How does Marvel keep getting away with it?
Cinematic dominance. Legions of fans. Hundreds of millions of dollars with one
release after another (typically, and that’s before factoring in stuff like
merchandising). The resources and
confidence to be able to announce a buffet line of future movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is on a serious
hot streak, and if I had to guess?
Considering that Captain America:
Civil War has won a place in the hearts of critics, casual moviegoers, and
fans -- including yours truly -- I’d say that the streak’s still somewhere
between “blazing” and “infernal” on the thermometer.
It’s easy to look at Marvel and get salty. Very easy.
It’s not the perfect company, and its products aren’t exactly the
apotheosis of art. It’s hard to look at
the MCU and pretend like it hasn’t inadvertently harmed the film industry, i.e.
with a glut of superhero movies and forcing competitors (such as they are) to
foolishly push their own cinematic universes.
And while it’s not a one-to-one comparison, the MCU has helped codify
the idea that recognizable names = huge returns of investment. Ready for a new Jumanji movie? Too bad,
idiots! Here it comes!
If we absolutely must think of Marvel as the worst
-- as a factory instead of a suite of artists -- then I hope you can meet me
halfway and agree that it’s the best of the worst. The reason why Marvel “gets away with it” is
because if nothing else, it follows a fundamental rule proven in Civil War: you can’t spell “character” without “care”.
I was standing on my own
But now I’m not alone
SPOILERS! ASSEMBLE!
So in the last post, I mentioned what happened
when I tried to start a discussion about the merits and faults of the Sokovia
Accords -- framed simply as “are you Team Cap or Team Iron Man”. It didn’t lead to a riveting discussion,
seeing as how my mention of “the superhero registration act” was met with a
resounding “shut up”. (I really need to make more friends.) Apparently, the only rationale behind the
choice is “which team has my favorite superhero” or “which team has the
strongest superheroes”. Since Team Iron
Man had Spider-Man, the choice seemed obvious to them.
I guess that’s all it really takes. To be fair, I’m not about to devalue
character loyalty or a difference in opinion (as simplistic as it may be). Still, I’d like to think there are two sides
to the argument. On one hand, paring
down everything to such a simple -- even narrow-minded -- level is a disservice
to the art the character resides in.
It’s like indirectly saying “I don’t care about the themes, elements, or
execution of a story as long as a character I like does things I like.” And that’s a slope so slippery it might as
well have a layer of grease on it as thick as Shaq is tall.
On the other hand, the ability to generate
character loyalty is an important part of any product. If a story can’t offer up anyone that the
crowd can get behind, it’ll lead to one
hell of a bad ending before the credits roll. Being able to feel something for a character,
superhero or otherwise, is an end goal in and of itself. Say what you will about people and their
collective ability to empathize with others, but a good piece of art is a
surefire way to assert humanity. People
will cheer for a hero who triumphs over evil.
They’ll laugh if he slips on a banana peel. They’ll cry when someone important to him
walks out of his life (forcibly, if need be).
They’ll root for him if he struggles to climb up a mountain. They’ll ship him with every character under
the sun -- and when they run out, they’ll ship him with every character under a
sun in another galaxy.
Marvel movies understand that. What are you in for when you watch an Iron Man movie? You’re gonna get a heaping helping of Iron
Man. You’ll get to see the armored
Avenger firing off his weapons and flying through the air, but you’ll also see
him deal with his vices and inner demons along with the bad guys at hand. You’ll get Captain America in a Captain America movie. You’ll get the Guardians of the Galaxy in Guardians of the Galaxy. If you want to see heroes in action -- or
simply existing -- you’ll get it. And
seeing as how these movies have to fill up 2 hours of screen time, it’s only
natural that they’re given a lot to say and do.
And maybe I’m being presumptuous here, but
something tells me that that’s exactly what moviegoers want -- even if they
don’t know it. So even if Civil War has all sorts of thoughtful
moments and deeper meanings, one question remains: does it really matter in the
end? Your mileage may vary, but in a lot
of ways, the answer is no. It’s a movie
about the characters, and excels because of them. So let’s go ahead and get to what actually matters -- in a pointlessly
absurd number of words. Because they’re
worth it.
ALL THE WARRIORS.
ALL THE WARRIORS ARE HERE TONIGHT.
Might as well start with a fan-favorite, then. And don’t worry; I’m sure I won’t represent
anyone here with a stupid visual pun.
