Captain America: Civil War, directed by The Russo Brothers, had some BIG shoes to fill after The Winter Soldier, and they absolutely exceeded expectations, pushing the MCU films to new heights! Undoubtedly, Civil War is a huge fan service film, but that doesn't discourage the fact that this film is one of the best of the saga, thus far, having so many relatable themes, and memorable scenes. The Russo Brothers set this intriguing, serious tone for the majority of the film, creating amazing tension between the characters, while they interwove their brilliantly written humor. The Russo Brothers do such a great job keeping the continuity going from The Winter Soldier and The First Avenger, while also tying into the saga beautifully, setting up some great exposition. One of my main issues I have with Civil War; Not that there is so much going on, but the way they structured and balanced the scenes. The way the scenes were set, it didn't make the sequences feel as cohesive as they could've, with some plots becoming underdeveloped.

Even though this is a story-driven film, The Russo Brothers, Stephen McFeely & Christopher Markus allowed for countless, brilliant character moments, allowing each character to shine, and get a little more depth. Every character's motive is understood and fleshed out well, because of the good writting, and the set up films prior, giving every character a few more layers. The only issue I had with the characters, is that the creative team set themselves for some balancing issues, strictly due to the additions of a couple of cameo characters, but they made the absolute best of it. With this being a Captain America film, you know he's going to have a lot on his plate, and the writers and Chris Evans handled and balanced everything great! His character was the main focus, being really well written, expanding on his genuine bond with the team, and reaching a new level of "banter" with Tony Stark. His argument was described so well, where you can whole heartily get behind him, and completely back him up. Tony Stark runs the same lines. His character was another main focus, being well written, and having the best character arch of the film. Robert Downey Jr. nails his role once again, being a stand-out, in someone else's movie. Tom Holland ABSOLUTELY CRUSHES his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man! This is such a fresh take on his character, being nailed to a T! Tom Holland seemed to get almost all of the best lines, stealing every single scene he's in! Holland brings an extreme likability to the character, and I can't wait for his solo film! Chadwick Boseman also gets introduced into the MCU, as the Black Panther, and he is another stand-out of this film! His character is also well written, having a nice character arch, being one of those characters you can instantly care for. Boseman puts on a great performance, proving he belongs in the MCU! We get one of the most highly anticipated characters, make his return, in Paul Rudd as Ant Man. He doesn't have much to do, but he makes the most out of all of his screen time! Scarlett Johansson returns as Black Widow, and returns as one of the most grounded of the character bunch. Her character gets a little more importance here, but she doesn't have that much characterization. Elizabeth Olsen favorably returns as Wanda Witch, having one of the best potentials coming into the film. McFeely and Markus tried to give her some importance, but her character was sadly sidelined, compared to everyone else. Paul Bettany runs the same lines as Wanda, getting a little more to do, but I needed more from the both of them. Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle, and Anthony Mackie all return as their respected characters. They all had their minimal time to shine, but they were just left in the background, for the most part. Helmut Zemo is in the top three for most controversial villains of the MCU. I believed that Zemo had a purpose in this film, being a subtle villain, but if they were to scratch his character, the narrative wouldn't really change all that much, if anything, it would probably tighten up the narrative.

The screenplay by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, shines in most aspects, but they could've trimmed down some things, and gave it to the characters that needed that extra time to develop. If they did that, and maybe added another decent risk, or two, this film would be close to flawless.

With the action being handled by The Russo Brothers, you know it's going to be a hit, but this was a grandslam! They incorporated so many great shots, with the right amount of shaky cam, being one of the most notable films for the action. The Russo Brothers always know how to bring tention during these action sequences, and it was handled extremely well.

Overall, Captain America: Civil War, is probably my second favorite MCU film, and I think it's more than fair to say that this is a film that belongs at the top of the list