I'm not a big comics guy nor do I really follow all of the "super hero" type movies that seem to be coming out every couple of months or so... at least before the China virus super villain invaded Hollyweird and the rest of humanity. But I really like the Captain America series for its generally pro-America/Liberty/Freedom stance and its ability to tell great stories related to the times we are in without flinching and with only names and fancy uniforms to stand in for the real-world entities they mirror.

"Civil War" is a magnificent embodiment and reflection on our divided political views and the sometimes harsh realities that come with being "free" and defeating tyranny: Do we play nice and appease the evil forces in the world for the sake of avoiding potential collateral damage in confronting them now before they get too strong to defeat? Or do we look the other way and pretend the forces of evil aren't there and continuing to grow as we paper over the reality with formal systems of appeasement such as the UN in an attempt to lend credibility to our cowardice? Do we face ridicule and punishment for standing up to evil now even though the inevitable costs of doing so will be high? Or do we keep our mouths shut and hope for the best while knowing that eventually, everything we hold dear will be destroyed if we ignore our consciences? Or do we do the right thing anyway and accept our roles as outcasts and scapegoats in the eyes of the very society we save from itself?

This is a pretty serious film about a very serious time in the history of our world which is now. Bravo to the studio and all involved for making such an unflinching piece of "fiction."

The only reason I give it 9 stars instead of 10 is because I believe that the use of CGI is excessive and distracting. I think a lot of the scenes could have done without it or used some other "real" methods to get the same effect. At some point you have to ask if the film is live action or a cartoon. And while it is a mix of both, it relies a little too much on the later. Obviously some scenes could not be done without CGI but many could have been done without it... as with fight scenes between two or more characters which could have been done live action but CGI characters were used instead. This to me is just distracting and it pulls me out of the film. Plus there were some other things that bothered me such as the under-explained absence of The Hulk and this new character "Cross-Bones" that, while I know his background, just seems unnecessary, underdeveloped and gets lost in a sea of other much more important and interesting characters.

Also, the witty banter, tough-guy (gal) one-liners and super-stylized poses and moves starts wearing thin really quick. It's just too much. Much of the dialog, I'm sure, is designed to inject comic relief but it winds up feeling forced and inappropriate much of the time... like when "friends" are fighting and practically trying to kill each other they like to quip back and forth with jokes or comments of admiration on their fighting styles or their snazzy outfits. Just not very appropriate and is in juxtaposition to the serious nature of the situations. Sort of like your oncologist telling you a "bald guy" joke while you are dying of cancer. Again, pulls me right out of the film.

If they can stop going overboard with the CGI and constant cringe-worthy attempts at tough one-liners and failed comic relief, they will have a great formula for future films. Overall a great movie and well worth the viewing.