Captain America: Civil War is a film that has an engaging conflict, strong characters and thrilling action that creates a fresh and exciting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The film is set in the world of Marvel, an alternate version of Earth that is home to popular heroes such as Iron Man, Hulk, and Spider Man, along with more previously less popular yet beloved personalities like Ant Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Civil War, the third film to center on Captain America, also features a multitude of characters from this universe.

After the extreme destruction that the previous films brought, the world's governments have come together to create the ¨Superhero Registration Act.¨, which, as the name suggests, requires all superheroes to register before they can operate. Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, believing that it will keep people safe, accepts the new law, while Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America refuses, believing that the Avengers should be able to fight off alien and robot armies without government intervention. Soon, the rest of the heroes take sides, and two and a half hours worth of chaos ensue. Due to its large cast, this may seem like an Avengers film, but the focus is kept on the main characters, even when it goes wide. While wasting no time throwing the audience into the action, Civil War slows down to make the conflict feel personal, showing interactions between the characters that emphasize the ¨human¨ in ¨superhuman¨.

But the heroes are still as fantastic as ever. One part that stands out is the airport battle near the end of the movie. It utilizes the formula of special effects, quick humor, and action that Marvel has perfected. Every hero has something to show off, and both sides have tricks up their sleeves. Even though the Earth isn't in peril, the stakes still feel high during this battle.

The film manages to close the curtain on the current heroes for the time being and make room for the newer additions to the universe, like Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange, with an ending that is a cliff-hanger yet also satisfying. If Marvel can keep it up for its upcoming films, Captain America: Civil War is only a small glimpse of the studio's potential.