Spider-Man!!
I don’t know much about Hollywood’s inner
workings, but damn. That
sure was a quick turnaround from Spidey being a Sony exclusive to
web-swinging in a MCU movie. Well, that
was probably in the works long before the news dropped, but I’d like to pretend
that Marvel predicted that The Amazing
Spider-Man would fall flat and preemptively had their wall-crawler
ready. How true is it? Probably not very, but it puts a smile on my
face.
Anyway, we now have our third Spider-Man on the
big screen. I won’t rank him compared to
the likes of Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield (because I’ve got zero experience
with the latter), but the best thing I can say about the new Spidey is that
he’s a total nerd. He’s a tech expert
and a smart cookie, but he’s easily flustered, goes into geek mode at every
opportunity, and constantly ousts himself as the lamest lamer who ever lamed in
Queens. Dumpster diving for old hardware
and worrying about what Aunt May will think of him? That’s nerdy, but endearing all the same.
In fact, I’ll take it a step further: the new Spider-Man is moe.
He’s adorable, and someone that Marvel’s obviously
trying to sell pretty hard. It’s hard
not to fall for it, though; as nerdy as he is, he’s an endearing nerd full of
spirit and charm. It remains to be seen
what he’ll be and do for his solo movie, since his dialogue (and his presence)
implies that the time for his origin story has already passed. But that’s a problem I’ll gladly set aside
for now. He’s got the jokes, he’s got
the moves, and he’s got the heart.
Iron Man pulls him from his tiny room in Queens
into the big brawl, and despite the dangers at hand, Peter Parker is all for
it. There’s something strangely endearing
about him consistently calling him “Mr. Stark”, and trying his hardest to
impress his new “boss” with his sheer moxie.
Note that this is during and after he’s kicked around like a soccer ball
by a slew of superheroes. Spidey may be
tough, but it says a lot more about the strength of his spirit than his body
when he’s ready to keep jumping into the fray…well, until his body basically
gives out at the end. But A for effort,
huh?
Ant-Man!!
Okay, so confession time: as of writing, I haven’t
actually seen Ant-Man yet. I thought it was a non-essential side story,
so I didn’t make watching it a high priority.
Now I’m starting to wonder if I misjudged, because boy did I enjoy this
guy in the movie.
Granted, he’s not exactly an essential character in
the plot -- he shows up way late, and gets summarily taken out of the action
once the airport scene wraps up -- but he makes up for it as best he possibly
can. When he’s actually on the screen,
he’s comedy gold. He’s got the nerdy
earnestness of Spider-Man, but since he’s already gotten his own movie, Marvel
doesn’t have to sell him has hard. So
they don’t, really. They’re content with
making him the butt of many, many, many
jokes.
Makes sense, though. Ant-Man is a joke; whereas other Avengers have
some form of enhanced strength, incredible technology, awe-inspiring skill, or
godlike abilities, Ant-Man’s power is to turn really small. And control ants, I guess. He’s really strong while he’s small, though,
so there’s that; still, the sheer absurdity of his very existence makes him the
perfect target for some jokes at his expense.
Iron Man basically goes “Who are you?” later on, and Ant-Man’s basically
left to shuffle his feet and go “Aw, nuts.”
Then he turns into Giant-Man, and suddenly he’s
not so much of a joke. I mean, he still
loses eventually thanks to Spidey drawing inspiration from The Empire Strikes Back (which is a joke they can absolutely make
now, since Marvel’s under the Disney umbrella!), but at least he becomes the
distraction Team Cap needs.
Vision!!
You ever get that feeling where you’re watching a
superhero movie where characters are discussing something important, and then a
red-faced cyber superman floats through a wall while wearing a collared shirt
and a sweater -- and you end up fighting back the urge to do a spit take? Yeah.
That was me. I forgot that Vision
was in the movie, and then suddenly, THERE HE IS! Could’ve warned me first, buddy!
But he is, essentially, a buddy. It’s not as if the MCU is crawling with smug
assholes, but even amidst scores of nice (if snark-happy) people, Vision is a
downright gentleman. He’s doing his best
to mesh with humanity, despite his striking looks -- and I’d argue that he
looks more striking in civilian wear than his standard costume. I was not
ready for that juxtaposition.
But despite his looks, despite his youth (he’s
technically, like, a year old, right?), and despite his nature, he’s arguably
one of the sagest members of the cast.
