Captain America: Civil War - Movie Review

     Captain America: Civil War has very little to do with the title character, as it stars every character in the Avengers universe and then some. As a piece of entertainment though, it's as fun as movies come.

     For a movie with so many characters and plot lines, Civil War has a pretty focused narrative. The story is interesting. It introduces a lot of questions that will undoubtedly affect the superheroes in the future of the franchise. There are some twists, some of which are very predictable, others which add to the drama of the film.

     There's no point in naming the colossal cast, or praising the actors who at this point could play their respective characters in their sleep. Newcomer Tom Holland is a welcome addition as Spider-Man. He plays the iconic character perfectly, as quite possibly the best incarnation of the character to date. The other new hero, Black Panther, is a cool and mysterious character.

     Every action scene is exciting and memorable. The stunt work is extremely accomplished, looking very realistic. The centerpiece fight between the Avengers is a fast paced and engaging scene, where every character gets a chance to shine. The final fight between the lead characters feels the most personal, and is quite possibly the film's best scene.

     The downside to having so many characters is that some have little reason for being included. Characters such as Ant-Man, Hawkeye, and others show up out of nowhere just to contribute to the big fight. As much as I praised Spider-Man, he feels a bit out of place in this movie. Also, he only has two scenes.

     The story has a fair share of plot conveniences to get characters from point A to point B. The function of the antagonist, Zemo, is quite simply to push the plot along, as he doesn't really fit into the drama between the heroes.

     The music is generic and forgettable, contributing nothing to any of the scenes. The movie also doesn't take any risks, as it establishes a lot of conflict but then wraps it all up neatly to prepare for future sequels.

     Overall, Civil War is a fun time at the theater, and ended up being much better than I expected. It has its fair share of problems, but the good far outweighs the bad.

Grade: B+

The Jungle Book - Movie Review

    

     Disney's live action film adaptation of The Jungle Book is a visually appealing and very entertaining movie with a surprising amount of heart.

     It's absolutely astonishing that all areas of the film were CGI (Computer Generated Images) with the exception of the boy who plays Mowgli. The way Mowgli blends into the artificial environment is seamless. These are some of the finest visual effects I have seen in years and it makes for an immersive experience. All technical aspects of the movie are top notch.

     Neel Sethi, a child actor in his first movie surrounded entirely by green screens, is quite good given the circumstances. He plays Mowgli, and even if he isn’t great, he had a very difficult task to accomplish and sufficiently played the hero. The voice cast is outstanding, the biggest highlights being Bill Murray as Baloo and Christopher Walken as King Louie.

     The pacing is consistent; there is never a dull moment to be found in the briskly moving 106 minutes of runtime. There is enough substance to the movie to appeal to adults and enough light hearted fun and colorful imagery for kids.

     On the flip side, there are some story elements that feel out of place due to the little amount of time spent on them. There is one three minute scene with a menacing serpent that only exists to provide some background to the developing story. The creature then disappears from the film entirely. Also, the upbringing of the hero Mowgli is glossed over to dive right into the thick of the plot.

     The story has a fair share of plot conveniences in which characters arrive at a place at just the right moment to save the day. This is a very predictable movie; it provides very few surprises in its story. The music is quite good, though the movie seems unsure if it wants to be a musical or not.

     Overall, The Jungle Book is a well-directed and eye popping blockbuster with some emotionally effective scenes. It's a fast moving and fun adventure with a little something for everybody.

Grade: B-