I have so many mixed thoughts with this I'm not sure where to begin, so I'll try and articulate them as best as I can. First off, I can say that I was very impressed with this film. I won't get excited and say it's my favorite Marvel film thus far, but it's definitely in the top three and it definitely is the one that evokes the most emotion out of you and contains the most layers to it. They weren't lying when they said this film would play out like an emotional horror story. It felt just like a direct sequel to both TWS and AoU. I feel those are the only two films you'd really need to see in order to understand the plot behind this film.
The first part, I really couldn't wait to see Tony get his beat down at the end. I really couldn't. It angered me so much that he wanted to keep the Avengers in check because of his guilty conscience over what happened in Sokovia after he created Ultron. Now, here he was on his high horse, acting like he was the "good" guy, calling government oversight "safety". The same guy that said regarding Ultron, "You don't get why we need this," thinking that was going to be "safety". Yeah? How'd that turn out, buddy? Now because you screwed up, you're holding everyone responsible and claiming that we're "reckless" when we were really cleaning up your mess. I got the sense that deep down, he knew that the real person who needed to be kept in check was himself, not the Avengers. He's the one that needed a set of rules and laws to follow otherwise he would let his ego run rampant.
As the film progressed, you started questioning whether Captain America was "right" in trying to protect Bucky. He (TWS) was indeed a criminal, so should he in fact be taken in and held accountable for these crimes? However, it still made you think because we all know that even though Bucky is TWS, TWS isn't "Bucky".
Finally in the end, I really did feel for Tony. I could understand his indignation. However, I still think he was failing to see the bigger picture. Who was really ultimately responsible for his parents' death? Bucky, or Hydra? Personally, I feel it's the latter. Just because someone directly did something, to me it doesn't always necessarily mean that the direct source is the one who is ultimately responsible and was calling the shots.
The one who I came out feeling sorry for the most? Captain America. I really felt like he was put in between a rock and a hard place in this film. Both Bucky and Tony are his friends, and I really felt like he was trying to do what he thought was right to protect both of his friends. Unfortunately, one of his friends despises his other friend. Whether you agreed with his side or not, I felt that he was really the only person you knew you could trust in this film and know that he wouldn't double cross you. I didn't trust the Secretary of State. I didn't trust Zemo (obviously), I didn't even trust Tony.
At the end, I don't feel Captain America nor Iron Man won. When Tony was chastising Cap to leave his shield because he didn't deserve it and that his father made that shield, I felt that both Captain America and Iron Man should have been ashamed of themselves and didn't deserve either of their mantles, simply because they allowed themselves to be played by a larger force. However, I felt Captain America saw the bigger picture clearer than what Tony did even though I can completely understand Tony's anger at the moment. I felt he was essentially just seeing red at the end, and many of his decisions in this film were based off of knee jerk reactions.
The message that I gleaned from this film was that despite two parties' differing ideas and beliefs, perhaps you're all merely puppets and having your strings pulled by a bigger entity that has their own agenda and getting you to act, behave and believe in the way that they want you to.
After seeing it, the figures I would say that are essential to this film in my opinion are Captain America (regular version), Bucky, Mk 46, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Falcon and Black Panther. Maybe Vision and a Sharon Carter, if they make her. I personally don't feel they will make a Zemo, even though he had a large part.
The others I personally think are easy passes.
Can't wait to see it again Saturday.