He sees the signing of the Sokovia Accords as a sort of higher calling,
a chance to take on the responsibility that should come with being a hero. He wants to prevent a catastrophe, but going
along with the government is a means to an end.
There’s a direct line of reasoning and logic that he adheres to, even if
he has a sense of warmth to him.
Let it be known, however, that Vision is no
pushover. He’s nice, but he’s also
incredibly firm. He won’t yell at you,
he won’t grimace in rage, and he won’t fling his body around while he throws a
tantrum. He’s in complete control at
virtually all times, to the point where his “fighting” might as well be called
“suppression”. Maybe that’s the whole
point of his character, though; when he’s not in control -- and accidentally
shoots down War Machine -- the mask breaks.
He’s hurting, and you know it.
It’ll be interesting to see where his character goes next.
But man. That sweater.
Scarlet
Witch!!
So is Scarlet Witch secretly the strongest
Avenger? I wouldn’t know, since I
haven’t had the most exposure to her (once more, I lament the fact that I don’t
know comics very well). But she seems
pretty friggin’ strong. If she can fling
people around from a distance, contain and swirl hazardous gases, and effectively
fly, then she’s kind of got a leg-up on the competition, eh?
Well, it’s not as if “power levels” are the sole
measure of a character’s worth. Scarlet
Witch isn’t as central to the story as Cap or Iron Man, but she does play a
critical role: she’s the one inadvertently responsible for pushing the Sokovia
Accords into high gear. And if anyone
has to deal with the consequences of her actions, it’s her -- even if she’s
been made into public enemy #1 and forcibly (albeit gently and covertly) locked
up at HQ. Or a swanky house, at least.
It’s hard not to feel for Wanda. Her reaction to causing an international
incident in Africa -- an accident that leads to innocent people getting killed
-- is so tangible you could’ve pulled it out of the theater screen. She’s left shaken and remorseful throughout
the movie, as she should. What do you do
when you’re the straw that broke the camel’s back, and an unequivocal murderer
(however accidentally) among a team that’s supposed to be on the side of
justice? How do you come back from that?
The witch finds a way. She decides that she needs to get off her ass
and do something about it -- a sentiment I’m more or less paraphrasing from the
movie itself. She’s on Team Cap, under
the assumption that if she fights for freedom, she can fight for the freedom to
make amends. It’s probably not that
simple, but I don’t think she’s wide off the mark; if she played by the government’s
rules, would she have ever had the ability to do the right thing? Again?
Or ever again? It’s a legitimate
question, and I hope that the Accords don’t fade into the ether so that the MCU
can provide some strong answers/consequences.
Then again, the next movie up at bat is Doctor Strange, so they’re probably going to sidestep the issue for
now. I’m not sure how I feel about that,
but the thought of seeing the Sorcerer Supreme on the big screen gives me the
vapors, so I’ll allow it for now.
Black
Panther!!
So they got Black Panther’s origin story out of
the way in this movie, which is good -- buuuuuuuuuuuuuut there was a part of me
that groaned internally at the outset.
Seeing T’Challa decide to go on a quest for revenge after seeing his
father murdered gave me flashbacks to Assassin’s
Creed (and/or a host of other Ubisoft games). Maybe the reason they slid the origin into
this movie was so they could hurry up and get it out of the way.
I can’t say that I can complain about the
character, though. In fact, I think
Black Panther is one of the best parts of this movie -- or at least one of the
best heroes. He’s from a different
world, and his persona reflects that; we only get a glimpse of Wakanda at the
very end, but he brings a piece of it and his culture into the movie whenever it’s
opportune. But the bigger takeaway here
is that, even more so than the Winter Soldier, Black Panther is not someone you
want to mess with. By leaps and bounds,
he’s the deadliest and most frightening of the heroes -- to the point where I
expected the “menacing” sound effect from JoJo
to pop up onscreen.
The Wakandan king has much more going for him than
one of Ubisoft’s assassins. He’s fast
enough to run down busy streets, and keep pace with the Winter Soldier (and
Cap) even when it turns into a motorcycle chase. He’s got the agility his superhero name would
imply, with the strength and skill to take on both super soldiers -- and as far
as I can tell, his whole suit is made
of vibranium. That kind of begs the
question of how he puts it on, but I guess someone from the country where the
metal comes from knows it best.
