"Captain America: Civil War" - Best Marvel Movie To Date, Period...No, Seriously, It Is

   Marvel is officially kicking off their Phase 3 this weekend with the highly anticipated "Captain America: Civil War". When it comes to comic book films, Marvel has been pumping out success after success. However, no film is without fault, and the one minor hiccup in their grand cinematic universe is that - save for the Captain America franchise - the sequels seem to not quite live up to their originals. "Iron Man" kicked off this craziness and did so in fantastic fashion. "Iron Man 2" was a bit all over the place (still awesome though) and "Iron Man 3" was kind of this weird installment to the franchise (again, also still awesome regardless). "Age of Ultron", though grand and wonderful as it was, didn't quite capture the same magic as the first Avengers. And as for Thor, both films almost seem interchangeable. Don't get me wrong, there hasn't between a movie within this established universe that isn't awesome in their own right, but for whatever reason, sequels seem to miss the mark set by the originals...but not by much.

   Enter Captain America. Joe Johnston's "The First Avenger" was a great kick start to Cap's solo run. It had the fun, action and spectacle we've come to expect from a Marvel movie. When it came time to do the sequel, Marvel did probably the smartest thing they've ever done and hired the Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony, to direct "Winter Soldier". The Russos gave us a film that wasn't just a comic book movie. "Winter Soldier" was more like an espionage thriller, full of intrigue and great character development. It was like no other Marvel movie up to that point. Personally, setting aside the nostalgia and build-up to the first Avengers movie, "Winter Soldier" captured the number one spot for best Marvel movie in my book. The action was vivid, intense, and immersive. The story was compelling, and it did service both to Cap and to the universe being built, while staying fresh and original.

   When you strike gold, why not try your luck again? The Russos have returned to direct "Civil War" and after allowing some time to process it a bit, I think it's safe to say that it's bumped "Winter Soldier" to second place for me. Folks, the buzz around this film has been palpable, and knowing how well the Russos handled the property their first time around, I felt comfortable being in their hands as a spectator this time around. In a nutshell, and I know I'm not the only one who thinks this, "Captain America: Civil War" (in the book of the Optimist) is not only the best Marvel film to date, it's one of the best action movies to date, period. Granted, there's a lot that has led up to the events of this film, so it can be easily said that that reason alone gives it an edge, but I disagree with that notion. From start to finish, this movie is captivating, action-packed, character-driven, and emotionally engaging.

   For those three people who have no idea this movie exists, "Civil War" is a culmination of the aftermath of eight years of Marvel movies. Political interference in the Avengers' past activities causes a hazardous rift to form between Captain America and Iron Man. The government essentially wants to hold them accountable for all the collateral damage left in the wake of their heroic acts and control them as a special branch of the military, in a sense. Some of the Avengers, including front-runner Tony Stark, is on board for this level of accountability. However, boy scout Steve Rogers and others feel that they should be able to step in when needed, without government oversight and control. Oh, and if this gigantic spat isn't drama enough, there's also a bad guy in the movie that they have to deal with so, yeah...#SuperheroLife. This tension has been building between Tony and Steve, which we saw in "Age of Ultron", and it finally comes into fruition in this film. Though the movie plays as almost a better version of an Avengers movie than "Age of Ultron" did, it's the relationship and conflict between Tony and Steve that drive the story along.

   Look, I'm just gonna geek out a bit here if you don't mind. I'm not going to spoil anything so don't worry.

   Tom Holland makes his debut as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this movie. He plays a small, but important role in the film, and it's amazing! The past iterations of Spider-Man have been okay. Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 2" is still one of the best comic book movies ever made, and Andrew Garfield's run was good, he was just subject to poor execution on the part of everyone else who made the movies. From the little we saw of him, I'm hooked on Holland as our new Spider-Man. Plus, watching him swing around and fight on the same screen as Iron Man, Captain America, and all the others was just absolutely amazing! Everything about this iteration of Spider-Man was spot on and I can't wait for his solo movie "Spider-Man: Homecoming" to finally get here.

   With the start of this new phase for Marvel, the introductions of new characters are imminent. Black Panther was super cool and is arguably one of my favorite parts of the film. Chadwick Boseman knocks it out of the park with this character. He's an interesting character in that though he appears to fight along one side of the Avenger argument, his motives are his own. He's unique in that sense because he holds no allegiance other than to his home country of Wakanda. We're given the right amount of time with him in the movie to fuel our appetites for his solo film, which will be directed by "Creed" director Ryan Coogler. Also, though he's not that new, Ant-Man is in the movie...just a "little" bit. He's also one of my favorite parts in the entire film and for reasons that ultimate surprised me. The action in the movie is balls-to-the-wall, in your face, intense fun. That same style we saw in Winter Soldier is seen once again, only amped up. The epic fight scene between the Avengers is so much fun, I can't even put it to words. Everyone got their just due on screen and it was epic. Without any break in the action, that scene is arguably one of (if not THE) best comic book fight scene put to screen. I'm not exaggerating, trust me.

   As I mentioned before, with so many characters this movie felt like an Avengers film, but was still very much a Captain America film. When it's all boiled down, the conflict between Steve and Tony is at the heart of this thing and it really plays on your emotions. The movie takes its time to really explore both sides of the argument and you can't help but understand both sides as you see the valid points both men make. This makes for such great drama as well as character development. This movie, more so than probably any other Marvel film, does the best job at realistically showing the culmination of years and movies past. I couldn't help but think about the first time I saw the first Iron Man movie and the emotions and expectations that followed it; now comparing it with the events of Civil War, you really feel the weight of the journey in this movie.

   Look, this movie is amazing, what more can I say. I wish I could shake the hands of Joe and Anthony Russo who have somehow cracked the code with Marvel movies. They're not done yet either, for they're directing the next Avengers film, which will actually be two films. This film just proves they can handle a massive cast, insane action, great storytelling and character building, In the end, that's what we care about most, seeing these characters interact and come to life on screen. "Captain America: Civil War" will more than likely be the biggest movie of the year, and rightfully so. It's so, so, so, so good.