant the attention they think their “individual opinion” is worthy of anyway.
  - Martin Bryan
    
    They probably don’t care though as it’s not a serious movie. It’s in the X-Men universe isn’t it.
thegameplay ness

“Batman V Superman was a prefect counterbalance to this type of formulaic filmmaking but its demise might have been that it was too intellectual for many audiences, afterall may of its critiques read like “thinking hurts my brain” but it certainly was intellectual and ambitious and was the furthest thing from dum entertainment. For taking that risk alone I applaud it.”

I find that funny, since the general consensus agrees that it’s a film with little substance to it. Zack likes to fool his viewers into believing that what he puts out means anything, hence the shoehorned Jesus references (oh god like we haven’t seen that before). But in reality his films are shallow with mindless CGI. The third act of BVS only supports what I’m asserting here. Zack doesn’t understand the characters and he thinks that dark automatically equates depth, which is far from the truth.

So let’s not say that the sole reason why critics gated BvS is because they could not understand it. That’s ridiculous.e specially since Zack is being slammed for not putting much thought into BvS, and not because it was an ultra sophisticated movie that transcends the boundaries of human comprehension. That’s silly.

Also, why should he be commended for taking risks? Risks should be scrutinized, and in this case he took risks that were not smart in the slightest. He made superman a mopey teenager, and batman a murderer who has no regard for human life. His justification for this? He saw a video on YouTube that gave a count on batman’s many kills in film. That’s lame, and just because someone takes a risk doesn’t automatically mean they should be applauded for it.
- Martin Bryan
  
  There are a lot of people annoyed with Batman killing although it doesn’t count if it’s in a dream sequence.
  Do people mind Cap America killing? (and thor’s hammer moved a bit for him)
  
  http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Captain-America-Video-Shows-Just-How-Many-People-He-Killed-MCU-126857.html
  
  Actually I really believe that many people weren’t paying attention to BVS and missing the point entirely and that includes why Batman has turned to ruthless violence and killing with truly bad people. The script was basically telling you through the whole film why he was the way he was but it was even overlooked by ‘professional’ critics. 🙁
  But without being patronising, how can anyone see something as intelligent if they’re not looking? This is why Marvel is so popular, it’s filled with action that’s nothing more than that and you don’t have to think far beyond it.
  
  Never follow masses just because they shout it in your face. That was a message in Captain America CV in the funeral scene that held the plot together.
  
  CGI is used quite a bit in the CAP AMERICA and every other superhero film so what the argument there?
  - thegameplay ness
    
    I’m mad at Zack’s justification for it. In addition it does NOT work in the context of BVS. it makes Bats look like a hypocritical douchebag when he tries to kill superman, when he himself is a danger.
    
    Also the comparison with Cap and Bats is off. Cap has no problems with killing; it’s his character. Batman’s moral code is a MAJOR aspect of his character that makes him so unique. Now he’s just like another punisher 🙁
    
    “This is why Marvel is so popular, it’s filled with action that’s nothing more than that and you don’t have to think far beyond it.”
    
    That’s all a matter of opinion. I disagree with you though, and I think IM, IM3, and movies like TWS had much more to say than BVS.
    
    “CGI is used quite a bit in the CAP AMERICA and every other superhero film so what the argument there?”
    
    Don’t misquote me. I said MINDLESS cgi. Inherently there’s nothing wrong with it.
    - Martin Bryan
      
      I can see that you don’t really enjoy Zack Snyder’s work and choices in the BVS. I would say that it would be wrong to hold down a superhero to his/hers code as things change with little pushes here and there. I can understand the development of this Batman and I think it may be made more clear in Suicide Squad? He was going to kill Supes, that was the apex of the way his mind had become (cruel) only to be torn away by the love part of his life that was his family. This could be partly why this movie is said to have more depth.
      
      I don’t have an issue with Cap America CW, it’s a good film with some excellent parts but with some careless flaws. It’s certainly not 5 stars. Even though critics seem to give it all praise. and I’m not just saying that. I’ve can already pick out badly thought out scenes that makes no sense and really ruins the whole reality of the film for me.
      
      That’s fine that CAP kills but for someone that doesn’t “want to kill anyone” (ref link in above comment) He sure does kill lol i.e the war ships in TWS was his plan to destroy Shield and Hydra. His pattern seems to be kill the least amount of lives.
    - Martin Bryan
      
      Also the hypocrisy for what they both do was addressed at Lex’s party. One’s a powerful alien that was partly responsible for mass destruction and lives but not intentional the other is human and wouldn’t harm the innocent either but will beat down on the people that destroy lives (mostly branding). Don’t forget that Lex was playing them to become that way against each other. The logic is all there if it’s thought out. And to be honest any real kills of Batman are rare in the movie.
      
      Is there a kill that you have an issue with as I don’t necessarily recall them?
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Bats was cool in the film; if executed correctly I’d be ok with him killing. The reason why I hated it is because it made him look like a hypocrite.
- LupeX
  
  As I said you sound like “thinking makes my head hurt”
  - thegameplay ness
    
    Troll alert!
stahl macintyre

“Batman V Superman was a prefect counterbalance to this type of formulaic filmmaking but its demise might have been that it was too intellectual for many audiences, afterall may of its critiques read like “thinking hurts my brain” but it certainly was intellectual and ambitious and was the furthest thing from dum entertainment. For taking that risk alone I applaud it.”
LOL

Corey

lol wut?

what the heck am i reading? hahahaha. thanks for the laugh

Corey

i like how write a little disclaimer… you wrote this just to get attention. i am glad you wont be watching any more marvel movies.

ThatOneMFer

Completely agree with you. I’ve never understood why people love these movies so much when there are no stakes and nothing is ever in doubt. Nobody ever complained about the destruction and civilian casualties like they do for DC movies, they were making quips the whole time so it’s OK.

Stucky Sometimes

I felt the same way about Lincoln, The Theory of Everything, Foxcatcher and The Big Short.

I mean you know how it’s going to end, nothing is in doubt. Where are the stakes?
- filmklassik
  
  For me it comes down to a basic inability to treat movies about adults in tights who shoot lasers out of their eyeballs with the same seriousness I reserve for entertainments like CHINATOWN, THE GODFATHER and ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN.
  
  And, more and more, I feel like that’s what we’re being asked to do.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Why is the same “seriousness” necessary?
    
    I think Airplane is an awesome movie. I think the godfather is an awesome movie.i think glengarry Glenn Ross is an awesome movie. I think Star Wars is an awesome movie. I think the muppet movie is an awesome movie.
    
    Why can’t superhero movies just be what they are?
    
    As I say, I don’t care they people don’t like them, but the reasons they sometimes give just don’t hold up to scrutiny.
    
    Or am I being unfair, do you REALLY only like movies as serious as Chinatown, the godfather and all the presidents men?
    - filmklassik
      
      Not at all. One of my favorite movies is RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. But that movie knows what it is. It’s not camp. I hate camp. But it manages to be fun and intelligent while still eschewing the faux-solemnity and occasional pockets of “deep emotion” that characterizes even the most escapist of Marvel movies (yes even AVENGERS and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY).
      
      The difference, I guess, is that 21st century audiences are able to take movies about superpowered adults more seriously than I can.
      
      You want to make a superhero movie that’s tonally like RAIDERS? I’m on board.
      
      You want to make one that expects me to take grown ups in spandex who fly around shooting lasers out of their eyeballs as seriously as characters in an Alan J. Pakula movie, I’m going to think it’s absurd.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      “The difference, I guess, is that 21st century audiences are able to take movies about superpowered adults more seriously than I am.”
      
      Fair enough, though in the equation you may be the one with the limitations.
      
      Star Wars is as earnest as they come.
      
      Harry Potter I consider fairly earnest in its regard for itself.
      
      There is “faux-solemnity” all over those franchises.
      
      Same with Lord of the Rings.
      
      One could even say the same of biblical epics. Noah was populated by walking, talking rock monsters.
      
      Drawing the line between those fantastical by earnest franchises based on costumes and code names strikes me as superficial, but a valid subjective preference.
      
      My point is most people don’t have that self-imposed limitation,as anyone should plainly see.
    - filmklassik
      
      Well, that’s *my* point too. (One of them, anyway). Hence my remark about the difference between me and most 21st Century audiences.
      
      And I’ve never seen even a frame of the POTTER films (and suspect I never will) and — sorry — I didn’t much care for what I have seen of LORD OF THE RINGS.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Fair enough, you have narrower sensibilities than most people.
      
      But I’m not sure your 21st century qualification applies.
      
      Star Wars and the first superman me were in the 70s and 80s.
    - filmklassik
      
      Not narrower, necessarily. Just narrow in a different way than the general public’s. I love westerns and private eye movies, for example, but Hollywood, for the most part, has stopped making them, because audiences, for the most part, have stopped wanting them.
      
      So you could argue that the taste of the general public has narrowed, too.
      
      Long story short, yes, I am out of step with the zeitgeist — you’ll get no argument from me about that — but that isn’t going to stop me from pointing out what I perceive to be the absurdity of many of the movies being embraced by the general public.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      That’s cool, so long as you’re cool it not stopping me pointing out that general public agrees they’re absurd, which is part of the fun.
      
      Jules Verne didn’t write comedy. He wrote earnest narratives incorporating fantastical premises and conceits.
      
      The juxtaposition is the entire point, and well understood by all.
    - filmklassik
      
      Well, I disagree about “well understood by all.” I think people like THIS critic speak for the multitudes — hence Ms. Ross’s lament that people are taking superheroes way too seriously:
      
      http://www.flickfilosopher.com/2016/04/captain-america-civil-war-movie-review-the-consequences-of-superpowers.html
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Just reinforces my point. The juxtaposition between the absurd powers and costumes and codenames with the earnestness is the appeal. That doesn’t by rules make the fantastical elements any less absurd. The contrast IS the point. What you’re identifying is simply called internal logic. And your own inability to reconcile those things into a narrative wholes strike me as a lack of imagination and intellectual elasticity rather than some sort of more mature sensibility, which despite avoiding saying you’re inferring quite strongly.
      
      “I think people like THIS critic speak for the multitudes ”
      
      You’ve now moved beyond expressing your personal preferences and are clearly nudging into the same territory that the people (including Deborah) that have begun their posts with “I don’t understand why…” have, that the popularity of these film are some sort of symptom of a culture with low standards.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      And not for nothing, but if you think marvel studios and Disney themselves take their films as seriously as All the Presidents Men, or their large audiences do, I think that’s on you.
      
      Have you seen guardians and ant-man?
      
      I thought the Thomas the tank engine thing would be a tip-off, but maybe not.
    - filmklassik
      
      “And not for nothing, but if you think marvel studios and Disney themselves take their films as seriously as All the Presidents Men, or their large audiences do, I think that’s on you.”
      
      Let it be on me then, because I absolutely do.
      
      One example: The filmmakers behind WINTER SOLDIER are on record as having set out to make a THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR-type conspiracy thriller in the guise of a superhero movie — which was also one of their reasons for casting Robert Redford as the villain. (But just one of them, mind you; he’s also a terrific actor)
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      “In the guise of”…
      
      Yes, marvel evokes genres to try to give individual film their own feel. Ant-man was a heist movie, but that is not the same thing as saying they take themselves seriously as.
      
      The marvel film are full of self-referential and self-effacing humor.
      
      As I say, your criticisms are valid as they are personal preferences but seemingly superficial.
      
      Seems like making a slight adjustment in just CONSIDERING that marvel is in on the joke would make all the difference in the world.
      
      If you’ve seen the film, spider-man’s appearance could act as a guidepost as to how seriously the film is REALLY taking itself.
    - neodymium
      
      Did you like Batman V superman?
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Raiders of the lost ark was a poor movie in my opinion, but you see, that’s just my opinion.
      
      I think Fox has done an excellent job with superhero movies. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend you see Xmen 1&2, and Xmen days of future past. Their movies have a serious tone to it, with a sprinkle of political undertones.
      
      But once again it all depends on your preferred taste.
    - filmklassik
      
      Interesting. But one quick question: Do the movies you’re recommending feature grown adults running around in spandex and capes with their underwear worn on the outside of their pants, lifting multi-ton objects and shooting lasers out of their eyeballs? If so, I’ll probably regard them as stupid, infantile, and a general waste of time.
    - thegameplay ness
      
      In this one? Not quite. More like leather. The director got flack for going for a much more realistic take on the costumes, as opposed to their comic counterpart.
      
      “grown adults running around in spandex and capes with their underwear worn on the outside of their pants, lifting multi-ton objects and shooting lasers out of their eyeballs? If so, I’ll probably regard them as stupid, infantile, and a general waste of time.”
      
      Unless you’re referring to the old Superman movies, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Alot of comic book characters have costumes that are vastly different from their comic book counterparts. That way they look alot less ridiculous on the big screen.
      
      However I don’t see how that detracts from the movie as a whole. I personally value a good story and characters, but it seems to me that you are rather turned off from the most inconsequential details. I just don’t see how spandex or laser shooting eyes equate to an film that infantile and a waste of your time.
      
      To me, what makes a film a waste of time is if its a bad one, and not because of what the characters are wearing. That, to me, is a ridiculous concern and, ironically, infantile at that.
      
      P.S what is this? The 70s? No comic book movie (let alone a comicbook) has a hero with underwear and spandex. Dude, catch up with the times lmfao.
    - filmklassik
      
      I think you’re taking my sartorial objections too literally. What I’m trying to say is that any movie that treats costumed superheroes with all the gravitas of an Arthur Miller play is, by definition, stupid.
    - thegameplay ness
      
      Oh, lol.
      
      I think CB movies can have an element of seriousness to them, but yeah, MCU movies do tend to be self aware.
- ThatOneMFer
  
  Yeah lets compare historical films to a movie about superheroes because that makes sense
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    In specific context to your criticism about nothing ever being in doubt, it is fair and relevant.
    
    If YOU don’t like films where the outcome is never in doubt, what worth would YOU find in an historical based film?
thegameplay ness

“I’ve never understood why people love these movies so much when there are no stakes and nothing is ever in doubt. ”

I don’t know. Maybe it’s because they disagree with you?
- filmklassik
  
  Right but I think the poster up above was wondering about the basis for the disagreement.
- ThatOneMFer
  
  Thats fine if people disagree. Unlike trolls and fanboys I dont take it as a personal attack when someone doesnt like a movie I do
  - thegameplay ness
    
    So why are you surprised that people believe these movies have weight to them?

likeyeahwhatever

I don’t know why everyone is saying the airport scene was so good, it was usual business.

likeyeahwhatever

Also, this was hilarious.
Stucky Sometimes

The entertainment factor in the “I don’t know why everyone… ” convention is considerable.

The same people critical of the film being formulaic are using the same exact formula to do so…

Not everyone has to like everything, but if people REALLY don’t know why these films work for so many people, that doesn’t speak very well of their powers of observation.

We’ve reached the stage of the discourse where people don’t even realize they’re trying to put down other people’s sensibilities by expressing their own cluelessness.
- filmklassik
  
  Translation: If the critic doesn’t like it, you’re offended.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Not at all. My response wasn’t about not liking the film, my response was about the rational being used over and over and over again.
    
    It’s lazy and formulaic.
    
    “I really can’t understand why… ”
    
    Yeah you can, or you’re an idiot. Not that hard to figure out why so many people like them even if you don’t.
- David Amstice
  
  “FORMULAIC” IS NOT A MATTER OF OPINION.
  
  If a REVIEW tells me I’m going to see something I’ve never seen before, and it’s formulaic, that reviewer should be fired for MISLEADING me.
  
  THE REVIEWS all suggest Civil War is INNOVATIVE, INNOVATIVE, and INNOVATIVE — taking superhero movies to many places they’ve NEVER BEEN TO.
  
  That better be the case when I see it or else I will be very angry.
  
  That’s FALSE ADVERTISING, otherwise.
  
  YOu can say you LOVE a movie, or LOVE cliches.
  
  But you can’t call something CLICHE “not-cliche”.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Of course formulaic is a matter of opinion.
    
    When you consider there is a literary theory that ALL stories can be boiled down to 7 plots, one can argue EVERY story is formulaic.
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots
    
    The 3 act structure is formulaic.
    
    Award-bait biopics are inherently formulaic. How many begin with the protagonist in a pivotal moment in time, and then go back in time to reveal the formulative moments that got the character to the beginning of the narrative?
    
    Most if not ALL movies follow formulas.
    
    It just depends which formulas you personally like.
    
    There was this Martin Scorsese movie – about this relative innocent who gets seduced into this exotic world full of excess and illegal activity, full of colorful but volatile characters. He falls in love with a New York girl but his bad habits and inability to stay faithful makes the relationship very volatile as well.
    
    The film chronicles the excesses of this world and how the lead characters indulges in them in great detail and in first person narrative the hero explains the details of his successful illegal activities.
    