But what really sells Black Panther isn’t so much
his combat prowess or cool moments (he does a Hunting Hawk straight outta Tekken!). It’s the fact that you can perceive his
barely-contained ruthlessness, if not murderous intent, throughout the majority
of the movie. He gets closure for his
arc by the end and realizes that his thirst for vengeance has blinded him to
the truth, but before then? Whereas
other heroes will sprinkle in the jokes, T’Challa will sprinkle in the
terrifying malice. There’s a scene late
in the movie where Black Widow turns on her team and stops Black Panther from
catching up to the super soldiers, and her reasoning is that “I said I’d help
you find them, not capture them.”
And honestly, I half-expected him to go “I WILL
TEAR YOUR FACE OFF.”
Hawkeye!!
Okay, so out of curiosity, how many people are
clamoring for a Hawkeye solo movie? Is
there a big market for that? Is there
fan outcry? I know there’s some noise
for Black Widow, but if (or when) that happens, then I’d imagine that Hawkeye
would show up as a sidekick or comrade.
I’m not trying to knock the character -- or Jeremy Renner, for that
matter -- but it just seems like the role he’s been slotted into over the
years. Also, Hawkeye’s basically just a
dude with arrows and good aim. Something
tells me that he can’t exactly go three rounds with Super Skrull.
For what it’s worth, though, he’s proven that he’s
at least capable of palling around with the Avengers without needing
babysitting or rescue. Makes sense, of
course; if you can’t overpower the bad guys, outplay them. It really says a lot about his character when
he’s able to snag Vision in a nasty
trap, however briefly. If we put things
in perspective, then I suppose that Hawkeye is a god among normal men -- or at
least a sniper staying high and dry.
Personality-wise, though, it’s getting easier and
easier to see why Hawkeye keeps stepping onto the battlefield. Granted I’d imagine that this time around he
joined the fight to help his friend Cap -- a testament to how much clout the
Star-Spangled Man holds -- but it’s hard to deny that there’s something rugged
about the amazing archer. Maybe it has
something to do with him being a family man, but it seems like he’s
less-than-willing to deal with the garbage and angst his pals might get saddled
with. His strongest encouragement for
Scarlet Witch was “get off your ass”, after all.
Maybe that’s the kind of player the Avengers
need. He’s always there for support --
in a fight and out of it -- but he does so with pinpoint precision. The direct approach, so to speak; he’s a guy
that’s not afraid to speak his mind, or tell it like it is. He goes after what he wants. That’s a point worthy of exploration in the
future, what with his status as a family man; he partially goes up against Team
Iron Man to get back out there, but is he unwilling or even unable to live a
quiet, peaceful life? Time will tell.
Black
Widow!!
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan. I never would’ve really considered it before,
but in light of Civil War, I think
Black Widow’s cemented her status as my second favorite MCU hero.
To be clear, it’s not like I’ve ever had a problem
with her. She’s always been cool, and
cooler than Hawkeye IMO. She doesn’t
have any superpowers either, but she can’t just hang back on a rooftop and
shoot people. So let’s not act like
she’s the Wendy to the Avengers’ Superfriends; over the past few movies, she’s
outrun the Hulk, outsmarted the god of trickery, blasted more than her fair
share of aliens and robots, blown the lid open on a sprawling government
conspiracy, and shown countless goons some moves she learned from watching old
WrestleMania footage (I swear, she must have
choke-slammed a goon or two in Civil War). That’s on top of her being an accomplished
spy, which means she has God knows how many more achievements to her name.
I wouldn’t mind Black Widow getting a solo
movie. But let’s not pretend like
everything she’s done up to this point is invalid just because she’s not the
star. That’s doing a hell of a
disservice to the character.
In any case, I like Natasha for more reasons than
her ability to beat up the bad guys (as everyone should, because otherwise we
get some
real dreck in a tiny miniskirt). On
one hand, she’s doing her best to play the peacemaker on the team, with the
intent to keep everyone together and happy.
What likely started as just another mission ended up becoming something
more to her -- a family, so to speak, and she likely wants to protect that more
than the world around her. That’s
something at odds with her training as a spy (if not her nature in general),
and it’s not hard to pick up on. There’s
a level of coldness, detachment, and professionalism about here at virtually
all times.
