Civil War assembles the Avengers for an all-out all-star battle. With newcomers Black Panther and Spider-Man offering show-stealing highlights, appetites are left whetted for the future, rather than teased for the upcoming meal.

The film pulls many emotional punches, holding back for the sake of those same upcoming films, and the intellectual battle is increasingly shaky, with Captain America at his least heroic yet.

The pace can’t keep its gallop and the fights can’t keep their wallop, but as a convergence and dispersion of all which has come before Civil War is a resounding victory.

Civil War is A-grade filmmaking, as confident as it is competent, and a shiny stone in Marvel’s gauntlet. The series’ future is safe in the Russo brothers’ hands.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen , Paul Rudd, Tom Holland

DIRECTORS: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (screenplay), Mark Millar (comic book), Joe Simon & Jack Kirby (characters)

SYNOPSIS: Political interference in the Avengers‘ activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America (Evans) and Iron Man (Downey).