    Eventually the hero is taken down both by law enforcement who is monitoring him and his own inability to curb his life of excess and he is forced to turn state’s witness against the people in his world.
    
    Now, am I talking about Goodfellas or The Wolf of Wall Street?

Richard Kev

I think the only thing that confuses me is, why did you go to these movies in the first place? You dislike them. No problem. You get nothing from them. Understood. Then why torture yourself, waste your time viewing, and then waste more time writing a meaningless review on something you didn’t like before you even saw it?

John Garrison

We don’t need it
Mark Alkline

It’s their JOB to review movies… Whether they want to or not.
- Stucky Sometimes
  
  That’s valid.
- thegameplay ness
  
  It shouldn’t be their JOB to review movies if they do so in such a poor manner.
  - David Amstice
    
    in a smarter world, ALL REVIEWS would be POINT/COUNTERPOINT.
    
    There are too many variables that render most reviews pointless.
    
    (The reviewer could be in a bad mood that day, or not smart, or a fanboy, or had a fight with their spouse… etc etc.)
- Laura Davis
  
  As someone that took Journalism classes it’s not a good thing to review films that you have a bias against that you’ve decided you’re going to hate before viewing it. That’s bad journalism. Job or no job, if you look at her list of reviews she doesn’t go out and review every single movie that comes out. She did not have to do this one because it’s her job. She did this one because she was relishing the opportunity to hate it and to throw insults at people that genuinely love these movies. That in itself makes this a bad, bias and awfully pretentious review. I think a couple of the other negative reviews make good points. This one, however, does not. This one is a mess and draws no logical arguments about the movie outside of the confirmation bias she went in with. This is yes, an honest review based on her opinions about comics and nothing subjective about the actual film, but she could have written this without even seeing the movie and while I am sure she saw it, that’s how it reads. Bad bad bad writing.
  - stahl macintyre
    
    Well said…

Pad88

I’m genuinely perplexed as to how some people (five to be more specific) think this movie doesn’t have emotional depth.

Wen Sheng Foo

Cos the movie build them up to be so invincible tat it kinda make it diffiult to believe that the characters including the non superpowered ones would be in any danger. And the jokes in between fights definitely make me feel more relaxed than worried for them.

Tim Meisburger

I watched it my daughter yesterday and had the same reaction. Plus, I’m fed up with jerky cam. But she (17 years old) loved it.

David Amstice

the FIGHT scenes look obnoxious.

Like they SPED UP THE FOOTAGE every time. Super-annoying.

I’ll take Deadpool / Matrix SLOW-MOTION any day.

Greg

I’ve really enjoyed the evolving MCU! Until this film I think they did well, with some ups and downs.

That said – as someone who liked Captain America 2 and Avengers – I greatly value the opinion about Civil War from someone who liked the others too. I think it’s very fair to say that if someone disliked the last 10 movies the chances are weighted against liking this film.

My critique of this film (spoiler free I hope) is
1) not enough time spent making clear Captain America’s objections.
2) main characters not developed. All attachment is based on previous movies.
3) I expected a larger civil war backdrop somewhere rather than a simpler avengers split.

Laura Davis

“2) main characters not developed. All attachment is based on previous movies.”

That is the point of this being a sequel and the Marvel uni. This is the third sequel in the line of Captain American movies. I have no idea why anyone that hasn’t seen any or even more than a few of the last Marvel movies would come into this movie thinking they’re going to reintroduce and redevelop every character they’ve already spent a good 5-8 years doing that for.. They don’t redevelop Jason Bourne and show his story and reintroduce the character every sequel they do.

youngshyne

I came to a realization that I should not take rotten tomato serious anymore. This movie was a disappointment. Maybe it’s my fault that I read the reviews and actually expected a great movie but come on. I

thegameplay ness

That doesn’t hurt RT’s credibility at all. RT is a REVIEW AGGREGATE, meaning they collect reviews from other websites. The general consensus rules that it was a good movie. Just because YOU decided to come into the movie with a preconceived notion does not hurt the website’s credibility.
- Lopez
  
  I don’t think it’s an attack on rotten tomatoes, but having seen the film I find myself deeply dissatisfied. It’s not a bad film but there is really no mystery to the story and you find yourself uninvested in any of the characters so – Cue marvel formula -but as someone who has watched every MCU movie I’m starting to feel less excited about seeing these characters again.
  - Deeyablo
    
    I think the bigger issue is that the movies are essentially spoiled and overhyped relentlessly, for months. Details leaked, plot twists telegraphed, enough footage leaked to kill much of the surprise you should be experiencing in the film. Unfortunately, the costs of making these movies require maximized marketing output, and this obviously works. A lot of the potential joy is sapped before you make it to the theater seat.
  - thegameplay ness
    
    That’s fine if you feel that way. even though I’m an MCU fan I tend to go into their movies with a clean slate; no expectations. I have yet to see civil war.

Bill3

My mother loves them. 🙂

Martin Bryan

Spoiler alert!!

I liked this film because I don’t don’t think you can dislike it if you’re in to this genre. However it started to feel bland with its jam packed plot that felt like it was too much. Nothing really stood out as great apart from the end fight with IM CA and BUCK. I like the romance with the hot chick and wanted to see more. This movie seemed to skim over the really interesting things and not develop them which is aggrovating. Personally I got a lot more from BVS and was a interested with the relationships between people so it had more depth and character.

Had trouble believing the cctv camera that was conveniently at the car crash scene, made no sense at all. Why didn’t vision or iron man destroy the super plane that got them out of the airport, that seemed like an obvious way to stop them before a fight. Ant man jumping onto ironman off a ledge which a one in a million chance. just had to say.

Richard Lutz

The X-Men series of films are clearly the best super hero franchise by a country mile.

Martin Bryan

Most successful franchise? Best storyline? Best characters? Most unbeleivable? Most holes that can be picked out if it? Depends on the age of the audience. Maybe 10 to 20 year olds out would be?
- Richard Lutz
  
  I did not say it was the most successful franchise, or that it had the best storyline or characters or was the most believable; rather that it was the best super hero franchise, based on its strong humane themes and the way each film feels fresh and is very entertaining.
  - Martin Bryan
    
    I see, if you said that then it would have been clear.
    And you have cleared up its your opinion and not fact so that’s good as well.
    
    I would say that they are quite fresh movies. They are entertaining. The writers are stretching the plots all over the place nowadays and are creating holes for themselves as there are mistakes being made with continuity. Plus even though superhero films aren’t realistic as such it doesn’t give writers the right to allow lazy unrealistic things to occur. I.e wolverine wouldn’t move as well once he was much heavier due to a metal skeleton. Or that his claws wouldn’t be perfectly shaped over his bone claws.
    
    And you have to invest belief that there are loads of amazing mutants in the world.
    
    Like I said probably the best franchise for young people.
Stucky Sometimes

Clearly neither critics or paying audience around the globe don’t agree with you.
- Richard Lutz
  
  I base my assertion on my personal beliefs, not what anyone else thinks. Most critics say Citizen Kane and Vertigo are the best two films, while the two most popular films in history with paying audiences were Avatar and Titanic. Need I say more? The reason being the strong humane themes and the way each film feels fresh and is very entertaining, whereas most sequels in movie franchises seem like a tired rehash of the original.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Which doesn’t apply to the X-Men franchise.
    
    it’s totally cool for you the X-Men films play better. I’m not inclined to try to get you to change your mind, I thought you were implying an objective truth by use of your term “clearly”.
    
    If not and i misunderstood, my bad.
- David Amstice
  
  you are wrong.
  
  As a comic fan, I was NEVER interested in the X-Men. NEVER.
  
  When the first movie came out, I ONLY saw it cuz 100% of the REVIEWS raved.
  
  I show that movie to all my friends who hate comic book movies and ALL say it’s brilliant. Just like Kick-Ass, which also got stellar reviews but wasn’t HUGE at the box office.
  
  BY CONTRAST, I will debate anyone that AVENGERS – ULTRON is THE worst movie ever made ever (most plotholes, alone!)…. and the REVIEWS called it a masterpiece, over and over!
  
  (YIKES!)
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    Age of Ultron rates on the lower end of the MCU films on RT.
    
    To suggest that somehow the critical/fan consensus is what it was a masterpiece is just false.
    - David Amstice
      
      Maybe where you are, but I was living in NYC (the world capital of media) when it came out and it was all 4 and 5 out of 5 stars, AND Rotten Tomatoes last year had it at over 90%.
      
      That it’s now 75% is a typical rewriting of history. (EX: all the critics slammed Zeppelin’s first album. TODAY, they’ve all CHANGED their reviews based on history.)
      
      Go back and look at the ORIGINAL ultron reviews. ALL raved and raved and raved.
      
      Only AFTER the past year +, of people FINALLY pointing out the Emperor was naked, has everyone changed their “opinions”. (Humans are lemmings. They’ll say a Billary Clinton was a Great President — if everyone else says that. ONCE THE FACTS COME OUT, and more ppl say he was the most right wing prez in US history, people’s “opinions” “evolve”. That’s typical of humans.)
    - David Amstice
      
      AND IT’S STILL PROVABLY ONE OF THE WORST FILMS EVER MADE.
      
      Even at 75% that’s a false racket.
      
      It’s quantifiable, scientifically.
      
      EX: no movie has MORE CHILDISH PLOTHOLES.
      
      EX: everything about it is utterly PREDICTABLE.
      
      etc etc.
      
      I used to say Affleck’s Daredevil was the WORST of them all… followed closely by the first Fantastic Four… but Ultron blows them out of the water.
      
      If it has ANY reviews over 1 star, that’s a scandal. But humans love to lie and lie and lie and try to fit in.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Is someone arguing with you about Age of Ultron I don’t know about?
      
      X-Men 3 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine are both relatively poorly received films.
      
      I’m not sure what point your arguing at this stage.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Published on April 30, 2015, the day before Age of Ultron opened.
      
      http://www.ew.com/article/2015/4/30/box-office-preview-avengers-age-of-ultron
      
      “The first Avengers set a domestic box-office record, opening with $207.4 million and becoming the first film to surpass $200 million. Presale ticket numbers for Age of Ultron are much, much higher than they were for the first film, and even the most conservative estimates put Ultron around $200 million. That being said, even though Age of Ultron has added names like James Spader and Elizabeth Olsen to an already star-studded cast, the reviews haven’t been as good. The Avengers earned a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but Age of Ultron has only scored a 73 percent. The combination of high presale numbers and lackluster reviews might average out to a total that’s only slightly higher than the first movie’s debut.”
      
      Age of Ultron was two % points LOWER the day before its release. It has GAINED two points in the “past year+” that you cite.
      
      That is a documented fact. You are simply, objectively, indisputably wrong.
ashley

I think all comic to movie adaptations are lame BUT X men is the absolute WORST. IF you have ever read an x men comic then you will no how unjust it is. All the people responsible for the characters seem to use NO real thought when recruiting for these movies, they simply use the biggest actors at the time. Hugh Jackman is a great actor but as wolverine?? He is absolutely terrible in comparison to the comic. The costumes are horrid, the profiles of the characters are muddled… theyre just so bad, I could go on.

Pad88

Quicksilver is dead.

David Amstice

yay!

Jack Rocks

I can’t stand any of them apart from x-men, which is ridiculous but kind-of fun. Saw Guardians of the Galaxy and thought it was rubbish.

Stucky Sometimes

Cool story, bro.

ryan110001

Fast food movies, I am sick and tired of these superheroe movies. as long these moves make money, Hollywood will keep churning this out. One more avenger, one more x men movie and so on, and if they run out of ideas, they will just remake the movie with new heroes.

Stucky Sometimes

I don’t like sushi. You know what I do about all the sushi restaurants in my town??

i don’t go in them.

And live really quite peacefully among them.

Nick Alimonos

Really, if you don’t like superhero movies you probably shouldn’t watch them. It’s like if you take me to the Superbowl. No matter how exciting the game, I am not going to care, because I think football is boring. If you’re chief concern is emotional depth, you’re probably in the wrong theater. You can’t go into something called, “Captain America: Civil War” and expect “Terms of Endearment.” What critics mean by emotional depth is “emotional depth for a superhero movie.” As for me, I know I am going to love it because I enjoy watching people who can fly and fight and do amazing things, because I am a kid at heart, and at 41 I still have some shred of imagination left.

Richard

Youtube some video game cut scenes, more or less the same thing as a mcu film. Emotionless, repetitive and childish. Watch a dc film if you want a real comic film
- badgered
  
  “Watch a dc film if you want a real comic film”
  
  What, like BvS? If you like your comic films dark and depressing – they’re fine.
  
  I personally don’t care for that tone, but to each their own.
- Nick Alimonos
  
  I did. Growing up, I greatly preferred DC comics. The original Donner 1978 Superman, and Superman II, were both films I adored. Then Snyder took over with Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, which I can only describe as incomprehensible gibberish. He literally stole panels from various popular comics, “Death of Superman,” “Dark Knight Returns,” “Trinity,” cut and pasted them together with no coherence, and called it a story. And I really, really wanted to like it. Sorry, you simply can’t compare DC to Marvel right now in terms of quality.
  - ashley
    
    Theyre both making movies that are equally as bad and aimed at the same fan base… people with no idea what has gone on in any comic
  - Richard
    
    DC is better, I like a more adult approach and the stories were easy to follow. I enjoy Donners superman but that type of superhero film is long and gone imo. But good opnion
- Anon
  
  Oh yeah, Dawn of justice was a real damn thriller now wasn’t it? It got what, 26% on Rotten tomatoes I think? And more than half the human population was disappointed with the movie? Ah yeah, real great film man.
  - Richard
    
    U must be upset because I your Avengers film are for kids. Go to your safe zone and talk amongst the rest of 10 year olds
ashley

Imagination but no idea what these movies are based on it seems
Lay

well batman the dark knight trilogy and spiderman old trilogy are good….
I did not like civil war and batman v superman…

So I like or don’t like superhero movies?
Maybe I just like good superhero movies, with good writing and interesting plot. With no lame jokes and with few but good action sequence, and with a mode interesting plot.

I think the real problem is that there are many people that just like action sequence, and really don’t care about the plot… that’s why we got a bunch of bad super hero movies (like ant man and deadpool)

David Amstice

I LIKE GUTS.

Imagine if Marvel said “we like a CHALLENGE: Iron Man 4 will be all drama… but ZERO ACTION SEQUENCES and RDJ never puts on the iron man suit!”

Ivan Ewan

This is not a review, it’s a rant. The writer seems disappointed that Captain America: Civil War is not like Life of Pi. Well blow me, so it isn’t. That doesn’t keep it from being a good film, which it certainly is.

I went to see it with clear expectations of what I was going to get, and the film fulfilled those expectations and surpassed them. The goodies had fundamental disagreements and punched each other a lot. It was better than Souperman vs Bananaman. The only thing that annoyed me was the audience, but what can you do, it’s a cinema.

And people who want a bit of deeper meaning in their superhero movies will get that, too. It’s a bit of a Jesus metaphor movie, but one where the writers either didn’t notice or didn’t choose to insult everyone’s intelligence by drawing attention to it. That, and it’s another episode in the age-long debate between liberty and security.

It’s actually remarkable that Disney have managed to produce now about eleven movies for the Avengers – not counting GotG here – which all tie into each other in a continuous narrative thread, while also providing a coherent and comprehensive story for each film, and which are all at the very least good and are often very entertaining. That’s beyond any movie series yet produced, including James Bond.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

ashley

Your blowing Disney’s trumpet as if it’s hard to create a movie that has had an uncountable amount of comics made before that they can copy… You proved no real point and the reviewer in my opinion is right. The film barely had ANY action, is filled with points where all the so called heroes are sat down in civilian clothing. I’m sorry but ANY PROPER comics can can’t like any of these movies. They shine such a poor light on stories that took years to build and they destroy them in hours. Rubbish characters, a poor excuse to introduce more characters and in my opinion, another Comic bites the dust…
- Ivan Ewan
  
  Whoa, that was a pretty good rant. Although the only words you said that hold any water are, “in my opinion”.
  - ashley
    
    Well seeing as I didn’t get an actual smart answer from yourself, ill take it I proved my point and you received it. Thanks for trying to make out that I didn’t get a point across but when people have nothing decent to say, they usually just criticize… Ill take the win
    - Ivan Ewan
      
      If you say so. Now it’s time for you to brush your teeth and go to bed. Good night.
    - ashley
      
      HAHA Point proven.. Thanks for making it easy
    - Anon
      
      Quoting Sherlock Holmes, stop talking. You’ll lower the IQ of the whole street. “Haha point proven”. What are you, five? Five year olds are way more mature. And as for him not countering your points, it’s because there weren’t any valid intelligent points to counter.
- Kevin L
  
  Wow, unintelligibility aside, your rant is rather lacking in substance. You think it’s easy to create ONE good comic book movie, much less the dozen that Marvel Studios has? Just why, pray tell, has Warner Brothers spent decades churning out tripe like “Catwoman”, “Batman and Robin”, “Green Lantern”, “Superman Returns”, “Man of Steel” and “Batman vs. Superman”? Most of those were not only savaged critically, but had very underwhelming box office returns. It’s not enough to just copy a good graphic novel and magically turn it into a good movie. If it were, Zach Snyder would have simply copied Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” and made an awesome movie rather than the steaming pile he came up with. You complain about the lack of action as if you were expecting another Michael Bay travesty. Not only have I never seen an MCU film which I considered to have a lack of action, but even the children who I’ve seen these movies with don’t complain about the boring heroes in their civvies standing around talking.
  