I say “virtually”, because the cracks in her mask
have long since started to form. The
Black Widow from Iron Man 2 was
probably willing to snap Tony’s arm in two just for kicks; the Black Widow in Civil War willingly travels to a London
funeral for a person she didn’t even know, all to be there for a grieving
Captain America. She’s there to take him
in a hug while he’s trying (and failing) to hold back tears -- and she’s there,
again and again, to try and consul her friends in their time of need. Much like Hawkeye, she has a direct approach
to things -- but while his family is safe hundreds of miles away, her family is always under fire. Always something she’s in danger of losing.
What would she do, and what would she be, if she
lost even one of her dearest friends? I
don’t know. And I doubt she’s eager to
find out.
Falcon!!
I can’t help but love the fact that out of all the
heroes, Falcon might be the most cocksure -- and that’s saying something,
especially when he’s just above Hawkeye-tier.
I mean, think about it: his primary ability is to fly, and the only help
he’s really got are some good moves in a fight.
Well, to be fair he flies thanks to some fancy tech, which has expanded
to include a robot buddy and wings that double as a bulletproof shield. But just look at his costume! No helmet, no armor; he’s so sure that you’ll
never hit him that he barely needs anything else.
It’s not like he isn’t aware of the risks. He tells Cap that people that shoot at the
super soldier shoot at him too (which would explain the wing-shield), but that
has yet to stop him from saying “No, screw you, I’m staying home and eating my
breakfast.” In that sense, maybe he’s
becoming (or has become) a modern-day Bucky to the long since thawed Steve
Rogers; he’s with our hero till the end of the line, and no amount of danger
will change that.
Granted, that’s all helped by the fact that
Falcon’s one of the first and loudest to speak against the Sokovia
Accords. He doesn’t trust the
government; even if he lived in a world that wasn’t very nearly compromised in
its entirety by HYDRA (masquerading as SHIELD), he has reasons to believe that
the top brass would hinder super heroics far sooner than they would help. He’s not inherently wrong, though given that
the Accords are likely still in place by movie’s end, we’ll see how much impact
they’ll have in the future -- and if Team Cap was right to rebel.
Until then?
Falcon may be the closest thing Cap has to a sidekick right now, but by
no means is he stuck in anyone’s shadow.
He gets his moments, he gets his stance, and he gets his identity. He’s a fun guy to watch -- and only becomes
more fun once he has to share best friend duties with Bucky. Who would’ve guessed that Falcon could have
such a strong jealous streak?
War
Machine!!
Someone pointed out on another blog that War
Machine should’ve been wearing his Iron Patriot colors during the movie, given Iron Man 3. I can see the line of reasoning, but I’m not
sure I can buy into it. The War Machine colors
link back to a soldier whose skill and courage helped resolve some nasty
situations (eventually). The Iron
Patriot colors link back to an incident where said soldier and the government
ended up bamboozled, with the president’s life on the line at one point. I don’t know, it seems like you’d want to
retire that palette ASAP.
In any case, Rhodey’s back for another round. He doesn’t get quite as much play this time
around, but he at least manages to assert his presence when he can. He’s one of the first to assert that the
Sokovia Accords ARE a good idea, which is to be expected when you’re already a
soldier in the government’s pocket. And
he stresses that it’s the government, not HYDRA or SHIELD. Rhodey may be willing to don a flying suit of
armor to fight the bad guys, but he’ll do it under the context of the law.
And really, that makes sense for the
character. In Iron Man 2, he was willing to rope in an out-of-control Tony
despite their enduring friendship, and turn in that stolen (or “confiscated”)
armor to create a weapon for the government’s benefit. Is it any surprise that he’d go full tilt in
supporting a sweeping regulation that puts limits on superhero antics, knowing
full well that his best friend alone is a powder keg soaked in gallons of
kerosene, alcohol, and bad decisions?
On one hand, it’s easy to assume that he’s also
playing the role of “black best friend”, albeit to Tony instead of Steve --
though he did adopt that role
first. On the other hand, I wonder if
his loyalties are truly toward Tony, or to whatever he perceives as a higher
power. Given that Stark Industries gives
him a better shot at learning to walk again, I’d say that he’s got someone else
to view as a friend instead of a foe -- but if Tony ever jumped off the straight
and narrow…well, who knows what would happen?
The Winter
Soldier!!
AW SHIET.
They brought back the
Winter Soldier’s leitmotif.
The last Captain America movie left Bucky’s fate
up in the air, more or less. I don’t
think anybody doubted that he’d return, but in what capacity? Would he go back to being Cap’s pal
100%? Or would he relapse and go back to
his life as a remorseless killing machine?
