Captain America and Iron Man had a beef, which led to one of the greatest graphic novels of all time – Civil War. If you are a fan of comic books and superheroes, you should go and buy it. And now, that beef has turned into one of the greatest superhero movies of all time, Captain America: Civil War. Yes, it is that good. It isn’t a perfect movie, but it’s pretty darn close.
But is Captain America: Civil War appropriate for kids? Before I get into the review, here’s what you need to know if you are planning on taking kids to see Captain America: Civil War.
It brings me a lot of joy to say that there wasn’t much swearing in this movie. There were a few curse words, but they were of the minor variety. None of the majors. Sexual references are non-existent. The violence, however, is intense. And there is a lot of it. The body count is high and you see many dead bodies lying by the wayside as heroes and villains battle it out. You do not see blood on the bodies, but there is blood on the injured. There are also scenes of terrorism and torture. And many, many fight scenes. Did I say Many? Many.
Here’s how I would stack it up to the other Marvel movies.
Language: Not as bad as Ant Man. On the same level as Captain America: Winter Soldier.
Violence: Similar to Avengers: Age of Ultron
Sex: None
My 11-year-old and 9-year-old will watch the movie with me this weekend, but it will be a few years before I show it to my 4-year-old.
As I said at the beginning, Captain America: Civil War is one of the best superhero movies ever made. Here’s why… Black Panther. Whenever Black Panther is on screen, the excitement level is the highest. This was the perfect movie introduction for one of my son’s favorite heroes. I guarantee when most people walk out of the movie, they’ll be talking about Black Panther. A lot of people aren’t as familiar with this hero, but they will be craving more of him after the movie. Thankfully, he’ll get his own movie in 2018.
And there are more reasons why this was such a great movie. Two of the greatest heroes ever square off. Guys that are completely different from each other finally get into a life or death confrontation. And the film does a great job showing that both Captain America and Iron Man may have good reasons for the decisions they make.
The movie faced the challenge of including more super heroes in one movie than any other movie made to date. Writing Captain American: Civil War must have been difficult, and directing it even harder. As I watched the movie, I craved more screen time for the various characters, until I reminded myself, “Oh yeah, this is a Captain America movie.” Going in, remind yourself of that as well. The other characters will get their time in other movies. This is about Captain America trying to save the day and Iron Man getting in his way. But here are my thoughts on the other characters:
The Winter Soldier: Bucky is back and plays a crucial role in this movie and he kicks some major butt in a great performance.
Spider Man: Spider Man’s scenes are funny and exciting. I can’t wait to see what Marvel does with his solo films. This movie was the perfect reboot of the franchise. Most of the laughs in this film are provided by Spider Man.
Ant Man: I guarantee comic book fans are going to love Ant Man’s big fight scene. Paul Rudd brings his comedic genius to the character once again and brings lots of laughter with his quick wit.
Black Widow: For those craving a strong woman for kids to look up to, Black Widow is the heroine you’ve been looking for. She kicks butt with a voice of reason.
Scarlett Witch: Elizabeth Olson plays the character exceptionally well and brings a different level of emotion to the character that is missing in the other characters. She is also wickedly powerful, and the film does a great job at showcasing her skills.
Vision: We need more Vision. It was fun to watch Vision become more human and I’m looking forward to seeing where they take the character. Vision brings a different and needed sensitivity to the film.
Falcon: Cap’s other best friend gets a lot of screen time in the movie and has some great fight scenes. His one-liners are top notch. Anthony Mackie has done a great job of supplying life to one of the lesser known Avengers and has made him a fan favorite.
Hawkeye: I love Hawkeye’s character and I had to remind myself during this movie that it was not an Avengers movie. One of my favorite parts of Age of Ultron was seeing more of Hawkeye. He isn’t in this movie as much as I would have liked, but what he does is great.
War Machine: Iron Man’s best friend kicks a lot of butt, but also provides Iron Man with great advice. I would love to see more War Machine in the next Avengers movie. Cheadle brings well-balanced acting to the role and every word Cheadle says is perfectly delivered.
So, there you have my thoughts. The movie was a lot of fun to watch and I can’t wait to see it again with my family. If you allow your children to watch other Marvel films and don’t mind violence, Captain America: Civil War should be on your list of movies to catch. I’d rate it as 10 and up, with wiggle room for a mature 9 year old..
After the movie, stick around for a mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene.
And lastly, I am totally Team Captain America.