  What you must understand is that to people who see these films regularly don’t do so to spend 120+ minutes watching stuff blow-up non-stop, but expect to have actual stories to explain why the stuff is blowing up, and why they should care. Without those boring scenes where the “heroes are sat down in civilian clothing”, the action really wouldn’t mean a whole lot, would it? If you really think that real comic “can”s aren’t utterly thrilled with these movies, you must be as daft as you appear. The entirety of the MCU is filled with those fans, from the president, Kevin Feige on down. You don’t become significantly involved with the production of these movies unless you’re a fan. So really, go cry in your cheerios that you didn’t get your “Pearl Harbor 2: The Harboring”. The rest of us will enjoy the start of Phase 3.
  - ashley
    
    I was going to read that story you wrote but when I saw you mention marvel has created a good dozen movies… I knew I wouldn’t benefit from wasting more of my time reading the rest of your comment.
Anon

Ah finally. An intelligent person among this sea of criticising old bats. Souperman vs Bananaman though XDDD

Richard

I love this review, finally someone who understands that a bunch of colorful cg characters flying around and spewing childish dialog doesn’t make a good film. #teamgrowup

Stucky Sometimes

Yup, always good to find people with a lack of imagination finding connections.

Everyone needs a support system.
- Richard
  
  Oh you enjoy watching videogame cutscenes for 2 hrs. Nice, I’m sure you can talk to the 10 year Olds in the theater about how cool the movie is.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    “Color cg characters flying” around is not a criticism. To dismiss any film based on this criteria alone is again, lacking in imagination.
    
    Nothing wrong with a movie playing to adults and children at the same time.
    
    I really enjoyed Alfonso Cuarón’s The Little Princess, and I imagine his arm wasn’t twisted to make it.
    
    Why can’t I enjoy Dumbo AND Serpico? Why does it have to be one or the other?
    - Richard
      
      Stfu with your long stupid reply
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Are you available for children’s parties?
    - Richard
      
      Is it your party? Gonna have avenger themes huh?
    - Kevin L
      
      It seems as if you can’t decide whether you’re an uptight art house critic who lambastes any film which isn’t shot in b&w and features subtitles, or you’re one of the illiterate masses dispatching your superiors with aggressively embarrassing grammar. I’m leaning more towards the latter considering how many critics who are actually well spoken liked the movie, but the good news is that you don’t have to choose!
    - Richard
      
      Ohhh look i like movies that are loud and childish. More videogame cutscenes please. Twerp
    - Kevin L
      
      Ooooh look, I can act like a childish moron on the internet! More troll bait please! Derp! What these morons don’t seem to understand is that these films are actually critically acclaimed. There are legitimate criticisms of the genre and of MCU films, but you make yourself look woefully ignorant with your videogame comparison (some might say quite daft) when that’s clearly the aesthetic that DC/WB has been aiming for. Just keep on striving for utter irrelevancy.

ashley

I’m sorry but as a long running COMICS fan, this does absolutely nothing for the genre besides changing plot, characters and costumes for a bunch of BS that people who have never read a comic before, will love. I feel that all these movies are forced upon the public to the point of them HAVING to love it and if you don’t, your unpopular. These films are filled with crap dialog, shifted stories to excuse the characters that have been thrown in with no real need and the costumes are made so bad, I’m almost tempted to see if I can spot a “toys r us ” giraffe on captain America’s helmet. This IS a rant because I’m done with the amazing reviews on films named after a super hero when all your seeing for 2 hours is his civilian alter ego. F marvel and Stan Lee… Your a sell out

Kevin L

LOL. Complaints of “crap dialog” from someone who doesn’t know the difference between “your” and “you’re”. It’s quite obvious to me that the writers aren’t exactly trying to appeal to your (not you’re) kind. Also, they obviously don’t need to appeal to mental giants such as yourself because you continue to watch their movies even though you claim to hate them. So, if you’re wondering why Marvel isn’t taking your constructive criticism to heart, it’s most likely because of your utter irrelevance.
longtrey38

Stan was a sell-out the minute he took the writer-editor role at Marvel. He rode the talents of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, making it like he was the main cause for the creativity. However, it was Steve and Jack plotting and drawing the big books.

Eirik Rasmussen

I find it extremely funny, although a bit annoying, to see the same pattern all over the internet. The formula is always the same. 1. A person post their view/opinion about something. 2. People with a different view/opinion attack the person and claim their view/opinion to be the correct one. 3. A ridiculous debate based on opinions follows.
Why is it that people are so eager to defend their opinions, even to the point of personal attacks? It reminds me of religious people who are not content with having a belief until everyone else shares their belief.

Stucky Sometimes

The pattern I see is more 1.) person who expresses their valid opinion by dismissing anyone who doesn’t share it. Deborah’s review did this as well. “I am perplexed by”… “I don’t understand people who.”

If anyone posted, ‘Man, I really hated Civil War’, I wouldn’t respond. What I respond to is the definitive statements that this movie is or isn’t great AND you’re an idiot if you don’t think differently.
- Eirik Rasmussen
  
  You made my point. If she hates something, that probably means she finds it hard to understand why anyone can like it so much. She could of course be better at mentioning that this is her opinion, but every sane person on this planet knows that we can only express our own opinions and not enforce them on others….oh wait i forgot all the religious people, well the rest of us knows it at least.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    “If she hates something, that probably means she finds it hard to understand why anyone can like it so much.”
    
    I don’t agree with this at all. I think it’s rhetorical shorthand.
    
    I don’t have to sympathize with someone to be able to empathize with them. That’s different muscles.
    - Eirik Rasmussen
      
      So since my opinion about gay people being killed in muslim countries is A (that it is an utter disgrace and an act of barbarism) i have to understand and accept that they do it because it is B (the right thing to do in their opinion)?
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      What does accept have to do with anything?
      
      Maybe it’s my opinion, but I don’t think this is difficult to understand, as abhorrent as it is. It isn’t mass sociopathy, where you can’t make heads or tails of it. Its unfortunately culture.
      
      Understanding isn’t approval or agreement.
    - Eirik Rasmussen
      
      So remove “accept” from the sentence i wrote and respond to that.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      I think we might be defining “understand” differently. You seem to be defining it as “agree” or “approve.”
      
      I think I already did answer you.
      
      Yes, I understand why there are countless examples in human history of cultures fearing things different from the ‘norm’ and creating dogma to justify trying to suppress or destroy things and people who don’t conform.
      
      I don’t “understand” it in a sympathetic way. I “understand” it in an empirical way.
      
      It’s barbaric and tragic and disgraceful, but I don’t not comprehend it. I can comprehend it and find it abhorrent at the same time.
      
      Interesting though the analogy you choose. In a discussion about personal tastes in films you chose what you did.
      
      I think that speaks to my overall point about people trying to use their opinions about film to position themselves in a caste system.
    - Richard
      
      Shut up u little 16 year old basement dwelling twerp
  - Brian Malone
    
    How is being evangelically anti-religion any better than being evangelically religious? And how in the world is that in any way related to this movie? Do you just look for random pedestals from which to spout your hypocritical rhetoric? Focus, buddy.
Martin Bryan

FAIR POINT. I guess that’s people for you. I think if you get an emotional reaction from a movie etc then you’re going to be convinced that that is correct and your opinion will follow?

The emotional feeling is not wrong at all for that person but you have to factor in how educated and intelligent they are in that time.

I remember thinking final destination was the most amazing film in the world when I was young lol.

I think Cap America CW is good. But I can’t help but think its not very intelligent. For example for such a good guy he has no second thought of killing people. He’s never felt bad or had personal turmoil about taking lives. I would be a wreck and feel like I’m not so good!

And yeah religion can be dangerous for the uneducated. 🙁
Brian Malone

You understand that reviews are meant to spark conversation, right? They aren’t just for people like you to seek out opinions similar to your own to affirm your own beliefs.

boomslang74

I’m still hoping for the day when Deborah Ross actually reviews a film, rather than using them merely as an excuse for a series of inane, patronising “quips”.

Simon

Can we take it you don’t like any franchise movies for fans? Such as James Bond, Bourne movies, Star Wars, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Lord of the Rings, Disney Movies, etc. Because everything you have said also applies to those movies and they are all incredibly successful. Including the highest grossing movies of all time.

lioncircle antilope

Glad to know I’m not the only one that disliked Civil War, Specter, Star Wars and another few yawn films

Stucky Sometimes

misery enjoys company.
- Richard
  
  Stucky gets hurt when we make fun of the toys he buys after watching the movie. Go watch the Avengers and go to your safe zone
RénardWeekly

‘Same here. . .

IllegalSwede

So, Marvel movies are all the same. Tell me something I don’t know. At least their Netflix stuff isn’t afraid to take a risk.

Alberto Monroy

I started watching Ant Man and as soon as he starting throwing jokes and the typical American one-liners I stopped; I hate the disrespect for something with potential; these jokes make kids laugh, but serious people, seriously interested in a deep movie will always feel mocked.
- Brian Malone
  
  Yes, humor. Definitely something to take seriously.
- f4b
  
  you realize you were watching a movie about a man who puts on a suit to turn himself in to the size of an ant, right

Larry

i suppose we all should be glad that this is your last Marvel film -I just wish you started a film ago. So as a reader I didn’t have to sludge through this nonsensical rationale. If you don’t understand the reason why people love these films then you shouldn’t bother. Personally, I don’t understand how you couldn’t find some fun in the film but then again I figure there are folks who are just that close-minded to popular culture. They don’t get it and that’s fine. Just stay away and leave that fun to other reviewers who understand it.

IllegalSwede

Action works when there are stakes. Something the characters risk losing. There are never any stakes in the Marvel movies because A) we already know which characters survive based on the future film lineup and B) because Disney likes money, and they know the actors/characters are cash cows.

Age of Ultron was marketed as a darker entry in the MCU. The trailers even toyed with the possibility of characters dying. I walked in fully expecting one of the main characters to die. You know who died? Some guy we weren’t even attached to because he died in the film that he was introduced in!

And in terms of depth? Batman Begins and The Dark Knight had ideological depth, and they took the time to explore those ideologies a bit. And those films weren’t really THAT fun. The Marvel movies, on the other hand…are accessible quip-fests that pander to the lowest common denominator. They can’t be BAD, but they can’t be GREAT either.

It has nothing to do with being close-minded. It has to do with basic storytelling and, above all things, money. You’re the one who is close-minded if you ” don’t understand how [someone] couldn’t find some fun in the film”.
- Stucky Sometimes
  
  “Action works when there are stakes. Something the characters risk losing.”
  
  Okay, let’s genuinely explore that.
  
  Does this equally apply to the Bond films? We know James Bond will never die.
  
  How about the Jason Bourne films?
  
  The Harry Potter films?
  
  Doctor Who?
  
  Was the ending of Star Wars REALLY ever in doubt? Was there a moment you thought the Death Star would destroy Yavin and/or Luke Skywalker would die?
  
  If your answer is yes to all of these questions, I respect your position.
  - IllegalSwede
    
    It appears my original comment was not approved by The Spectator, but whatever. There was nothing wrong with it.
    
    The answer is in the first line.
    “Something the character’s risk losing”. It doesn’t have to be their lives.
    
    -Bond’s friends die all the time. The bad guy won in Skyfall: Silva killed M.
    -Don’t really remember Bourne. Need to watch them again.
    -Major characters die all the time in HP. Sirus, Dumbledore. Even Cedric in 4.
    -Don’t watch DW. I hear its very poorly written.
    -Empire ends with Han in carbonite and Luke loses his hand and discovers his father is the bad guy. That ups the stakes significantly.
    
    Out of the main Marvel cast, who has died? When have the heroes ever lost?
    
    P.S. The Civil War comic ends with Cap being assassinated. This doesn’t happen in the film.
    - Richard
      
      You can’t argue with the Disney marvel crowd. Their attention isn’t that good, they just want one liners and cg. Marvel kids go back to your safe zone
    - IllegalSwede
      
      That’s fine. People are allowed to like what they want. But holding up the MCU and saying that it has depth is just silly.
      
      Compare with The Dark Knight Trilogy, which successfully blended character drama with action, not to mention the themes that those movies actually explored. I would not use the word “fun” to describe those films, yet they are still interesting and entertaining. Not a lot of CG in those films either.
      
      Marvel films are fine if you want to turn off your brain for a few hours. They are the cinematic equivalent of a fireworks display: prepackaged, pretty, loud, and with little variety. You look at them for a while and then you go home, but you don’t really think about them afterwards.
    - Kevin L
      
      In the Dark Knight Trilogy, only The Dark Knight was great. I’m a big Nolan fan, but Begins was merely good, and The Dark Knight Rises was a mess of a finale. I think the MCU has at least 4 great movies (Iron Man, Avengers, Caps 2 and 3) and many more which are at least very good. Also, not only are the movies thought provoking, but they work on three structural levels: The individual movies themselves which are self-contained and all tend to show various representations of the hero’s journey, the individual phases which incorporate these movies into a much broader arc, and then as the combination of the three phases which can be seen as a massive trilogy comprising 20+ movies. Not all of them are great, but they’re at the very least good (with the possible exception of the Thor films) and critical acclaim does bear that out.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      I don’t really disagree at all, actually. Begins is my favourite, but TDK is a better film. Rises is a beautiful mess. I like Iron Man 1 and Cap 2, but in retrospect Avengers was only successful as an event film; the culmination of several years worth of filmmaking. On its own, without the other films, its just an okay movie.
      
      I mentioned somewhere else that I don’t think the MCU films are BAD. They have too much money and talent behind them, and a certain level of quality that Disney demands from them. But they can’t really shake off their shackles either and become truly GREAT because they never take risks.They CAN’T take risks. They are ultimately restricted by a corporate plan that Disney has already set up for them.
      
      Also, thank you for talking like a human being instead of just shooting your mouth off like Stucky.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      You’ve disqualified being introduced and killed in the same film, so Obi-Wan is disqualified. As are Luke’s aunt and uncle.
      
      There is therefore no stakes in Star Wars.
      
      In Empire we learn Vader is luke’s father, and Luke loses a hand and gets it back literally 10 mins later.
      
      Frozen in carbonite? Again, undone the first 10 mins of Jedi. I was 11 and was never in suspense over that one.
      
      In Civil War alone, Stark learns Winter Soldier assasinated his mother and father, Rhodey suffers a serious spinal injury and Cap and 5 other Avengers become fugitives.
      
      Now understand I’m a fan of BOTH films/franchises, but to suggest there is a difference in the criteria you identified just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
      
      And I’m not saying YOU shouldn’t like Star Wars more. Just that the original trilogy doesn’t REALLY present any more risk.
      
      The trilogy ended on one of the sappiest happy notes in movie story. Sum risk of all three films:
      
      – The plot device relatives were killed within 20 mins of their introduction.
      
      – The old mentor died in the film he was introduced in … and came back anyway.
      
      – The even older mentor died peacefully of natural causes in the 2nd film …and came back anyway.
      
      – Luke lost hand, and got it back 10 mins later.
      
      – Han was in carbonite for a few months, maybe 20 mins of screen time.
      
      – Vader was revealed as Luke’s father at the end of Empire, redeemed himself at the end of Jedi… and came back.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      No, my “criteria” holds up just fine. You’re being pedantic to try and prove me wrong. There is a fundamental difference between Age of Ultron and New Hope, and if you can’t see that then you’re an idiot.
      
      1) At the time of release, Star Wars was standalone. No franchise was planned. It was meant to be self-contained. It was also meant to be a kids movie.
      
      2) AoU is the eleventh film in the MCU, part of a massive franchise. It is meant to set up future plot threads. It also touted itself as darker than previous installments.
      
      The thing is, you’re counting elements that last over more than one movie. Empire came out in 80, Jedi came out in 83. No one knew what was going to happen. With Marvel, we know BY THE TITLE OF THE MOVIES which characters will survive.
      
      And if you’re trying to prove a point using Civil War, let me apply YOUR OWN logic:
      -Stark’s parents (specifically Howard) had barely any development over a film and a TV series (Agent Carter)
      -Stark builds Rhodey an exoskeleton so he can walk again,
      -The Avengers will get back together for Avengers: Infinity War.
      