It turns out the answer is both.
Bucky’s trying to live a peaceful life, but his past catches up to him
-- as does the brainwashing that lets him go into Murder Mode when he hears the
right combination of words.
Bucky reveals during the final battle with Iron
Man that he remembers all of his victims.
Not knowing much about brainwashing (and I hope I never get a firsthand
account), I wonder if that means Bucky was fully aware of what he did as The
Winter Soldier but couldn’t stop himself, OR he simply remembers those murders
while struggling with the guilt once his heart resurfaces. Neither one sounds very pleasant, so I
wouldn’t blame him for seeking an escape from it all.
At the end of Civil
War, Bucky decides that in order to be free of his brainwashing and the
dangers involved, he has to go into what might as well be cryosleep until
Wakandan scientists can figure out a cure.
It’s a moment of self-sacrifice, but I wonder: maybe it’s also a moment
of cowardice? Bucky spent most of the
movie trying to run, hide, and escape, but it didn’t work; there’s an argument
to be made that he actively made things worse every step of the way. He’s at the center of the tragedy, but the
most he can do is try to avoid a future conflict -- to the point where he’d
sooner go to sleep than be awake for the treatment he desperately needs.
I’m not about to call Bucky an out-and-out coward
for what he does, nor can I blame him.
He already blames himself, after all; it’s a safe bet that he sees
himself as a monster, as well as someone that isn’t worth the effort Cap’s
putting in to clear his name. He
probably can’t believe that someone would want to save him at this point, but
maybe he’s the type that doesn’t want to be
saved. Not at the outset, at least
-- but Cap’s dedication to his friend shows Bucky that there’s still a life
worth living with his name on it. He may
have (or want) to go to sleep for a while, but he’ll claim it someday.
Iron Man!!
Once upon a time, I didn’t think much of Iron Man
outside of someone who would occasionally pull out gigantic laser cannons in
the video games. These days? Well, I’m not about to say that I’m in love
with the character, but I’ve got a hell of a lot more respect -- and even
appreciation -- for him than I used to.
That appreciation extends to Civil
War, because in my eyes it captures the essence of the character. Tony Stark, in his suit or out of it, is a
flawed, flawed, flawed individual --
and the movies stare those flaws right in the face.
It’s been years since the MCU trotted him out, and
look where we are now. He’s still
impulsive. He’s still rushing in to
situations without thinking. He’s still
ruled by his emotions. He’s still got
problems dealing with…well, his problems.
Could it be that everything he says and does is a cry for help? Maybe.
But on the other hand, the fact that he can function as a
relatively-normal person -- and can even get out of bed -- says plenty about
the man he is.
Tony Stark has made a lot of mistakes, whether it’s
directly in the movies or implied over the course of his life. But it’s thanks to that spark of heroism in
him that he tries to make up for those mistakes. Does he overcompensate? Sure.
Does he go to extremes and take shortcuts to wipe away the bad
feelings? Of course. But he’s still trying to do something. Anything.
That’s a far cry from the millionaire playboy we once knew him as. Then again, that should be obvious; even in
the original Iron Man, he was willing
to put on a super-suit and fight crime personally. You won’t see Bill Gates doing his best
RoboCop impression anytime soon.
You know it’s a messy situation when Tony tries to play the voice of reason
-- inasmuch as someone suffering from guilt, anxiety, PTSD, and a crummy
personal life can have reason. But he’s
trying, at least. He’s always trying to
do the right thing, even if it’s an unpopular opinion, or even if it ends up
doing more harm than good. Maybe someday
he’ll learn to take a deep breath and weigh his options instead of flinging
himself headfirst into disaster, but time will tell.
I’ll say this much, though: Robert Downey Jr. kills it in this movie.
Captain
America!!
Remember that time when I implied that there might
be a hero in this movie I like more than Captain America? Guess what?
I LIED. Granted he’s facing some
stiff competition this time around from Black Panther and Black Widow, but this
might be the best glimpse we’ve gotten of Cap yet. The only thing that leaves me scratching my
head is that he seems a lot stronger than I remember, but it still makes for
some impressive scenes. And I’m sure the
ladies could appreciate that moment where Chris Evans flexes so much, he might
as well be on his way toward transforming into the Hulk.
