Captain America: Civil War

POW! This action-packed installment of the Captain America saga should really be dubbed Avengers 2.5, with its plethora of superheroes in conflict with one another. Responding to public protests after an alarming amount of casualties, Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) proposes the Sokovia Accords, which would limit the superhero vigilantes' autonomy under international law. Captain America (Chris Evans) opposes this threat to their independence, joined by his buddy Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Somewhat surprisingly, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) accedes to Ross's proposal, along with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Vision (Paul Bettany), and a newcomer, African Prince T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), aka Black Panther. The star of their team turns out to be Stark's youngest recruit, an eager-to-please, adolescent Spider-Man (Tom Holland). As for villains, there's sneering, scheming Zemo (Daniel Brühl), along with their old S.H.I.E.L.D. adversary Crossbones (Frank Grillo). Directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, Captain America does offer a subtly sobering commentary on the carnage accidentally inflicted by the U.S. in the Middle East, but it's also a repetitive and overstuffed superhero slog, as the Marvel cinematic universe marches on. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, a “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” making-of featurette (46 min.), deleted and extended scenes (7 min.), “The Road to Civil War” segments on Captain America and Iron Man (4 min. each), an “Open Your Mind: Marvel's Doctor Strange” sneak peek (4 min.), a gag reel (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a noisy and uneven franchise entry.] (S. Granger)