      Obi-Wan’s death in NH shows the threat of the villains whilst also acting as a passing-of-the-torch moment to Luke. But, let’s be honest, no one cared about Obi-Wan until later. When the film first came out, he was just a cool character. Besides, the characters of Obi-Wan and Quicksilver are completely different: one is a wise mentor figure, and the other is some joe-schmoe.
      
      There are no stakes in the Marvel movies. And until you admit that, I’m done with you. But it’s OK! You’re allowed to like something while still being aware that it isn’t good.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      I didn’t argue there were stakes in Marvel films. I argued there were no more stakes in the Star Wars films. I was making a comparison about their similarity of their stakes, which I believe is minimal in both cases.
      
      There were NO stakes in Star Wars: A New Hope applying the criteria YOU volunteered.
      
      Loki killed Coulson in Avengers. Showed he was serious. His death rallied the team together.
      
      I’m sorry, I’m big fans of both franchises, but if you’re specifically trying to distinguish the original trilogy in terms of having greater stakes than any ONE MCU film, including but not limited to Civil War, you’re jumping through hoops.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      Wow. Look at you desperately trying to prove me wrong!
      
      Anyone outside this argument will see that I’ve already explained why SW and MCU are different. News flash: I’m using AoU as an EXAMPLE, because it perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with the MCU. I know I used some big words there like “example” and “encapsulate”, but surely you’re smart enough to look them up.
      
      But I’ll humour you: There are no stakes in Star Wars: A New Hope. Although, I actually didn’t bring up SW at all. YOU did. Stop trying to make it out like I’m who keeps bringing them up and comparing them. Also Coulson was a minor character. Not a major one. Still haven’t proved me wrong.
      
      And what is this “criteria” you keep talking about? I have not once described a list of things that would create stakes. All I’ve said is “something the characters risk losing”. Characters dying is the easiest way to show that, sure, but we know they won’t lose because A)Disney revealed their movie lineup and B) they like money too much.
      
      You’re a big fan. That’s fine. You’re allowed to like them. But it will also be obvious to anyone reading that you’re to blinded by your love for these movies that you’re afraid to admit that they might not be as good as you think they are.
      
      So I bid you adieu, child, and hope you have a good time with your movies.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      I’m having a discussion with you. The intended purpose of this forum.
      
      Not sure why this is problematic for you.
      
      I’m fully aware that other people don’t like films I do, and vice versa. What I’m commenting on is very specific arguments given by people like yourself who represent as self conscious about the films they do and don’t like, presumably believing it to be a reflection or their tastes and/or intelligence.
      
      You explained by SW was different than Marvel films AFTER you gave general reasons why MCU films were bad because they had no stakes.
      
      What did I post in my first reply? If you applied the same criteria you used to critique Marvel films to SW films (and other franchises) I’d have no argument with you. But you couldn’t do that.
      
      You said “Action works when there are stakes. Something the characters risk losing. There are never any stakes in the Marvel movies because A) we already know which characters survive based on the future film lineup and B) because Disney likes money, and they know the actors/characters are cash cows.”
      
      All I said was apply that to the original trilogy, or…
      
      “Action works when there are stakes. Something the characters risk losing. There are never any stakes in the Star Wars movies because A) we already know which characters survive based on the future film lineup and B) because Lucasfilm likes money, and they know the actors/characters are cash cows.”
      
      Luke, Han, Chewie, the droids, Vader and Leia were THE original ultimate cash cows. Anyone who’s ever left their house knows the Lucasfilm empire was really built on merchandising the original trilogy.
      
      I didn’t dismiss Ben from counting, you did when you wrote “You know who died? Some guy we weren’t even attached to because he died in the film that he was introduced in!”
      
      By your descriptions above, there was no “stakes” in Star Wars.
      
      But more importantly, how we regard films isn’t objective. It’s very subjective. But you tried to prove why Marvel films aren’t any good, when you not liking them is a perfectly valid position on its own.
      
      You don’t like Marvel films but you like Star Wars films, and your 100% allowed.
      
      But if (for whatever personal reason) you’re going to try to shout at the rain and prove why they are objectively good or bad, you should just do a better, more logically consistent job than you did.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      If you actually read what I’ve written you’d see that I’ve already answered your questions. I’ve given you answers, but your brain cannot accept them for some reason.
      
      I never said I liked SW either.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Your answers were NOT that you believe your stakes criteria also applied to SW, you implied that they did not because in the NEXT film Luke loses his hand for 5 minutes and Han is frozen and thawed out 20 mins later in screen time.
      
      The Black Widow was the prisoner of Ultron in AoU for as long as Han was the prisoner of Jabba.
      
      I believe my brain processed your response properly and that your response demonstrates the point I’m making.
      
      You’ve identified no objective criteria, you’ve demonstrated your subjective interpretation, the latter of which is perfectly cool.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      Tell me:
      -When Star Wars released, did we know that there would be two sequels? Or did the runaway success of the film make the studio execs turn to Lucas and ask for more?
      -Who are the protagonists and antagonists of the original Star Wars (faction-wise)?
      -Of the cast of the original Star Wars, who were the biggest stars?
      -What information can we gather from the title “Return of the Jedi”?
      -Did you watch Empire and then wait for 3 years before watching Jedi?
      
      If you can answer these questions, you know why comparing the OT with the MCU is silly. Apples and Oranges. If you wanted to compare the PT and TFA with the MCU, you might have a point, but you aren’t.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      -No. Yes
      – Combo of an innocent, a disaffected outsider and committed Rebels-the Empire
      – Relatively speaking, Harrison Ford.
      – That a Jedi would return.
      – Yes.
      
      Not sure the point you’re trying to make, but even at 9 years old, I never really thought Leia wouldn’t be rescued from the Death Star (act 2), or that the Death Star would blow up Yavin (act 3). You KNOW who will win. The point isn’t always the pre-determined destination in movies, its the journey.
      
      Star Wars effectively built anticipation in the final act where there really was none, going so far with the conceit that Luke succeeds literally seconds before Yavin is about to be destroyed.
      
      Oh man, THAT was a close one… 🙂
      
      And it worked, as it so often does. Any suspense is always manufactured in franchise films AND most standalone films. In the AWESOME(for all we knew at the time was the standalone) Raiders of the Lost Ark, Karen Allen is hidden from view quite purposely but then apparently dies in a truck explosion, and Indy never bothers to try to identify her body.
      
      I mean c’mon?
      
      And she never even comes back in another film for 30 years.
      
      You and I would have trouble naming even a handful of films of the genre that REALLY leaves you thinking ANYTHING can happen.
      
      Marvel films follow the same blueprint of the popular genre films that came before it, is my point.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      I have a feeling we’re almost on the same page here.
      
      My point is that since Marvel revealed their film lineup, everything is a foregone conclusion. You know Cap is going to survive this movie because he’s going to appear in three more movies down the line. On top of this, the stars are too recognisable to kill off. It’s why they won’t kill of Daryl in The Walking Dead (so far, anyway). I mean, wouldn’t it have been cool if Civil War ended with Cap dying and Bucky taking up the mantle?
      
      My problem with the MCU comes from that manufactured suspense. Nothing ever REALLY changes, and you know nothing will change because you’re already aware of the future movies. I don’t watch Bond and worry about future movies in the series. They’re all standalone. With Bond, he fails often enough that there is a possibility (small possibility) the bad guys could win. The writers took a risk in Skyfall by killing M and it paid off. I never feel that with the MCU. The team split at the end of Civil War? They’ll be back together for the next Avengers.
      
      I asked those questions because they set up why the OT is different from the MCU
      -No franchise was planned initially. Anything could have happened in ANH
      -The protag’s were the underdogs going up against a superpower, whereas the MCU characters aren’t. You know with some certainty that they can hold their own.
      -Most of the main cast were relative unknowns besides Alec Guinness, so star appeal was not a major factor. That came later, as you said.
      -Right. The title gave almost nothing away about the plot (even Empire is guilty of that)
      -So you understand that in those 3 years, you had no idea what was going to happen in Jedi. You had to live with the knowledge that something major happened at the end of the last installment. With the MCU, they’re forced to set up plot elements for later movies, plus you can already gather the plots of future movies based on their titles.
      
      I’ll fully admit that there are zero stakes in the prequels. By courtesy of being prequels, you know that Anakin will eventually become Vader, Kenobi will end up on Tatooine, and so on. And that’s just one of the problems with the prequels. But people don’t think those are good movies.
      
      I really hope this helps you understand where I’m coming from. I’m getting really tired with this conversation and want it to end.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Not for nothing, but this is why I just post through the attempts at shaming for liking a film or continuing a discussion. Once you get past that an interesting, worthwhile discussion can take place.
      
      I still disagree with your fundamental point. Any seasoned moviegoer can correctly identify the really safe characters with the cannon fodder. The REAL surprises are rare.
      
      And btw, Ralph Fiennes arc as initial antagonist then worthy, surprise ally was a little bit of a breadcrumb.
      
      As I say, you have a legitimate different point of view, and I’m trying to tell you that you should like Marvel movies.
      
      That said, I would add this to the discourse. While in the internet age it will be very difficult to genuinely deliver a surprise that fans are not aware of ahead of time, Marvel Studios will have an opportunity to incorporate “stakes” to the upcoming Infinity War movies.
      
      RDJ, Evans, Hemsworth, Johansson, Renner, and Sam Jackson in particular have all done these films for some times, won’t do them forever, and let’s face it, they’re getting older in a genre where that is problematic.
      
      Maybe it wasn’t Civil War (although there was enough fan theories that many of them had doubts), by necessity there WILL be turnover in the MCU in the next 5 years, perhaps significant turnover.
      
      I’d also add more generally, I think being laser-focused in life and death as being the only stakeholder in serialized OR standalone films is a bit shortsighted.
      
      The essential thread of storytelling is the protagonist effects AND is changed by the story arc.
      
      Marvel Studios did not invent serialized storytelling and you (to me) seem to be dismissing the forum if major characters don’t die.
    - IllegalSwede
      
      Right, and if Infinity War comes round and massively shakes up the formula, I might get back into them. But like I said, to me they all feel like the same film.
      
      And, as I’ve said before, I don’t think death is the only way to influence the tension in a story. All I want to see is the characters struggle. There has to be a possibility that they can lose. But with Marvel, I feel that external factors have made this impossible.
      
      I don’t have an issue with serialised storytelling. I just wish they’d stop treating these films as if they were making a TV series. Everything feels like filler, controlled by a corporation that prioritises money-making over good and interesting storytelling.
      
      I wish I could hop on the hype train and enjoy them. But at this point, it seems like anyone who has a conflicting view of these films is shouted down and harassed by ravenous fans.
      
      I’m more upset with what the films COULD be rather than what they actually are.
      
      Anyway. I’m done. I hope we mostly understood each other in the end. I never tried to shame anyone though. I said repeatedly that people can enjoy whatever they want. I was just putting out a different view that maybe they weren’t as great as everyone says they are.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Well, ya did, you went after me personally for liking them and for continuing the discussion. I’m not making that up. Ironically, you perceive others are shouting you down and harassing you. Scroll up, look at our replies to one another.
      
      Shoe was on the other foot this time around. But no biggee, I can take it.
      
      My only issue with you/your argument is you seem to perceive Marvel being fundamentally different than other franchises and even well-known stand-alones in that regard, and I just don’t see it. And I have no horse in the race. I like all the films we’ve discussed.
      
      *I* think we’ve made it clear it takes subjective, contextual (in my regard, very personal) interpretations to explain how there are stakes in Bond films but not Marvel ones. And anyone has a right to those interpretation and the preferences that result, but it is more art than science in distinguishing them, and it’s the people who are arguing it’s science I have taken exception with.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      And btw, you and I actually have a problem with death in MCU movies, just the opposite problem.
      
      Marvel Studios clearly believes moviegoers expect deaths, and manufactures them because of this, very often by slight of hand.
      
      Captain America – Bucky (though at the time, non comic readers probably fairly regarded this as genuine).
      
      Thor – Loki (got better)
      
      Avengers – Coulson (got better)
      
      Iron Man 3 – Happy Hogan (near death), Pepper (got better).
      
      Guardians – Groot (got better)
      
      Winter Soldier – Fury (got better)
      
      Dark World – Thor’s mother, Loki (again, got better)
      
      Age of Ultron – Quicksilver
      
      Ant-Man – Wasp (kind of), Pym (shot)
      
      I actually found it refreshing Civil War didn’t go for the minor or slight of hand death.
      
      As I say, that isn’t the end all and be all of cinematic stakes.
- Alberto Monroy
  
  I agree with you… these stupid super hero films, (coming from someone who really enjoys superhero comics and graphic novels) are all about showcasing American humor and cheesy flashiness so that people in the audience laugh and through laugher think their ticket worth the money. But you have to remember that not all is laughter in art, nor pleasure. I was seeing the newest Jurassic Park movie the other day, and was annoyed by the scene where they are being chased by the T-rex,(can’t remember if it was any other dinosaur). And after they fall off the waterfall and reach land they start laughing and cracking jokes. Spielberge and all this zionist bullshit is feeding America idiocy and feeble plots superveened by attractive imagery that keeps people drunkened and believing they have been witnessess of great film making. Look at all the animations of Batman, they surpass the films a a great tretch, simply because there is seriousness about the whole thing. I’m sick and tired of american culture being showcased as being lame humor and this stupid arrogance in characters with cheap jokes about being this and that and how good american people are and so on.

starfish

Does the Speccie not have access to a proper film critic?

This is supposed to be a review? or just someone trying to be clever?

Pretentious claptrap

PS Kermode does this much better

Alberto Monroy

Star Wars was a stupid film, packed with meaningless scenes that transition from one another like sterile sildes from where only image but not plot can be extracted. It was as if each scene inherited nothing to the next and only “pleasure” could be found in the visuals and in the very same sequence of friction. I think Disney is focusing on the aspect of “pleasure,” but is failing to see that art is more than pleasure, it’s more than filmsy comedy and that there may also be pleasure in other sullen emotions and in the seriousness of deep contemplation. Otherwise we could never call Tragedy an art if we stuck to disney’s standards of aesthetics.

These movies are not only a product of the “culture-industry” insofar as they are design to lure a specific public; but they go as far as to be deterministic in the psichological aspects that hook people into such movies and hold their focus on those very aspects. Production art cannot have the same enlightening properties as independent art that is created without the intention of sale. And when you reduce it to a marketeable constellation of specificity in regards to every twich and turn of the whole, you are creating a form of art that is so distant from illuminating but so full of enslaving elements that avid consumers will savagely eat without questioning. These films are enjoyable for those who do not reflect upon things; they are enjoyable for those who purchase them like happy-meals and have become addicted to the design and not to the freedom art can provide.

Stucky Sometimes

So what you’re saying is you prefer the ‘Fast and the Furious’ franchise?
- Alberto Monroy
  
  Never! that’s even worse. Just take a look at freaking Captain America’s costume. American films have epitomized the sense of aesthetic and power so much that almost all superheroes are American. Why does it sound so ridiculous to say, “Captain India,” or “Captain Clombia”. But when we say Captain America it sounds “cool”? Captain America is a false emblem of all that is american lies, of that fake american dream and fake american pride. Your patriotic sense is derailed and diluded. You do know that hollywood is owned as is America by Jewish Zionism? Your soldiers are being sent to a war they don’t even know the cause of; but the tv commercials tell of pride and honor, and everyone wants to take part in it. American soldiers are very brave; but what good is bravery when faught for the wrong reasons? Captain america encarnates this idea of the puritan american and how god favors the bold and so on; from my point of view, Captain America is just as cheesy as if there were a Captain Costarica or another. What good is a sense of patriotism when it has been subverted and perverted to the core? And then the throwing of jokes in between fight scenes, displaying a sense of superiority as if everything for god-favored americans was done singlehandedly. Think of how these films would be if given their proper sobriety and depth, and not a dose of complacency and false Americanism. I don’t prefer the fast and furiouis, they are even worse. I prefer films which are done with content and fearlesness and that don’t seek to please a public and that dare be courages…. those films are enlightening.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    So Disney Princesses… got it.
    
    My bad.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      It’s ok… unfortunately Disney has ruined potentially great series for real fans; I can’t stop imagining how a really deep Starwars movie would look. This Starwars wasn’t as cheesy as are superheroe movies. But it only felt like a wild ride where you are dizzied but are left braindead without any memories at all… There are superheroes of less reknwon that would have great movies; But obvioiusly Disney is not attracted to making true art.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      “I can’t stop imagining how a really deep Starwars movie would look.”
      
      That’s a creative thought experiment given there has NEVER been one.
      
      Why try to imprint something like that on that franchise? Like trying to imagine what a deep Casper the Friendly Ghost would look like.
      