Now, I’d think that Cap detractors tend to raise a
legitimate point: when your character is so good and pure that he has no conceivable
way for his arc to make him gooder and purer, what do you do next? Where do you take them? Flaws go a long way toward making a character
interesting, after all. And guess what
they did here?
It’s symboliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic~
I wonder how many problems in this movie could’ve
been solved if Cap just stopped what he was doing and agreed to
compromise. Probably a few. To his credit, he was put in a situation
where people probably weren’t willing to give him a chance -- he chose to abet
a criminal on the international scale and then tried to prove said criminal’s
innocence while effectively giving the finger to the law -- but even with my
blatant fanboyism, I have a hard time acting like Cap’s the victim here. He’s the architect of his own fortune, and
his stubborn refusal to budge on important issues makes him harder to
support. I’m still ultimately on Team
Cap, but it feels like Team Iron Man (Tony in particular) tended to put up a
better-articulated argument, compared to Team Cap’s “Freedom!” and “But the
government, tho!”
Paradoxically, you could say that the First
Avenger is the one that broke the Avengers.
But if I know Captain America, he’s just as willing as Iron Man to do
what’s right. He always tries to do what’s right, and exemplified that even in this
movie; his goal wasn’t just to save Bucky, but to find the real culprit (and
eventually stop a band of killer supermen) in a world preoccupied with
bureaucracy and reeling from terrorist attacks.
His proactive nature is hard to debate, as is his invariable, inevitable
drive to be a hero. Even with everything
that’s happened and the consequences he’ll bear for years to come, and even
with the bridges he’s burned, Cap is still always ready to repair the bonds he
helped break. He’s always ready to team
up with Tony yet again, for the sake of protecting the innocent.
He’s an artist from Brooklyn that hates
bullies. Even if he leaves his shield
behind, his drive to protect and serve won’t change anytime soon.
Baron…Zemo??
There’s a part of me that’s tempted to leave Zemo
out of the equation, because this is a movie with an almost fetishistic focus
on the heroes. With that said, maybe
that was the plan from the get-go; people were so eager to see Cap and Iron Man
(and ALL THE WARRIORS) punch each other that they didn’t stop to think about
who the real threat might be. It’s
misdirection at its finest. After all,
any one of the twelve heroes -- even Hawkeye with two broken arms -- could’ve
likely taken out Zemo. He’s not some
superhuman menace, and a far cry from a cosmic threat. He has his seedy background, but he’s
basically just some guy.
But he got exactly what he wanted. As a refugee from Sokovia who lost everything
in the battle there, he opted for revenge of the highest caliber. Rather than kill off one of the Avengers, he
simply created the circumstances to tear them apart -- or have them do the
deed, literally, on his behalf. They may
be heroes, but each one of them has foibles ripe for exploitation. He simply had to flick the first domino in
the line, and watch as they all came tumbling down.
That’s kind of devaluing his commitment to
terrorism, assassination, and conspiracies, but hey. He’s a bad guy. He does bad things. ‘Nuff said.
Credit where credit’s due: Zemo isn’t an enemy
that can be beaten with a well-placed haymaker or laser blast. In fact, he’s one of a scant few Marvel villains
who lives to fight another day (though he’s in prison right now). He’s certainly one of the only ones to
survive, which is definitely something.
Maybe that’s the secret to the villains’ enduring success from here on:
just send a normal dude with a grudge out there to wreck the Avengers from the
inside out. J. Jonah Jameson would have conquered
the world before lunch time. Rick Jones
would have razed every continent before Thanos even showed up.
I’ll say this much, though. I’m glad they didn’t just make Zemo into
another just according to keikaku character. Well, he kind of is, but he’s by no means
brazen about it. He’s a background
presence, and stays that way as best he can for as long as he can. He kind of has to, considering his
competition; hell, his “face-to-face confrontation” with the heroes puts him behind
a massive steel wall. There’s no
bragging, no smarm, no half-baked philosophizing; he just has a plan in mind,
and goes for it. Simple,
straightforward, direct -- and successful because of it.
So yeah, gold star for Zemo. Also, another gold star for the misdirection
with the extra super soldiers. Of course Cap and Iron Man aren’t going to
patch things up and fight them in the last ten minutes of the movie. What, did you think it was amateur hour or
something? Only a true piece of schlock
would ever have the gall to do
something as stupid as throw in a new baddie without --
You know what comes next, don’t you?
*sigh*
Let’s give it one more shot. Next time.
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