Movies
5 Reasons You Must See ‘Captain America : Civil War’
5. Joe and Anthony Russo are directing this movie and after doing a great job on The Winter Soldier, this dynamic duo will provide a great foundation for the upcoming Infinity War movie placed in their capable hands. They have the ability to film and oversee intricate detailed scripts, this one by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. I always preferred the writing and stories in the Marvel universe. DC’s Batman v. Superman looked great, but was a huge mess. It’s easy to forget that a quality movie has to be on paper first. Eye candy alone will not do and the Russo brothers created a formula that works very well combining a great story and unforgettable visuals in what looks like the hands down mega hit of this summer.
4. Black Panther is making his movie debut which is huge for longtime fans of the comic and the animated series that did a hell of a job bringing T’Challa to life. Chadwick Bosemen has a spectacular platform in which to spring into his solo movie which is coming soon after Civil War dominates this summer. I wasn’t sure about the costume, but after seeing it in action I couldn’t really ask for anything better. The talented writers has given him enough to do in this movie so that his debut doesn’t feel tagged on. Panther is another example of the exceptional world-building Marvel has built on scenes that setup exciting sequels for the foreseeable future.
3. Spider-man is making his Marvel movie debut which is close to a miracle because of the Fox deal that didn’t allow him to be included in earlier films. Executives at Fox were savvy enough to admit that the last 2 Spider-man movies were garbage and that they should try and let some of Marvel’s movie magic rub off on one of their marque franchises. Kept secret for some time, Spider-man’s inclusion in this storyline made sense due to his role in the comics and the fact that everyone with common sense could tell Civil War was going to be a huge event in the Marvel film universe. The key ingredient missing from most of the Spider-man movies was his sense of humor and young perspective. These two key character elements has been included in this newly cast version of Spidey and Fox had better find a way to continue and capitalize the gift Marvel has given them in any upcoming Spider-man films.
2. Its a 2 hour and 30 minute move based on one of the best Marvel storylines written by Mark Millar, the writer behind The Kingsman and Kick Ass comics. This film sincerely tries to answer questions explored in the comic book series regarding heroism vs. vigilantism. When done well, the exploration of these ideas cause a realistic take on being a modern day hero that gives the film some emotional weight. The Winter Solider also accomplished this balance by questioning an all powerful government agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. Trying to answer what a human run government would do to deal with the emergence of super beings is a great playground that the Russos have masterfully executed in their last two movies.
1. The 15 minute airport fight scene is just one of many great action scenes, but is easily the highlight of the film. Comic book fans can appreciate the time put into pulling it off, making it a must see for anyone loving innovative visual experiences. This scene alone shows me that the Russos really get what makes a super powered battle enjoyable and accomplishes what few movies, even ones from Marvel, could do. In a lot of battles some characters seem seriously over-matched, but in Civil War you will actually be surprised by several heroes who push their powers to new limits. Even with Hero v. Hero violence the fights seem dangerous and have long lasting impact on the character’s relationships going forward. The use of Antman is a highlight and will not be easily forgotten, giving Paul Rudd an opportunity to expand his abilities when he eventually makes his upcoming sequel.
Now that Captain America is Black
- Bucky Barnes will change his name to Summer Soldier Buckquan because “Nah son! we ain’t doing sh*t in the winter!”
- Fearing for their lives, Police officers will fire 751 shots at Cap in the 4th of many incidents to come.
- In a new altered timeline, Thanos will win due to Cap being detained by a routine traffic stop. “How can you afford Vibraniun on a government salary? Please step out of the vehicle sir.”
- Captain America will form a Rap group with Black Panther called “Black-America.” The group will not be received well but will eventually have all their intellectual property stolen for decades to come without any due repar… I mean royalties. #MESSAGE
- Racists will be utterly confused when they tell Captain America to “Go back to where you came from.” Equally confused, Cap will pack up all his belongings and stay put.
- Cap will be accused of stealing Thor’s hammer the next time he picks it up.
- Cap’s shield will be replaced with a Vibraniun PlayStation Controller since black men are more comfortable throwing that.
- The battle decree will officially be changed from “Avengers Assemble” to “Yerrrrr! It’s on sight!”
- After 40 years of service, Cap will travel back in time to 1998 to finally get that last dance with his true love, Laura Winslow. They will Cha Cha Slide to “Before I let Go” as the credits role.
- Upon retirement, those jaded with having an Af-Am do such an amazing job will appoint a failed real estate charlatan to take up the mantle. The New Cap will immediately try and grab Scarlet by her “Johansson” and declare himself the best Captain America that ever did it during his inauguration.
It is clear that Chadwick Boseman chose iconic roles like Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, Jackie Robinson and Black Panther with deliberate intent and for a specific purpose. In an age where positive roles for Black actors is often sparse, Chadwick managed to land and portray historical figures that made most respect his talents if not revel in his ability to transition effortlessly for one character to another. Even I had to give his African accent a solid B+ (It’s the highest grade the Nigerian Standards Bureau can give for an African accent to a non African FYI.)
Holding out and preparing for these dynamic roles came with both great frustration and incredible resolve I’m certain. Not to mention the taxing ordeal of battling Colon Cancer as the grueling scheduling of filming and increasing responsibility for positive representation loomed. Even under extreme duress, Chadwick’s commitment to others appeared to outweigh his own tribulations, unbeknownst to us all.
Black Panther may have been just a movie to some and that may be because some can easily rattle off 10 movies with a king of non Af-Am origin. It represented a lot more to others. Albeit imagined, imagery on cinema often accomplishes more to augment the social narrative and society itself than actual reality. If negative stereotypes influence perception then positive ones absolutely have the same converse effect.
Even in jest, the cultural misappropriation of raisins in potato salad on SNL skits directly spoke to the tampering of black culture to which T’challa championed, represented and aptly responded “Oh hell Nah Karen!”
If you don’t understand the relevance of representation, it’s probably because you are thoroughly represented. After all, no one is ever grateful for every breath they take until they are gasping for air.
R.I.P Chadwick Boseman. Thank you for breathing life into the possibility of Black excellence.