      Episode VII was not more or less deep than IV-VI.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Not imprint it, but since i’ve read some of the comics and seen clone wars, makes you want to see it on the big screen, as opposed to want to see the comics “Disneyed.”
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      The fact that there is a a bad Hobbit doesn’t call for an imprinting desire for the movie compared to the book; it just makes you crave for depth.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope IS the content from which all subsequent content was created. It is the “source,” as you put it.
      
      And it is not deep.
      
      The franchise is what it was created to be. Why would you be invested in subsequent animated series or comic books if by your own explanation you regard the original source material as shallow and stupid?
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Then you are correct in that sense… my knowledge of Star Wars is not that grate. But then, let’s just say the potential might be inspirational to create better content. Is that plausible or even aspirable to? There is something very intriguing about Star Wars as in the novum of its content, the main sci-fi ingredient. Some things evolve to improve upon the former. Why can’t this be applied here?
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Or perhaps you saw Star Wars at another, different point in your life and you have a soft spot in your heart and brain for it and you don’t apply the intellectual scrutiny to it you do other, newer films.
      
      Just a guess.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Darn soft human heart… hahahha I think you are right. Maybe what I’m really wishing for is the epicness of what I now feel epic and the fondness for what I saw back then is creating that wish… Thanks for the comments.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      See, this is why online discussions are not futile as some would have you believe. Keep communicating and even people like us with totally different perspectives can find common ground.
      
      Personally, I think this significantly colors the discourse about films that appeal to fans. Everyone has a first love as a kid, or a first property that they REALLY got into as young adult.
      
      And as time passes, we try to seek or relive that original sense of awe and wonder that we remember in regards to new films in the franchise, or new films of that genre.
      
      Some people can and do. Some people are perpetually disappointed that the franchise isn’t as good as it used to be, or wasn’t adapted properly.
      
      There are good and bad films, don’t get me wrong. I personally hate the Star Wars prequels. But people trying to recapture a past feeling is a big factor in why fans are so engaged in new films being great or garbage.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Agreed. But peoples always want to win a discussion as if that was the main goal of the same. I haven’t been able to watch any American films lately because of the stupid jokes, or because of the that “Singlehanded” attitude I spoke of. Although I did love the Daredevil show on netflix and the action parts are taken seriously and you can feel the suffering of the characters as they are not interrupted by patriotic optimism or typical american attitudes (supposedly so) towards life. And you can tell this whole attitude of superiority starts with the Zionist industry of film; Spielberg in particular likes to define what american likes in his imprint of American idiocy. Take another example, Indiana Jones. I realize after our conversation that I’m fond of it because I loved it when I was a kid, but thinking on it now it’s ridden with americanisms and lousy jokes inbetween actions and you can never grasp the dark side of a character nor his suffering.
    - James Bender
      
      Why are we looking for any “deepness” anyway? Star Wars only has the elements in it that you chose to look for.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Not really because if I decide to look for deepness I won’t find it; so no, it doesn’t have the elements that you would chose to look for, but what is already there from the outset.
  - James Bender
    
    Ah so you’re looking for enlightenment in a film. Watch The Notebook, The Cove, or maybe even City Lights.
    If you’re looking for “enlightenment” from a superhero movie then it means you really don’t like that type of movie and you sure don’t have a problem spewing crap political viewpoints about what America is.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      I found enlightenment when I saw the Dark Knight; especially in the Lazarus pit scene. There were no American jokes in the film that would deter from the general plot, keeping it thus dark and gritty. Tell me something James, do you know a spewing crap about your political point of view about what America is? Because from that initial stance you’re taking something tells me you’re part of the blind crew of patriots that would join the army just by seeing a commerical on T.V. You know who’s in charge of your country and why the head is Jewish? But anyhow; we’re talking films here. There can be enlightment in anything, ranging from Sci-Fi to comedy, it’s just a matter of doing things the right way and putting the elements without fear. But you have to notice here that money rules and this is the reason why so many bad movies have come out, and that what we call good marvel movies are really a shadow of what they could be if you ever read the comics and imagine you’re the one making the movie.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      When you go to Amazon or Goodreads, are you discouraged by the negative reviews? But then only the art that dares break the limits of a commercial structure, that is not end-orieted as a product, can really bring enlightment; because what can we expect from art other than a deep experience. You don’t go to the movies expecting to feel dissapointed, but rather go expecting to be seduced, injected with life…enlightened and taking something valuable with you.
    - James Bender
      
      If the specter of an inescapable Commercial Structure in the movie or Art realm will be the foundation of casting a critical light on whatever you view, then it will always cast a shadow of doubt if it’s worthy or not. And Art isn’t always profound and deep as though it were etched in stone. It’s a personal thing that not everyone will share similarly. There’s plenty of art out there that is pure crap yet sells for millions. And you’re not supposed to be expecting to be seduced or injected with life from a movie or art piece. An expectation is setting yourself up to doubt something. That’s why people who watch a movie like Civil War and can’t put themselves in the shoes of the character and put themselves on the back burner to see through their eyes. But to be honest there are, unfortunately, people who enjoy breaking something down they have little to no interest in because they enjoy doing it as much as someone enjoys a flower.
  - Kevin L
    
    LOL. I was just thinking to myself that there aren’t enough movie reviews with wild, anti-semetic screeds and more words misspelled than not. Thanks for providing one for me.
    
    Oh, and I think you’ve completely missed the point of Captain America. He doesn’t represent America’s ideals. He represents what American ideals SHOULD be. That you are unable to recognize the difference is very expected.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Yeah, this keyboard has autocomplete and both languages English and Spanish. I do apologize for that. So Captain America represents the ideals of what America should be, and that is, “The nation chosen by god”? A war oriented faction that laughs through danger; an interventionist country that sticks the nose in other’s affairs? In my opinion that’s what America is now, not a conditional. I’m glad you are amused by my review, really. But I believe Captain America doesn’t represent hope, just like the Red Skull isn’t the exact representation of Hitler. I think Captain America is just that mild fog cast in front of the eyes of a nation showing them the picutre they all want to see of themselves, believing it’s right to live in a way alienated to other’s pain (because we are chosen by god and are heroes of war and killing is right only by us), but wrapped in a flag that incites patriotism to the core. By the way you spelled “Screeds.” and. “Exposing the defects of others only exposes your own.”
    - Kevin L
      
      What you’ve provided is a series of non-sequiturs with no bearing to the Captain America movies. For some reason, you choose to put “The nation chosen by god” in quotes. Who are you quoting, exactly? It certainly isn’t Captain America, so what are you attempting to prove? And I’m guessing you are trying to draw a parallel with the Avengers, who have saved the world from a few possible Earth ending threats and America’s interventionist policy? America thanks you for the compliment, but it’s a really silly comparison.
      
      By the way. Yes, I did spell screeds. Are you not familiar with the term? I think I may have exposed another defect, though far less glaring than the antisemitism.
      
      Screed
      noun: screed; plural noun: screeds
      1.
      a long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      I would like to know your opinion on Marvel films; but especially why American films have this tendency to break a serious plot line with absurd jokes and cheesiness. Now there are superheroes from all over the world, but that’s also a marketing strategy. There is also a comic called “The Chosen,” in the Cap Am series where he is a deteriorated man, having the serum cancelled its effect, but he manages to project his image into the battlefield and inspire his fellow soldiers.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      Alberto, we found common ground before, so I hope we will again.
      
      You obviously have a strong preference for a different tone in movies. You’re not enamored by what you perceive is a more American style of mixing lighthearted banter with action.
      
      I don’t know there is any objective ground to be found here. Maybe us Americans are just used to it. I don’t think either of us can mount a valid argument that one approach is either good or bad, just which is our preference.
      
      You also seem to have preference to find greater meaning in entertainment than simply amusement. And again, that’s a perfectly valid, for you. But focusing on Marvel films on this front seems to be missing the forest for the trees (if that makes sense to you). You and I can write a list of mile-long of weightless, shallow forms of entertainment. I’ve got news for you, the world won’t be reflecting your preferences anytime soon, and never, ever has.
      
      Finally, in all honestly, your anti-American diatribes makes little sense, even less so in context of analyzing Marvel movies. And I’m not offended as an American. I appreciate how other cultures could view us and what’s really American is respecting the expression of all opinions, even those such as yours.
      
      You might want to consider a nation of 320m people don’t all think alike. Finding two Americans who think like on another is difficult enough.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      Thank you for the eloquence, for I do not intend to pick a fight :). I’m not hating on americans either, I have many american friends; but I’ve noticed, living in a different country that is not so far from yours, that many people are blind to the political situation; but truth be told, this is not the case to talk about political stances or situations here. I will get back to our original topic. As to my diatribe, I guess you’re right once more and i’m trying to extract a piece of meaning that will reveal to me why Americans indulge in these films that to me seem corny and joke-laden; that would involve incurring into some sort of psychological dissertation for me to get a response. I do wish to tell you that I meant no offense, but seeing these heroes in a high-tech world, where most of their problems are only related to crime and nothing more, makes you wonder why they are sired in a country that only relies on them for crime-fighting. I will keep my premises tight and according to the matter and the sequiturs solid to wrap them up. To finish this up I would like to ask you a question: do you think superhero films could amount to high forms of art or are they condemned to being forms of design-production and end-oriented results of a culture-industry? This thinking about the mythification of icons that are presented to an audience as deception to believe that we can all be heroes even if we are lame, blind, foolish and that someday we will awaken our super heroe powers so that even our faults can be a good disguise to our newer self.
    - Stucky Sometimes
      
      “As to my diatribe, I guess you’re right once more and i’m trying to extract a piece of meaning that will reveal to me why Americans indulge in these films that to me seem corny and joke-laden;”
      
      I don’t know where you are from, but there is a very good chance Civil War is the #1 film in your country or will be this coming weekend, and there is a very good chance MCU films do very good business in your country as whole.
      
      The success of the MCU films is a GLOBAL phenomena, not a uniquely American one by any stretch of the imagination.
      
      These films and films like them appeal to human beings, across most if not all cultures, not just Americans.
      
      Contemplate that for a moment.
      
      “do you think superhero films could amount to high forms of art”
      
      The conceptual answer is of course, the practical answer is of course not, because what they require is expensive production values to depict superheroic abilities that meet today’s standards, which means they have to produce revenue, and people around the world – including but not limited the U.S. – do not pay to the movies to see high art.
      
      Do you even know where exhibitors generate their net revenue so there are screens? Not admission prices.
      
      Popcorn, soda, candy and crap food. Movie theaters are REALLY the world’s worst restaurant chains.
      
      For that matter people don’t go to sporting events, or water parks or watch much of what’s on TV or go to dance clubs for high art. They go to be entertained.
      
      Your underlying issue seems to be frustration that people are entertained by less-than thought-provoking, intellectually challenging pursuits, and again, that is an premise both much bigger than Marvel superhero films and one that you will never see change in your favor in your lifetime.
    - Alberto Monroy
      
      You have given me a great deal to reflect upon; I wasn’t looking to impose on anyone but rather, by means of dialectical dialogue reach a conclusion like the one you have reached…. Thank you.
    - Kevin L
      
      I think there’s no doubt that superhero films can be considered high art. I love a wide variety of movie genres, science fiction is probably still my favorite, but I truly love just about every genre from silent films, romance, all kinds of dramas and more. Having said that, of my 25 favorite movies, there are at least 4 comic book movies which would make the list (Superman 2, Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight and Winter Soldier). All of these movies have received loads of critical acclaim, so at the very least film critics consider them to be high art. I also think that just because the MCU movies aren’t designed from the ground up as individual films and need to consider other future movies in production doesn’t mean they are less works of art, it just means that the production process is spread across many movies rather than one. You can think of the first 3 phases as one massive trilogy that’s 40+ hours long. There are certainly ups and downs during the phases, and that’s not entirely a bad thing. Having unique directors all working toward a somewhat shared aesthetic allows the movies to stay fresh looking, while still all appearing to be in the same universe.
    - Kevin L
      
      I tend to think the MCU films are pretty great. There have been some stumbles, like Iron Man 2, which had a fairly dumb plot and some stupid set pieces, and the two Thor films which seem kind of childish and don’t seem to fit in all that well with the MCU as a whole, but that leaves a solid 10 films that really did what they set out to do in terms of creating an entire cinematic universe based upon the comics (the fact that they managed to do several solo films leading up to Avengers is impressive alone, the fact that they are mostly all good movies is far more impressive). I think that Captain America 2 and 3, Iron Man and the first Avengers movie are the standouts as the best so far, but I’m eagerly awaiting the rest of phase 3.
      
      As for why American films have a tendency to break a serious plot with absurd jokes and cheesiness, I don’t think that’s something specific to American films and I think there are plenty of American films which have excess of dour seriousness (for better or for worse). However, I think the criticism leveled at Marvel for being too silly is silly itself. In real life, people make jokes all the time. Sometimes, they make jokes at extremely inappropriate and serious times. We even have a name for it; gallows humor. Humor can often make uncomfortable situations easier to handle. So far, the only time I’ve found humor to be inappropriate in a Marvel Studios movie has been in “Ant Man”, which I otherwise liked. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and his humor came off as inappropriate at times and kind of brought me out of the film a bit. On the other end of the spectrum, we have movies like DC/WB’s “Dawn of Justice” that is pretty much entirely free of jokes and humor. That, in my mind, was far more unrealistic than Marvel’s occasionally cheesy one liners. Here we have a scenario where a fairly daft, yet obscenely powerful alien and a retirement aged vigilante in a rubber bat suit are going at it and nobody sees the slightest bit of humor in the situation? If an alien protector landed on our planet capable of flying and shooting lasers from his eyes, you don’t think that ANYONE would find a bit of humor in that? In attempting to make a “real world” super hero movie, a la “The Dark Knight” (which was awesome and deserving of all the acclaim it received), Zack Snyder created the most ludicrous, unbelievable and boring comic book movie I’ve ever seen (which killed me because I’ve wanted to see a Batman vs. Superman movie for a great portion of my life).
      
      As for why the Marvel movies tend to be America-centric, I think that’s fairly obvious. Both comic books and cinema in general were popularized in the U.S., Hollywood, the heart of the film industry is in the U.S. and domestic gross is a very important metric for movie studios. So, the MCU starts off with mostly American members and spreads out to create additional appeal. You say it’s a marketing strategy, but ALL DECISIONS MADE IN HOLLYWOOD are marketing strategies. You don’t think that directors and producers sit around large tables and discuss how they can limit the world wide appeal of their movies, do you? So, in a number of countries overseas, Captain America is billed as “The First Avenger”, because obviously not everyone cares for America as much as we do. But Rogers as a character is not a nationalist icon. He was at one point, during WWII, but he resents that role and doesn’t embrace it. Instead, he strives to make America what it should be and what it once was.
      
      I’ve read “The Chosen” and enjoyed it. Just an FYI, though, it’s a non-canonical story.
James Bender

You just killed any joy that could come from a movie that other people would enjoy with all that suppressive rederick.

Gil Gillespie

I have never understood why anyone over the age of 10 would be interested in films like this. Or Superman v Batman or The Incredible Hulk or even the whole Star Wars franchise. I was once given complimentary tickets for Men In Black and it was one of the most pointless two hours of my life. Entertainment for people who think Alton Towers is an exciting way to spend a day.

Stucky Sometimes

“I have never understood why anyone…”

And there it is again. People with superior entertainment tastes apparently have derivative rhetorical patterns.
- James Bender
  
  Since they don’t understand then I’m curious what they find to be acceptably entertaining.
- Gil Gillespie
  
  It’s often referred to as writing, an activity that is usually thought of as being a more expressive form of typing. You can sometimes find it in films for grown-ups.
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    And more often not. Most films intended for “grown-ups” are crap too.
    
    And hey, of the two of us, it was you who confessed to never having the capacity to comprehend why genre films appeal to people, so glass houses and all…
  - James Bender
    
    I’m curious. What is a “Grown-Ups” movie to you?
  - Blockbusted
    
    So apparently by your standards, any movie that has fun or action in it is for children?
James Bender

How many 10 year old kids do you know understand the complexities of politics or struggles of conscience involved in a superhero movie?
Since you’re over the age of 10 and don’t understand then the movies you listed are the wrong type of movies for you.
- Gil Gillespie
  
  I know 134 ten year olds who understand the faux moral see-sawing of superhero movies but most of them are in their 40’s.
  - James Bender
    
    134 forty year olds, riiight. Is there even one “acceptable” superhero movie you like? I’m certainly hoping you don’t have anything against the Fantasy genre.
    I do know a few unfortunates who won’t have anything to do with fun fiction.
Blockbusted

You’re absurd – no imagination, no willingness to have fun, and no artistry. A true artist can see themes and powerful writing in an action movie, instead of writing all of them off like you do.
Becky Garbrick

“I don’t know how to enjoy things unless they’re super adult and have literally no joy in them so i’m off to stare at a wall for a few hours because that’s how adults spend time”

Andrés Plascencia Madrid

I’m not going to find the answers to my desperation in this kind of movie, but at least I will spend 2 hours enjoying the action scenes (which happens every 20 minutes or so)… Nobody expected more from Marvel and that is what they are selling and they are really good at it. Again, at least I enjoyed the action sequences and actually got really surprised with the development of the story: no, I wasn’t expecting dead characters, but for a moment I really thought they were going to make a happy ending (everybody being friends again) 🙂

MidxMidwest

I’ve never understood why some critics can’t simply say, “I don’t enjoy, understand, or appreciate this particular genre, so there’s literally nothing of value for me to add” and move on.

