One sentence synopsis: the government has had enough of superheroes running around unchecked, and their registration idea is not agreed upon universally...
One sentence trailer thoughts: loved it, with a but...
Let me explain myself. From a cinematic point of view, the movie looks fantastic. Pitting superheroes against each other is always a plus, and this "versus" has been better built up than Batman and Superman's. Had I not read the comics, I wouldn't have a bad thing to say about this. I loved it. The action looks just as great as The Winter Soldier's, which is my #1 Marvel movie to date. We get to see the introduction of Black Panther, who looks badass in those few seconds of screen time. We even might have had a glimpse of the MCU's Spiderman right after the sequence where Black Panther is being chased by Cap in the parking lot. It's epic in scope, and you know the story is at the center of this movie and not the big explosions or stunts. It is directed by the Russo brothers, the same architects behind The Winter Soldier's success.
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| Black Panther |
Here comes the big, hairy But.
But (and mind you, this is judging solely from the trailer, for we have nothing else) from a story potential point of view, it disappointed me. I need to give some background for those who have not read the Civil War comics: the war is triggered by some kids with superpowers who have a reality show, and in their pilot episode they are about to bust into a house where some supervillains are hiding. Things go wrong, and one of the supervillains causes a huge explosion that ends up killing hundreds, including lots of children in a nearby school in the city of Stamford. This tragedy, of course, is met with a public outcry to restrain superpowered beings, in a parallel to 9/11 and its subsequent world of fearmongering against all things Muslim. The U.S. Government decides that the days of unchecked superheroes are over; now they must officially register as government employees and answer to the government itself. Many heroes, including Tony Stark and the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards, agree to this officialization of "superheroing", while others, led by Captain America, do not want to be told who to help or not by anyone. This is big, of course, since Captain America was one the U.S.'s top soldiers, and if there was anyone you would expect to run along with this new agenda, it is him.
Those that do not comply are criminals. Enter the Civil War.
Now that you have the context, let's go back to this trailer. Based on this trailer the trigger seems to be Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The government is after him and Cap will defend his friend to the last, and Falcon is involved because he was already helping Cap in Bucky's search. When Cap faces off against some police agents in another country, the government of the United States decides that enough is enough, and that superheroes cannot keep running around doing whatever they feel like without facing any consequences. Thus, the Registration Act is born, one to which Cap cannot agree to... because he doesn't want Bucky falling into the government hands. Tony Stark is now sent by the government to track down Cap and Bucky and bring them to "justice". Enter the MCU's Civil War.
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| Spoilers much? 'Cause he looks dead to me. And a black guy does die in the comics too. Just saying. |
This is where I have a problem with this version. This plot isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, it simply cheapens what was an even grander idea. It isn't about helping people at all costs anymore, now it's something personal for Cap; it's about his friend. The way the trailer ended gives me confidence in believing that this will be the main theme of the movie: friendship and betrayal. Again, not a bad plot course, it simply isn't about purer ideals of heroism like in the comics, something that not only Cap but the many others that follow him can get behind. It is Cap's quest now, and he will be dragging his loyal friends into the mess. Frankly, this makes him look bad in my opinion, and Tony the sane one.
Besides cheapening a bigger story, my other problem is that they already had laid the groundwork for the original, bigger story. Remember Age of Ultron, how the Hulk went out of control and his battle against Stark's Hulkbuster caused plenty of damage to Johannesburg? Or how it was Tony Stark's own stubborn creation, Ultron, that put the entire world at risk? Not only was this a similar trigger to the tragedy of Stamford from the comics, it was a better one. Why? Because this time it wasn't some reckless kids who don't know any better causing the damage, it was the mighty Avengers' own members that needed to be restrained. Furthermore, Tony Stark was at the center of both incidents, making him the penitent hero that would immediately agree to a Registration Act in order to soothe his guilty conscience. Cap had no such qualms, of course, and would resent what he sees as government intrusion into matters of principle and not legal authority, especially after H.Y.D.R.A's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. He simply cannot trust in the government anymore, and thus has every reason to decline registration and become a fugitive.
It was there already, Marvel! You didn't need Bucky for this, all you needed was to explore the fallout of the previous movie, which to me already looked like a setup for this movie. Heck, even DC is doing this with Batman v Superman. Bucky could have joined in once Cap was underground.
Now, I repeat, I am basing these impressions only on the teaser trailer. Maybe they will explore this bigger plot anyway. Maybe that is the reason Tony Stark accepts to be registered. It just doesn't seem like it, and so the trailer disappointed me as much as I loved it.
The movie, however, (or even the next trailer) might change this.
Expectations: regardless of which plot they follow, my expectations are quite high.