Zalacain

Why should a genre just not produce good interesting films? I don’t care what genre a film is as long as it’s good and quite frankly I agree with Deborah most Marvel films are crap.
- MidxMidwest
  
  Genre is intent and context, and it is within context–informed by a grasp of the filmmakers’ intent–that we understand a work. This is also how effective critics evaluate a work alongside the “technical” aspects of filmmaking. Ross wants the modern equivalent of Greek gods to bake pasta in Tuscany. Imagine one of Hesiod’s contemporaries saying, “But why can’t we, for once, have Heracles make peace with the lion? Or perhaps cook pasta? I mean TWELVE labors? Isn’t it all a bit much?”
  
  Curious, in the superhero genre/subgenre, what films do you consider good? Or to put it differently, what’s your context?
- marcus nartatez
  
  You can’t be serious with this comment right? I don’t like horror movies or Western flicks but it doesn’t mean they’re all bad because I don’t enjoy them. The fact that you and this reviewer cannot pull any Joy out of the Marvel films, which makes you the minority, that’s just numbers not me talking, just shows that you guys do not like this genre of entertainment. Her argument or yours for that matter on why this was a bad move would have validity if there was at least one movie in this style which you enjoyed. For example: me, someone who has several star wars tattoos, saying I thought the prequels of the star wars franchise were lacking holds more weight to it than someone that says I think star wars and star trek are for nerds and then precedes to tell you why episode 7 sucked in his or her mind.
James Bender

Exactly. If this type of movie is not their “cup of tea” then why give an opinion of it. Oh wait, I’m sorry I nearly forgot. They get paid for it.
Lay

well I like superhero movies. i like spiderman trilogy and batman trilogy.
still I think all dc and marvel recent movies suck.
antman suck
deadpool suck
batman v superman suck
civil war suck.

What I have to think? that spiderman and batman trilogy are not superhero movies or that new superhero movies suck?
OfInLe

I’m usually totally into this type of film and LOVE the comic books/graphic novels. However, the films have gone waaaaay downhill lately. This one was really bad.

socratease

Everything Hollywood makes these days devolves into betrayals, conspiracies, and internecine wars because Hollywood doesn’t believe in “good” and “bad”, and their only heroes are the dollars they make. I haven’t seen this movie because I’ve already seen it, dozens of times, and I’m sick of it.

Stucky Sometimes

Good news.

There is no compelling or required reason for you to see it.
- Richard
  
  No reason for you to cry at mcu bashers. Listen boy fight me
  - Stucky Sometimes
    
    No, there is not. I was offering a positive outlook on the matter.
    
    btw, Listen Boy, Fight Me is my favorite The Smiths album.

Rufus63

It seems likely to be shallow bit of brain-dead fun from a bargain bin marked down to sweet FA but definitely not something you’d want to pay full price for when it’s first released.

Kevin L

Sorry, I’m still holding my sides from laughing so hard. It’s not often I get called a juvenile by someone who responds to wordy posts with “STFU” and “Go to you safe zone”. I rarely take the time to respond to barely literate 12 year olds, but I have to say you are too precious to ignore. The near constant spelling mistakes really allow your personality to shine through, Corky.

Richard

You were laughing so hard so you were holding your sides? Proves my point that you marvel kids think the dumbest things are cool. Dweeb

Justin

There is like 20 minutes of a decent movie. A story involving iron man, buckey, and Captain. The rest is just to many people with nothing to do. Creates a boring uninteresting movie with lots of characters I simply don’t care about. Plus the whole you killed my parents cliche which is represented twice in this film and in 10 out of 10 super hero films. Zzzzzz

James Bender

I think you answered an important point in your statement…” lots of characters I simply don’t care about” Shows a sign of limited capacity.
Martin Bryan

I think I agree. I am concerned that professional critics are willing to dish out 5 stars.
I actually didn’t mind the parents bit at the end as it was believable motivation for Iron Man to go nuts. But the way he found out via CCTV was ridiculous as there would never be a Camera where they crashed and in 1991, right?! So annoying.
- Sonu
  
  And the camera was perfectly placed to catch Bucky in action.

Richard Lutz

Mx Ross did a great job with hus review. Civil War has an unintentionally funny plot akin to the scene in Life of Brian wherein it is revealed that the Judean People’s Front and the People’s Front of Judea hate each other more than the Romans. I got burnt paying money to see Winter Soldier so am not interested in joining TeamCap or TeamIronMan. I am on TeamNeither, so I will be saving my pennies to see X-Men: Apocalypse and will only watch Civil War when it comes on free-to-air TV (if I nothing better to do). The X-Men franchise is my favourite superhero movie franchise due to its strong humane themes and the way each new film feels fresh and is entertaining. Most other superhero movie sequels feel stale after the first one.

In case you were wondering, “Mx” and “hus” were not typos. We must adopt the humanist genderless terms developed by Sasha Newborn. “Hu” replaces he and she (nomitive – subject), while “hum” replaces him and her (oblique – object), and “hus” replaces his and her (possessive determiner) and his and hers (possessive pronoun). “Humself” replaces himself and herself (reflexive pronoun). Sir and madam, a respectful or formal form of address, is replaced by “hudam”. We must also replace gendered honorific titles like Mr, Ms, Miss and Mrs with the gender-neutral title “Mx” (pronounced “mix”), which is used as a mark of respect or deference. Need I remind you that this is the 21st century?

Martin Bryan

Wow. just wow.
Stucky Sometimes

Did we replace gender in the 21st century and I missed the memo?
Blockbusted

I definitely agree with you that the X-Men franchise is a very smart one. That being said, Captain America: Civil War and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are very smartly made films as well – with strong political themes and good dialogue and writing.
- Stucky Sometimes
  
  Not for nothing… I like the film, but the continuity in Days of Future Past and the franchise as a whole is a trainwreck.
  
  It makes no sense if you think about it too hard, which is fine.
- charlesjannuzi
  
  With so many turkeys in their omelette, I’m not really convinced.
- Richard Lutz
  
  I liked the original (Hugo Weaving in particular did a great job) but found Winter Solider a big yawn (unengaging story) other than the wonderfully choreographed fight sequences. I am getting a little tired of superhero movies and would like to see Rendezvous with Rama on the big screen with a central character I cared about (like Tom Cruise in Oblivion). Perhaps one day someone will make a decent Star Trek movie as well, but nobody seems to know how to (it seems best suited to the TV series format).

charlesjannuzi

I don’t think there is any well-motivated reason to have Ironman fight Captain America over UN control of the Avengers other than Ironman is needed for a film of this genre to earn a billion dollars. Hence a Captain America film becomes an Ironman and Avengers film. Marvel-Disney were probably disappointed that the last Captain America film didn’t hit the billion mark. This one will. Marvel does things differently than DC–Marvel makes these things relatively cheaply. I think they must spend a lot of money getting ‘critics’ to write positive reviews. I guess the Spectator isn’t part of that. I never imagined it could be.

stahl macintyre

BvS cost $250Mill; CA-CW cost $250 Mill. Yeah Marvel must buy the reviews because critics are rating DC Fanboy’s BvS so poorly. Yet the rated Nolan’s trilogy quite favorably. Snyder can’t make a good movie anymore & he’s ruining the DCEU…
- charlesjannuzi
  
  Well BvS is now said to have cost way more. And Marvel films always look like they cost 170 million–and then spend 50 million to pay RDJ. My point is that Disney-Marvel seem to have a lock on the ‘mass of critics’. And they bring their stuff in on budget or below and make more money because of that (if only they didn’t have to pay all that to RDJ). I just don’t see most of their films as being that great–I did like IM1, GOG, and Antman. I’m neither a DC nor Marvel fanboy. I like DC’s Legends of Tomorrow program–zany, and draws on golden and silver age materials even. It’s weird with this latest Marvel release because it seems in some ways to be more about the Winter Soldier than the film with his name in the title was.

Brian Malone

This article is a smarmy piece of absolute garbage. You spent an entire paragraph just listing characters and the actors who play them. Informative! Maybe spend less time bemoaning your fate for having to write an article, and spend more time writing actual content. Are you actually suggesting that the film open with The Avengers on vacation, or did you just need to get your word count up a bit? And your argument that the movie is pointless because they can’t die is this silliest thing I’ve heard all day. Must you be so inept? Must you?

Becky Garbrick

We get it, you’re above superhero films, blah blah blah. Why are you bothering to review them since you can’t even be bothered to pay attention to the movie itself? Not a very well informed review, that’s for sure.

kczimmy

Well, at least Uncle Ben didn’t die in this one…

charlesjannuzi

Why would Hawkeye or Black Widow run into a battle scene? If I were Hawkeye, I would lay back and snipe. And do some real killing. Like an arrow shot to Cap’s eye socket (or is he fighing on Cap’s side?). OK Spiderman’s eye socket.

Gary Andrew Clarke

Normally dont post on these things but Spiderman did not get an origins story, They actually make a bit of a joke about it when young spiderman starts to explain how he got his powers, Tony Stark gets distracted, asks him something else and they move on. Reviewer couldnt have been paying much attention if he think there was a spiderman origin story.

Paul Ervin

I just said that. LOL. Maybe give a bad review for some attention?

Jason Murray

Civil War was everything we asked for, but not in a good way. They had the big fight, new characters, and good graphics. Knowing that Civil War is limited to being two and a half hours and needed to accommodate to a young audience, I think the plot missed the very crucial madness and hatred needed for a civil war. Captain America was able to cop out his non-registration defense by defending his innocent friend Bucky from wrongful punishment. I think the most important part of Civil War in the comics was how even Captain America could be corruptible.

I think most of this manifested in the Airport fight scene. Hawkeye and Black Widow were joking and pulling punches. Spider Man talked most of the time he was fighting. Most of the characters joined a team because of their alliance with either Stark or Cap rather than being full into the conflict itself. That was a great part of the book, learning what side they took developed the characters. No one died or even really got hurt. Vision had to hurt War Machine who was on his own team so that no side had to actually hurt the other.

If they wanted to keep Bucky as the center of the story, they needed to emphasize that he alone has killed hundreds. He’s a psychopath and he’s too dangerous to keep alive. Black Panther definitely saw that, but more characters needed to be as involved.

And I’m not saying that this movie needed more killing and hatred and characters who always kill, but they needed to show deep development like Black Panther. It’s even good to have characters who are not sure what to do or flip sides or are not as into the cause, but you need the majority to be cutthroat.

They were on the right track a few times, but again copped out. It was clear that this movie wanted to highlight the loss of love of both Cap and Stark, but Agent 13 filled that gap for Cap and steadied him. Again this made us not able to see the tipping of Cap that we needed.

They did do a good job beside the point, and they got the final fight right. Stark was crazed, trying to kill. The fight got so real for him that he protected his head from being cut off by Captain America even though he was aiming for his suit’s heart. That showed that this was a for blood fight. When all of Cap’s team was in the raft prison yelling at Stark, that was the hatred we needed to see in the big fight. Big fights where people go too far are what make Civil Wars Civil Wars. They make people hurt their own brothers.

Hopefully we will see the revenge of Cap’s team in an upcoming movie, but without it, I don’t think this movie was a big deal for late plots or character development. I think this would have been a great plot for a classic bad guy messes with your head movie, but is not impactful enough to be called a civil war.

rosie1843

This movie should have been about Cap and HYDRA. They could have saved the Civil War plot for a 3rd AVENGERS film.
- Michela
  
  THIS.
Ziggy Fried

Uhh no one dies? In the Comics Cap dies. lol He’s betrayed by Black Widow who assinates him. Iron Man ultimately brings him back.
- Shallbecomeabat
  
  LOL what?!
  Sharon Carter kills him and he comes back himself by fighting forwards through time. It’s neither Black Widow or Iron Man. For someone who claims to be an expert on this stuff because you “read the comics and know what’s going on and why it’s all so much more involved and intense than this reviewer seems to understand”, your “knowledge” is pretty pathetic. If you act like you know comics… you should actually know comics.
  
  I agree with the review btw. Civil War was a letdown, formulaic and way worse than the comic, but that’s because they make these films in a way that children can watch and enjoy them too. That’s why no one ever dies and nothing with substance really ever happens. For me it is starting to become very stale and boring.

Jonny Lawrence

You clearly watched this movie with the intent not to be interested or already with a strong biased against the franchise as a whole. Civil War is by far the best in the marvel franchise/cinematic universe. The story was very deep in that it asked the questions: is freedom worth sacrificing for security? who truly is the victim, the ones who die or the survivors? Who do you blame, the one who pulled the trigger or the one who ordered the hit? The action was fast and furious and almost hard to follow (but in a good way). You clearly had no real interest in this film at all or you wouldn’t have missed or not been entertained by any of this.

Paul Shannon

Ya, no. It was not the best marvel movie ever. Airport scene was fun and Spidey was great but formulaic and forgettable otherwise. The series has yet to live up to the high points and promise of iron man 1 and avengers 1.
- Martin Bryan
  
  Skipping over the interesting potential in favour of humor and shallow action. The traumatic twist at the end was good alone but not enough. Was this an ironman movie?
- Joseph Evans Jones
  
  Iron Man 1? That movie BORES me, the villain is SOO mundane, it might have been better if they had hidden that he was the villain until Tony found out, but they literally tell you from the start it was him. But I did like Avengers 1
  - Paul Shannon
    
    Yes but do you remember the first time Tony took the suit for a combat test? He takes out some terrorists in a pretty badass way. Afterwards, in flight he gets hit by a tank shell and shrugs it off. He explodes the tank with a mini rocket while turning his back on it doing a hero walk with the music kicking in… Damn!!!
    
    Contrast that with iron man 3 where his new remote control suit gets smashed to pieces by a truck…
    
    Both that first flight in iron man 1 and the climax of the first avengers made me think that marvel had finally cracked it. They knew what they were doing and if I was patient they’d craft a badass universe. Cut to a dozen, formulaic movies later and I’m finally gonna admit they are just happy to go through the motions. Shame…
  - opencurtin
    
    I believe in the law of diminishing returns and for me it definitely applies to SH movies ..

rosie1843

This movie is called “CAPTAIN AMERICA 3”. Yet, judging from the plot, it might as well be called “CAPTAIN AMERICA V. IRON-MAN”.

And now I hear that RDJ is co-starring in “SPIDER-MAN” in 2017. I’m sick of Tony Stark/Iron-Man. And I’m sick of RDJ dumping his load on somebody else’s film. Does he dislike Chris Evans that much, to the point that he had to wrestle his way into a larger role for “CAP 3”.

opencurtin

He gets 75 million for showing up so I suppose you cant blame him!!!

Norway Samson

If you think being heartbroken about your parents/loved ones being killed is not enough for you to consider it as remotely emotional, then it’s either you just don’t like Marvel, or there’s really something wrong with you. Clearly, you just watched the movie to criticized it and not to enjoy it, because for a moviegoer-but-not-a-hardcore-fan like me, Civil War can be considered as the best Avengers movie to date. There’s lighthearted comedy during the first part then transcends to a real heartbreaking scene in the end. Your review is one of the most misinformed review I have read about the movie. tsk tsk

Ziggy Fried

My review. Great movie. It’s not real life, it’s a movie. Pure Fantasy created for entertainment purposes. It entertained me. Then again I read the comics and know what’s going on and why it’s all so much more involved and intense than this reviewer seems to understand. Then again he never read the comics clearly. Like the Genre, liked the movie. The End.

Jake Sykora

The reviewer is a woman, fanboy.

Nick Spanlopis

People are too invested in this movie. They had decided it was amazing before even seeing it. It had its moments, but most of this film was so mundane I was more interested in the feeling of my straw hitting the ice while I drank from my overpriced beverage. The character arcs are so flat they could be drawn with a straight edge. The conflicts are so contrived that it is distracting. The biggest story telling sin though, the climax and the resolution have nothing to do with each other, which is why there is the misfiring secondary climax. You could explain yourself as carefully as you like, you could be reasonable and logical, and you could even admit that your opinion is the unpopular one while giving readers enough information to decide if they want to see the movie themselves…spoilers, they already decided that before reading your review…but at the end of the day people don’t want you to tell the truth because lies are so much sweeter. You could have lied, said this movie was the greatest thing since the last 24 hour day of the kingdom and people would have sung your praise. Bravo on being willing to stick to your guns. Was it worth it?

Paul Ervin

there was no Spider man origin story. WTH are you talking about. You did not see the movie. LOL!!

Suzi Adler

You’ve got that correct! And may I add, when you go to the theatre, the director, producers and so on, expect you to have “suspension of disbelief”. If you don’t like it, don’t go! It’s just fun. Unless you’re so “high minded”. Of course, no matter, guess we geeks are fine with the MCU.
- Jonathan Morley
  
  You liked it when the critics bashed BvS…. but not now?
  You chose now to moan at the critics?
Olog Hai

Everybody knows that by now. Yamashiro Takuya gets injected with spider-serum by Garia and . . .

Hudson Bennett

Unfortunately I agree. The fist half of the film felt very joyless despite the multitude of attempted jokes. The Avengers aren’t truly fighting each other as much as they’re being manipulated, again, by a nameless, uninspiring villain like every movie besides Avengers 1. It touches upon serious issues like vigilantism but doesn’t commit, making the conflict feel like an unimportant squabble between cardboard cut-outs. There are few scenes of actual depth that aren’t bridges to more action. The relationship between barnes and cap isn’t interesting. Black Panther’s subplot was one of the most painfully cliche I’ve let myself see in a while. Action scenes go on and on and on just to pad the length. Who cares what Captain America does with the other avengers at this point? If it’s going to be like an adventure this shallow I’d rather pass.

Jeff Linnane

Just left the theater and was pretty disappointed!! They should have started with the origin of the Black Panther, but instead simply glossed over it. The story was way too convenient and joyless as the villain was not interesting at all!! Once again, they show us way too many scenes in the previews!! When Ironman realizes he has been duped, I knew he would still be fighting Captain America because you see the scene of them fighting in all of the trailers!!! Save your money and rent Antman or Deadpool…..at least these movies were funny!

Chao Ren

bravo!!! i don’t mind it to be the typical pop corn, food fast movie. what i can’t stand the most it, the fans and critics high praised it as the best superhero film ever made but BvS as the worst of its kind. hypocrite and bias to the max!!!

Captain America Civil War – The Nonsense Captain America Team !

Captain America was protecting his friend Winter
Soldier, the primary suspect in a terrorism attack. Ant-man and Hawk Eye had
nothing better to do, so they chose to stand with the terrorist side for no
reason ? Scarlet Witch felt guilty bcos of the innocent dead, by right she
should be the 1st one to support signing the agreement, but instead she chose
Captain’s side. For what ? So that she and captain have more chance to causing
more innocent dead in future ? If u have a good friend’s friend
as a suspected terrorist, will u join him just because u believe in him. What’s
more to declare war to another good friend of yours who happens to be a cop.
Shouldn’t u think there is a better way to resolve it??? i thought the plot is
pointless and at best very force. and it doesn’t fit its theme,consider it’s
called a civil war. it achieved nothing in the end and the answer is still in
the next movie… it is just so afraid of doing something controversial (it’s
war c’mon) and have to stick to its formula, light, easy and funny. but
whatever, as long as superheroes in cool action and people can still hype and
go crazy about it… and they still can make billions… let’s just repeat the
same formula again…

“Civil War”.. In name only. It was just more over-hyped Disney trash.

Martin Bryan

Fair points. I don’t understand why some were fighting each other either. I liked but didn’t love the movie so would be unfair to trash it. However Marvel have taken the route of humour mixed with seriousness. Which I think is a tricky combination if you want to convey a serious or emotional story as nothing really gets any real “depth”. Obviously BVS and MOS does that route well. It’s down to preference.

JudgeFredd

Finally someone tells the truth about these movies. I gave up watching them a few movies back when it was so boring I couldn’t even finish the movie. I don’t even remember the name. Conversely I absolutely loved batman vs. Superman

Vincent Mascaro

okay fine on the avengers comments, but Batman vs Superman makes these movies look like motion picture gold.
Eric Recchia

If this is true, you’ve presented proof you enjoy garbage movies over quality ones.
OfInLe

It’s kind of refreshing reading how many others have come to this realization. I was feeling like I was the only one.

I also thought Batman v Superman was decent as far as these movies go.

Ralph Turing

This movie went all over your head. but I blame my self for coming here.
I stopped trusting your opinion since you gave rotten reviews to movies like; Gone Girl, Spotlight, Birdman, The imitation game, Interstellar, The Revenant… I can go all day. Because of you I realized how easy getting a Rotten Tomatoes License actually is.

Montbivault

Publicly humiliating your cat is low.

Trizzle

The writer of this obviously has no idea at all about comic book stories…so you should probably not be reviewing and writing about it. Go do something your actually good at like stealing perfectly usable oxygen (so wasteful) that the rest of us REAL humans could be using. so not only are you terrible at your job, you just picked a subject to write about that you knew would cause some strife among real movie watchers. Captain America: Civil War most definetly in the top three MCU movies to date and for anyone to say otherwise they mine as well just give up. maybe you would like 27 Dresses much better if your looking for some emotional connection to characters. Comic Book characters never really die often and when they do they are almost exclusively are brought back to life and you expect their movie counterparts to be any different?!?

PickNick

HAHAHA fanboy spotted, for real if you think this movie was any good you have no idea what a good movie is
- Vincent Mascaro
  
  Thank you. This movie should have been good, but I feel like they are basic and really know how to kill time with boring activity. A good movie is not a movie I feel like I can’t get into for the first hour and a half.
Vincent Mascaro

I am one of the people you describe, but I had issues with this movie. I know all the stories and versions and beyond, but this movie lacked a lot. It was a disappointment. If you wanna call it the top three I am sad to say, you may be right, but not for good reasons. So far, all three avengers gathering movies have sucked. Flat out. Deadpool and X-men should not be carrying marvel. With a group like the avengers, including at least a couple good actors, they are really blowing the vibe. (Note: x-men are not exactly great themselves, but better)
- OfInLe
  
  Yeah, I just don’t get how the comics have/had such great stories and characters and yet we get the most AWFUL films. It’s like they’re avidly trying to kill my love of comics. Need. To. Not. Watch. Anymore.
RXTT

It was HORRIBLE.

drvapor2012

Spoilers Ahead, as an FYI

This movie, in the end, or at least in my opinion, left me feeling like something was missing. Although it had some fantastic elements, such as the airport scene, black panther’s development and overall portrayal, and the introduction of spiderman, it most definitely had some major flaws, and many of them stem from the fact that it couldn’t decide whether it was a sequel to Age of Ultron or to Winter Soldier.

The Sokovia Accords were an interesting idea, and gave the movie an interesting premise, however the fact that they were so divisive simply felt unrealistic given the overall character motivations. Tony Stark is incredibly narcissistic, especially in this portrayal of him, and although he clearly has been re-thinking his role and the role of the Avengers recently (Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron), I personally feel that he is still too much of an egomaniac to bend to this much government control. Moreover, many of the other character’s motivations felt somewhat unrealistic. Falcon and Captain America were believable, as Falcon will always support Cap, who will always try to help Bucky, and the inclusion of Ant-Man on Cap’s side makes sense, given his history with Falcon, but characters like Spiderman have no real investment in the conflict, and Hawkeye shows up out of the blue with no real explanation besides “Cap called me.” Finally, Scarlet Witch would more realistically be affected negatively by the death in Sokovia, not only because of Quicksilver, but also because it is the place where she grew up, and therefore she has some emotional attachment to it.

Then we get to the Zemo and Bucky plot, which was executed sloppily. Firstly, Zemo was horribly misused. In the comics, he is an incredibly threatening person, and in this movie he was reduced to a manipulative man on the sidelines. Although they didn’t kill him, and can therefore reuse him in the future, he still felt much more like a secondary plot, when the movie was supposed to be exploring the ramifications of Captain America and Bucky’s relationship. Secondly, although Bucky is a sympathetic character, he is still a mass-murderer, and this needs to be addressed and acknowledged by Captain America at some point.

Finally, we get to the last scene, which honestly felt somewhat forced. Although the viciousness of Cap and Iron Man’s fight was well done, with each of them trying to kill each other, the path to that point was strange, with Tony’s motivations throughout the movie feeling forced enough that it took away from the reveal that Bucky had killed his parents and that Cap knew. Although it was an interesting idea, it felt sloppily executed, and, after the grand scale of the airport scene, I honestly didn’t care that much, which was a travesty. This movie could have been a spectacular commentary on morality, much like the actual Civil War comic is, however the directors attempted to do too much in too little time, and it ended up feeling phoned in and unoriginal.

Vincent Mascaro

In all of D.C. and Marvel…. I think Deadpool is the only one who is going to move forward successfully. x-men are about done ( and faded out in my opinion) Batman vs Superman was a terrible movie and concept even before release. When you heard the title, you knew they wouldn’t kill each other but actually help each other within the same movie. You would be an idiot if you were a fan and did not know that already going into it. Netflix is picking from the bottom of the marvel barrel right now with jessica jones, luke cage, and iron fist.

DatGuyOnDatInternet

Marvel is still going strong deadpool was fantastic batman vs superman was great how on earth you don’t think it is beyond me. P.s bvs has nothing to do with this and that movie was mainly to set up justice league
- RXTT
  
  Bats vs Supes was HORRENDOUS. You will need to watch at least 300 more movies before finding something as bad as that load of crap.
  - DatGuyOnDatInternet
    
    ARE YOU KIDDING? there are too many crap movies that are far worse, daredevil for one. please think for yourself the movie itself isn’t bad it’s not perfect for sure but it’s still good

dougal83

I was bored to tears with their last outing… Not going to watch civil war. Far too civil, probably time they might want to explore a darker remake.

DatGuyOnDatInternet

you mean Bvs?
- Jonathan Morley
  
  lol, it WAS BvS….. just a really colourful campy one where Marvels B-list are smashed together among snarks and cartoon physics.
  
  Repercussions over damage – check
  Two heroes battle – check
  Heroes manipulated to fight by a villain – check
  My mooooom – check
  
  Only no one dies in the campy joke-fest. There are no repercussions. Civil Bore is just another filler to episode in a series of run-of-the-mill movies. They don’t even team up at the end and take on this months throwaway villain.
  
  BvS was the superior movie here. Hands down.
  
  What are we, like 9? 10 movies into Marvel and the Government have only just thought “maybe there is a possibility that there is a little bit too much destruction… just maybe?”
  DC got it done with in their second outing. Metropolis wrecked… immediate repercussions.
  
  I wonder what figures Marvel will smash together next? Thanos and Squirrel Girl…. Awesome Android vs 3D Man?
  Seriously. they have Howard the Duck in the MCU, why not Leap Frog lol
  - DatGuyOnDatInternet
    
    Lol. True yeah I’d say BvS was superior in this situation. I don’t know why people are praising Civil War. As I was watching the movie the only things I was thinking was how I could have written/directed it better. Civil war is the most disappointing MCU movie so far. My favourite is still guardians of the galaxy
    
    And the plot holes in Civil war are gaping, and bigger than Kola Superdeep Borehole the deepest hole drilled in the earth

opencurtin

I read recently Stephen Spielberg said that Superhero movies will go the same way as the western did and I do feel sorry for any movie critic who has to nauseate their way through another one .

Jason Skywalker

Why do people think that death has to be the only consequence for something to be impactful? The Avengers are now completely split up, half of them are fugitives, Rhody is injured, and the way things are going, they’ll never get back together after what has happened unless a big epic event takes place (infinity war) so to say that there’s no emotional investment because there is no death makes no sense.

DatGuyOnDatInternet

Death doesn’t have to be the only consequence. But you answered it yourself the avengers are obviously not split. Infinity war the next avengers movie is going to bring them back faster than a ac/dc comeback.
- Jason Skywalker
  
  No, Infinity War comes after a lot more Marvel movies, and will be one of the films that concludes the story, so your assumptions are incorrect all over the place. Also, like I just answered for you, this movie did indeed have consequence, so you’re still confusing me.
  - DatGuyOnDatInternet
    
    I said next AVENGERS film as in the next one containing all of the buggers. and I was saying the only big consequence is that the avenger are split except not really because the next one containing the characters is when they’ll make up become friends again
    - Jason Skywalker
      
      Once again, you’re forgetting that every single Marvel movie contains info on the Avengers. Take a look at The Winter Soldier movie for example. That wasn’t an Avengers movie, but it did spark a large climax for the later movies to come, and the same applies to every individual movie, so each movie on its own are part of the Avengers saga. Thor and Hulk have a movie, Doctor Strange has a movie, Spider Man has a movie, Guardians of the Galaxy have another movie, Black Panther has a movie, and all of these movies are to help build into the new climax. This movie took an 8 year old soon to come grudge, mixed with plot twists foreshadowed from the Winter Soldier movie, and tied it up with a changing ending. The fact that so much happened and changed by the time the film ended doesn’t help your argument that there was no consequence. Even if you argue that there was none, you can’t look at this and say that nothing has changed. Also, you can’t just assume that they’ll be buddies once the Infinity War takes place, remember, there are two parts to it, so they might very well be at odds until half way through part 2 for all we know, only time will tell.
      
      Also, a lot of innocent people have died, which has made the world much less trusting of the Avengers, mainly the rough members.
    - DatGuyOnDatInternet
      
      Woah there, I feel like I just triggered something just saying I love marvel movie ok.
      
      From memory black panther doctor strange and guardians of the galaxy 2 and spiderman are going to have movies between now and infinity war. These guys don’t really have a connection with the avengers black panther was only there for his goals spiderman is an exception Iron man will likely show up in his film and those two character are probably going to be connected.
      
      Yeah each film has different events that can be the catalyst for others. but nothing avengers worthy. My argument isn’t that there is no consequence, my argument is that civil war is kinda pointless because those consequences wont last.
      
      As in nothing will truly shake the avengers to their core will follow them to the rest of their lives or anything like that
    - Jason Skywalker
      
      Hold on a second, what did I say that made you think I was triggered? Why would I be pissed at someone who had a different opinion than me? I never said anything that gave off the vibe that I was offended or anything through this entire conversation.
      
      Also, you misunderstood the context here. Black Panther is connected to Captain America, Spider Man is connected to Tony Stank, Thor is connected to Hulk, which will indirectly be connected to Guardians of the Galaxy, so these movies will develop from the Civil War era. I mean, the only reason Spider Man was even given a new origin story was because this isn’t Sony’s Spider Man, and instead, this is Disney’s perspective on him.
      
      Like I said in the last comment, many MORE people died, and trusts have been broken quite easily in the events in this movie, so the consequence weighed on them heavily. Even if we’re to say that the Infinity War will bring them back, you can’t assume that it will be without consequence. As it is, the Avengers might never be the same way they once were, that is my argument. I’m saying that what has happened might still mean they’ll team up, but their relationship has been scared.
      
      So in all honesty, this has shaken them to their core. The moral complexity behind how each character viewed how the world should be might still be an issue in and of itself.
    - DatGuyOnDatInternet
      
      Oh nothing I just feel like there’s malice behind your words. If that isn’t the case I have issues. Sorry. Actually really sorry. (p.s it’s nice for a change someone who has a different opinion who doesn’t speak in caps)
      
      I see where you’re going but most of these characters aren’t directly tied, like black panther was only there for his motivations. Tony might be connected with spoooderman
      
      Yes people died even though we barely see it. Although I find it weird they suddenly hate the avengers after people died less than many other marvel films like the first avengers had all of NYC barely holding on but never mind that the consequence of a small amount of people dying instead of a large amount? okay sure
      
      The avengers were barely held together misfits from the first movie so them mistrusting each other is nothing new and yes I’ll believe they’ll suddenly make up and fight thanos (Somehow even though he could own everyone at once, well maybe except hulk thanos said himself he avoids the hulk at all costs) there isn’t a new avengers between now and then so I doubt the potential storyline of them coming back together and finally trust each other will be used well
      
      I’d say they’re barely shaken like at the end of Civil war it already seems like tony has forgiven cap and bucky as it’s shown with him ignoring general ross all it takes is one phone call and they’ll be back together faster than magnets in jishaku (A magnet separation game that has super powerful magnets). From the looks of things it doesn’t look like they had much of a problem
    - Jason Skywalker
      
      Again, the closeness of the Avengers wasn’t what the movie was tackling. If everything in the movie played out without any interference from Zemo, then the Avengers would have been A-Okay by the end and probably wouldn’t have argued outside of how much they argued in Age of Ultron. The reason that them breaking up in this movie was good was because it took plat elements/events from other movies and and twisted them all into it’s story and ending. Any other method of making the Civil War would have sucked, because it would have felt like asspull.
      
      On with the character aspect, in the comics, the Civil War is told in many ARCS throughout its runtime. All the characters which are now involved are important to the development of the Civil War. You’ve got Black Panther, who is most definitely involved with and teamed with Captain America, Spider Man, who is definitely with Tony, Inhumans, (I don’t know where they fit in) Doctor Strange, who will fit in one way or another, Thor Ragnorok, which ties into everything, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which indirectly ties into the Infinity War, Captain Marvel, also building into the Infinity War, Ant Man 2, which ties in with Captain America. Everything that has happened in the story thus far is like a prologue to the Infinity War, where all of these movies and their characters will collide in a two part conclusion to the franchise, so characters NOT dying, seems understandable. I do think it would be better though if they killed someone to build up to the war.
      
      So as far as consequence goes, everyone who disobeyed Iron Man is on the run, and hated by the world, thanks to Iron Man’s decision. Even if Cap and Iron Man understand each other (which if you ask me, has emotional depth to their different moral points of view) the fact that all of the other Avengers kinda hate each other, still have different points of view, and are heavily convinced by both sides that what they’re doing is right, them getting back together isn’t gonna be as simple as…
      
      Cap: Hey Tony.
      
      Tony: What?
      
      Cap: Thanos is coming.
      
      Tony: We should assemble everyone again.
      
      Cap:: Yeah I don’t know what we were thinking last time.
      
      This is compounded when you look at the fact that each of these movies are building the Avenger’s final chapter, so it really doesn’t make sense to assume that these movies won’t show the backlash of the Civil War. Just like how the Avengers changed Phase 2, Civil War will change Phase 3.
      
      Maybe, people loved this movie as a stand alone complex because it wasn’t just big dumb action like Batman c Superman. Maybe, people loved this movie because its action had in depth context behind it, maybe people loved this movie because it had 8 years of build up from past movies leading up to it. Maybe people loved this movie because it set up two sides that had enough of a moral conflict throughout the franchise that it became difficult to say without a shadow of a doubt who was right and who was wrong. I just think that the negative side of the coin that people are ragging on this movie for is a little harsh, especially when you compare it to DC movies, and any other Marvel movie.
      
      Sorry for the late reply, my life = busy.
DatGuyOnDatInternet

Also can I just say that the whole fight could’ve been avoided? Like cap could have just beaten winter soldier and took him in jail and froze him again or just keep him in jail without becoming a criminal.

Jim Smith

What bothers me the most is they don’t say Captain America, why, we don’t want to offend somebody
Capt Rogers, CAP, no Captain America except in the Title of the movie. SAD.

Larissa

They do. When Ant-Man returns Cap’s shield he says “I believe this is yours, Captain America”. My guess it’s just a mouthful.

Young Lou

They made Iron Man look so weak and helpless. I’m pissed after seeing Captain “Traitor” almost kill his fellow avengers to help a stoned cold killer like Bucky. F*ck this movie!!!

#441

Calm down, he’s ok.
Eric Recchia

How on Earth could someone be considered a “cold killer” if they were brainwashed and had their free will robbed? Bucky didn’t choose to kill anyone.

Antony Jackson

Saw this the other day and it was a complete let down for me, there was so much hype about this movie before it came out and then when i eventually saw it, it didn’t do justice, it wasn’t a complete waste of time, however i think they Marvel could have done a lot better. There are a couple things i didn’t enjoy about this movie. For one, spiderman’s actor was changed, two, there were no gripping scenes that glued me to the t.v as with the previous Marvel movies, i agreed with drvapor2012, this movie felt very rushed and needed something more.

James

Hear hear, couldn’t agree more. I was never a super fan but am done with the Avengers and 99% of the spin-offs – Guardian’s and Ant Man the only exceptions. Nothing infuriates me more than a movie that serves no other purpose than to set up for the next installment. The story was boring and nonsensical and the writing even worse. Thanks but no thanks Marvel.

OfInLe

Yeah, it was a total money-grab and made all of us who went look like fools. I’m with you, sort of over most of them (save for Guardians).

Casper Boorki

The only sign of life was Spider Man brief appearance and that wasn’t much. Spent half the film reading the negative reviews. Left the theater with 20 minutes to go since the plot made absolutely no sense why should I bother to wait for the ending. I guess this was the plot that the focus group voted for. But why did they bother? The Coca-Cola commercial was more entertaining. For a few grand they could have simply had what’s her name parade around in lingerie like she did in that Scottish sci-fi film.

Chris Lussier

… Are you an idiot? I’m sorry, actually I’m not, but what movie did you watch? First of all, how could there be a Team Neither? It’s either be on the UN’s leash or don’t. Cap becomes a fugitive not because he refuses to sign the treaty, which he considers at one point, but because he’s trying to protect Bucky. Secondly, IT’S AN ACTION MOVIE, WHY ARE YOU CRITICIZING IT FOR HAVING ACTION? WHO GOES INTO A SUPERHERO MOVIE AND SAYS “I hope the drama is that they’re folding socks”? Thirdly, it’s ridiculous to think that not a single life had been lost in the massive destruction during Avengers, Winter Soldier, and Age of Ultron. The Avengers are a private organization, and when people die, who can be held accountable? Fourthly, everything Tony goes through is completely understandable. He has been put through so much crap, including nearly dooming the world by making Ultron and Pepper leaving him for it, and then a mother walks up to him and says “This is my son, you killed him in Sokovia.”, HOW IS THAT IN ANY WAY CARTOONISH? What WOULD be cartoonish is if he was completely fine and just decided to sign because why not. Everyone has a reason for doing what they do and it’s all completely understandable. Fifth, what is wrong with quips? Is it a sin to try to add humor to a film to make it enjoyable?

Rich

The “emotion” in it was so contrived. I saw good actors forcing themselves through horribly one dimensional roles and scenes.

The flurry of jokes during the major fight scene completely defused the intensity. Blah.
- Chris Lussier
  
  You ever think that’s just what conflicted people act like? And the jokes? Have you never seen Spider-Man fighting before?
  - Texas Arcane
    
    I guess it is good enough for you. The author wasn’t talking about the unwashed and unclean. He was writing a review for people with IQs above room temperature.
    - Chris Lussier
      
      Oh yeah, insulting me on a personal level instead of trying to defend your point of view, clearly you have the superior intelligence. Congrats, you have the intelligence of a YouTube commenter.

Rich

Massive Marvel fan here but have to agree. Emotional depth and complexity was not present.

Was also hoping for a genuine “civil war”, a protracted strategical effort spanning the globe and timeframe of months.

Instead the “Civil war” was one fight scene full of jokes?!

Well at the end of a day I suppose it’s a kid’s film. Fair enough. Avengers 1 was just soo good though, it’s disappointing they can’t recreate the magic. This one could really have been up there.

Casey

Yet another self-appointed “superior” critic kvetching about super-hero movies.

Please feel free to never watch a Marvel movie again. I shall return the favor by not subjecting myself to your puerile observations.

I’m sure you found The Last Face compelling.

Jake Sykora

I’m sure you wrote this same thing on all the reviews from critics who liked CA3. Right, nerd?
- Graziosi
  
  Oh man, he called you a NERD! Now you’ll never get a date for prom. Hey Jake lets go toss the pigskin on the quad and leave these NERDS to their COMIC MOVIES and TREK WARS ROFL
OfInLe

No, it really was that bad.

Robert Casper

Really just tired of the fact that none of the main “good” characters die. Leaves absolutely no reason to have a dramatic interest in the too-long buildup to Thanos. Somehow I bet everyone will live. Maybe Earth will get destroyed but Pepper Potts will wish it all back when she discovers all seven Dragonballs.

Olog Hai

Nah, no crossovers. She just needs the Infinity Gauntlet for that task.

Either that or where is Thanos’ mortal enemy, Squirrel Girl??

Josh Jenkins

Ideally a film should be telling a story. And a story has a distinct beginning, middle and end. The problem with films like this is that they become so invested in building towards another film that they forget to find a decent ending. And without an ending, a film just never builds into something that reaches its potential.

There was plenty to like about CA3, but it definitely suffered from having simply everything being thrown at it in the hope that some of it might stick as something decent. Spiderman’s appearance was a fun highlight but they make it impossible for it not to simply feel like a promotion for another film, the same also being true of Black Panther.

Another issue is the stakes of these films. Each film raises the stakes so impossibly high in some way, in spite of the fact that we know the major players are safe – again because they’ve got to make it to the next film. That is of course the nature of a comic – nobody tends to die and actually stays dead for very long. But that’s why comic books aren’t necessarily ideal for the movie format in the long run… they will burn out, and there are plenty of people already tiresome of the cyclic nature of it all. It doesn’t matter how impressive the effects are, or the casting, or the directing. If it begins to feel repetitive, and it does, then people will begin to lose interest over time.

Slated and even dated as some of them are, some of the Marvel films from the last decade had to strike a balance. Before Iron Man kicked off the big comic book buzz we now have, we had an X-Men trilogy and a Spiderman trilogy that had to find compromise – they had to sometimes be faithful to the comics, but other times appeal more to the mainstream viewers who didn’t necessarily care about canonicity. A film like X-Men 3 is derided by many who think the Phoenix storyline was badly handled… but then you find a mainstream viewer who finds out the backstory actually involves space travel and alien intervention (rather than a much more tragic-sounding human drama of it being a multiple personality disorder) and they’ll scoff at the idea.

The further removed the ideas come from a sense of reality, the less impressed people will be. When it’s suggested the next X-Men film could be partially set in space, people begin to question just how far they’re going to push all this. When it’s suggested that we’re getting a ‘civil war’ and it amounts to a single fight scene in an airport where none of the major players are impacted at all, and there isn’t a casualty at all, then people begin to question why the stakes are so high and they’ll lose interest.

Civil War isn’t a bad film. The Winter Soldier was far superior though, in that it actually had focus and coherency and tried to take on a style of its own. It worked hard to carve out its own identity, whereas this was a film that lost all of that and was an Avengers film in all but name, Thor and Hulk. It seemed a little to happy to settle for comfortable popcorn flick, with its only real new ideas being promotional tools for other movies. A genuinely good movie will make you want to see subsequent ones on the basis of its own merits, not the tease of all the merits to come.

Tom Smith

“O death, where is thy sting?…”

Kwame K. W. Quartey

I agree with everything you wrote. It was low stakes formulaic Marvel fun and being so far down the line the ‘fun’ is slowly starting to wear thin. All a bit ‘meh’ for me. I cared nothing about the outcome of the ‘war’ which was in essence the airport scene with grown men and women playing tag because none of them actually wanted to hurt or maim each other. After this its just Black Panther for me and I’m bowing out. I’ll watch these films when I care enough to switch them on when they come on terrestrial television

imsickofsnow

i only saw the movie as i was taking one for the team- my wife asked me to take our 11 year old and two of his friends. They enjoyed the movie immensely. Besides all the points mentioned above, what really annoyed me was the absolutely ridiculous chain of events undertaken by Daniel Brulhs character, somehow knowing that Cap and Ironman would end up in Siberia, where he could then show them a video leading them to fight each other, hopefully to the death of both and the end of the Avengers forever. Shockingly, the 11 year olds could not have cared less and had no interest in thinking about it. As the author points out, the plot just existed to get you to the next CGI sequence.

Olog Hai

Can’t wait for the Deadpool Corps movie. Who ought to be cast as Wanda Wilson?

Philip

Yeah it wasn’t very intellectually deep. Neither was the Civil War comic series but the movie was better. Superhero comic art is the art of the nude. They look pretty and dance for us. Sure it’d be awesome if they went deep but that’s why God invented politics. Beware George Clooney and Ben Afleck; they might actually believe they were the Batman.

Kevin Giltrud

Which is why I never progressed beyond Jon Favreau’s superior original clunky and later streamlined “Iron Man”. And Joss Whedon’s ‘The Avengers’.

Far too much messing around with adaptions of the Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Jim Steranko comics of my youth!

Samuel Femi

Silly Plot, Maybe a bit of great Action, SILLY PLOT, Brings Spider-Man and Ant-Man to join in Single fight scene then locks everyone up so Captain America and Ironman will fight alone, then another silly plot, and lastly the worst ending I’ve seen in a movie. The ending justifies nothing cos they were both right to fight, Should Ironman take that as a defeat? The guy lost his parents, Would have been better if the final fight was between the whole team and the other Super-powered humans they were going to stop. And why was the movie called Captain America, cos the movie goes into the personality of Ironman and Captain America, I know marvel wouldn’t wanna say Ironman Vs Captain America Because of the Batman Vs Superman, but we could just agree with Avengers, sounds better. And I still really hate it that this movie makes spiderman and antman look like fools. And why does spider-man and his aunt keeps getting younger?

Someone please explain to me why this is a great movie? Oh because the goal of the movie was to break the team? Someone please explain???

*I just watched this now so I’m still typing this with annoyance and regret*

DONE WITH MARVEL

Texas Arcane

The gay mafia is running the superhero franchises now and it shows in every movie. They are grotesque caricatured kabuki theatre for trannies that are so far from the Stan Lee comics of my youth it makes me weep to see this generation blowing money on this trash.

kacer

Capitán América 3 Civil War

ver ~~> x-chikxk.blogspot.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war-2016-full.html

ver aqui ~~> http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4choht_captain-america-civil-war-full-movie_shortfilms
OfInLe

What? lol. The movies do suck but it has nothing to do with a (nonexistant) gay mafia. What a strange thing to assert.

kacer

Capitán América 3 Civil War

ver ~~> http://x-chikxk.blogspot.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war-2016-full.html

ver aqui ~~> http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4choht_captain-america-civil-war-full-movie_shortfilms

nicolai

Finally a decent review of this ridiculous movie. Are all other movie critics are either morons or have some of that mega million 1st weekend take their pockets. I saw it, so I am part of the idiotic public that will have undoubtedly encouraged the creation of marvel installment #898. I predict ‘Avengers vs. X-Men’

Jakob Eriksson

Think different companies own the rights of Avengers and X-men. Even though both Marvel characters, Fox owns X-men, and Disney (through Marvel Studios) owns Avengers. Will need some collaberations between the two companies, or legal exception made for your prediction about a ‘Avengers vs. X-men”-film.

#441

Went in Team Cap, came out Team Neither.

Daryl Parrish

I like how they killed off cross bones in like 2 seconds and made this nobody some ultimate bad guy…. Completely terrible story.

MoeMoe

I completely agree.
I think by emotional depth they mean the whiny small minded people of earth who wanted “the accords” because of collateral damage, which is always expected to happen, whether it does or not.

If only I could tell them Thanos is coming, and the accords won’t protect them from him. “good lord and evil galactic villain approaches earth! quick we must proceed with a 2 day meeting followed by months of paperwork before we let those evil avengers save us!”

Some people died, but a lot of others survived.

Which brings us to the “antagonist” who despite being only one man managed to infiltrate pretty much everything, kill innocent civilians, separate the only people who had been looking after earth, then apologise to black panther for “what happened to his dad”. All because his narrow mind saw 3 loved ones die.
My condolences, but if your wife saw you do all that she’d leave you for your father after kicking you in the crotch you lame ignorant small minded pest.

And of course, the movie was still highly predictable to those who haven’t even read the comics.

I spit on the manuscript, khatoof.

Israel Lopez

How did I get through the movie? Because of the funny/sarcastic lines. Other than that everything felt forced, boring, confusing… It’s silly how one side turns against the other and how all of them fight holding a lot back. It’s like the previous battles where they were taken to their limits had never occurred or they lost their strength and couldn’t take down each other. Iron Man especially seemed extremely weak. Spider-Man and Ant-Man clearly were forced last minute decisions and it really shows. Honestly this movie even made Batman V Superman like a much better movie than reviews claimed. At least on that one Wonder Woman didn’t feel as last minute as Spidey and Ant Man, and the anger between Batman and Superman was well developed. Marvel failed on this one… and I loved the previous movies.

Aoudia Oussama

the movie is so damn bad .I totally agree.

Grape Ape

Comic Book movies suck, stop going to them you sheep.

Keldroc

You see what you want to see. There’s a lot going on with the characters in these films, but many, like yourself, expect it to be handed to you on a plate because it’s a superhero movie or a comic book movie. It’s often not. If you don’t want to look for it, that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.

KGino

At this point I wonder if Marvel just buys off their reviews… This movie was a huge let down for me. The villain SUCKED, the airport scene was a play fight and nothing really happens by the end… Just a huge waste of what could have been a blockbuster

OfInLe

Yeah, it’s obviously what happens. There’s no self-respecting critic who would have lauded this film. It was trash. It wasn’t even good as superhero films go.

I swear this is the last Marvel film I see: Captain America reviewed

I’m genuinely perplexed as to how people think this movie has emotional depth

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I swear this is the last Marvel film I see: Captain America reviewed

I’m genuinely perplexed as to how people think this movie has emotional depth

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