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American War
7.5
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Book
An audacious and powerful debut novel: a second American Civil War, a devastating plague, and one...
Fiction
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Captain America: Civil War (2016) in Movies
Dec 24, 2020
To it's credit, Civil War was incredible at it's time of release, but a recent re watch left me feeling a little emptier than I remember, and I think it's down to further films in the MCU. The main issue is that whilst it's a third Captain America movie, it is also Avengers 2.5, and as such, loses something from both sides of the coin. The complicated relationship between Bucky and Cap was one of the driving forces that made The Winter Soldier one of the best MCU films to date, but here, that side is distracted from by the big headline brawl. The Civil War side of things is set up pretty well, but the pay off doesn't quite pack the punch it needs to due to the overall focus on the aformentioned Bucky/Cap story.
When it first released, it benefited from boasting the first MCU appearances of Black Panther and Spider-Man. Since then we've seen plenty of both, in arguably better movies. At the time of release, the airport fight scene had me beaming with nerdy joy, but since then, we've been spoiled by Infinity War and Endgame, and the titular Civil War is really a low stakes fight full of pulled punches, wrapped up in a fan pleasing package. Basically, hindsight shows that Civil War is a victim of Marvel Studios bigger event movies that have followed since.
Another point worth mentioning is the villains' evil plan. The big bad this time is classic Captain America antagonist Baron Zeno, and his plan is, well, it's really convoluted. I know it's a comic book film, and I should suspend my disbelief to a certain degree, but I can't rag on Lex Luthors' stupid plan in Batman v Superman and then give this a free pass. It gets the ball rolling, and puts all the players into the right places for the film to proceed, but it's dumb as fuck.
It's miles away from being a bad comic book film though. The cast are all once again superb. Some of the emotional beats are fantastic, especially the final showdown between Iron Man and Cap. The way Tony is portrayed as a man with nothing left to lose at the films climax is heart breaking. It's extremely visually pleasing, the CGI is top drawer and the action is stupidly entertaining.
Civil War ultimately is full of thrilling moments that are designed to have comic book fans jumping for joy, but underneath all it's pizzazz, my recent re watch has shown me that it's a film trying to do too much. Luckily the Russo's managed to refine their formula for Infinity War, and as such, Civil War is a flawed yet important stepping stone to the Infinity Saga climax. Still 100% worth watching.
When it first released, it benefited from boasting the first MCU appearances of Black Panther and Spider-Man. Since then we've seen plenty of both, in arguably better movies. At the time of release, the airport fight scene had me beaming with nerdy joy, but since then, we've been spoiled by Infinity War and Endgame, and the titular Civil War is really a low stakes fight full of pulled punches, wrapped up in a fan pleasing package. Basically, hindsight shows that Civil War is a victim of Marvel Studios bigger event movies that have followed since.
Another point worth mentioning is the villains' evil plan. The big bad this time is classic Captain America antagonist Baron Zeno, and his plan is, well, it's really convoluted. I know it's a comic book film, and I should suspend my disbelief to a certain degree, but I can't rag on Lex Luthors' stupid plan in Batman v Superman and then give this a free pass. It gets the ball rolling, and puts all the players into the right places for the film to proceed, but it's dumb as fuck.
It's miles away from being a bad comic book film though. The cast are all once again superb. Some of the emotional beats are fantastic, especially the final showdown between Iron Man and Cap. The way Tony is portrayed as a man with nothing left to lose at the films climax is heart breaking. It's extremely visually pleasing, the CGI is top drawer and the action is stupidly entertaining.
Civil War ultimately is full of thrilling moments that are designed to have comic book fans jumping for joy, but underneath all it's pizzazz, my recent re watch has shown me that it's a film trying to do too much. Luckily the Russo's managed to refine their formula for Infinity War, and as such, Civil War is a flawed yet important stepping stone to the Infinity Saga climax. Still 100% worth watching.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2206 KP) rated Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Books
Mar 9, 2018
This is a fun trip down a pre-Civil War Mississippi. The plot comes and goes, but I enjoy the ride. My biggest complaint is the various dialects the characters use. Some of them are very hard to follow.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-adventures-of-huckleberry.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-adventures-of-huckleberry.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Captain America: Steve Rogers Vol. 2: The Trial of Maria Hill
7.0
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Book
Hail Hydra! As the Red Skull marches across Europe, SHIELD comes apart at the seams. Steve opens a...
Sword of Trust (2019)
Movie Watch
Cynthia and Mary show up to collect Cynthia's inheritance from her deceased grandfather, but the...
Theodore Savage
Cicely Hamilton and Gary Panter
Book
When war breaks out in Europe -- modern, aerial war whose tactics include displacing entire...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Civil War II in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The original Civil War storyline - which sees Captain America and Iron Man/Tony Stark come down on different side of the ethical debate over whether Super-powered individuals should be subject to governmental oversight - was adopted for the 2016 Marvel Cinematic Universe film 'Captain America: Civil War'.
I could very easily see this being adopted for a later film, after the as-yet-unfinished 'Infinity War'. Once again, we have a split in the super-hero community, this time brought about by the discovery of a new Inhuman who appears to be able to see the future -on the one hand, we have those who believe that they have to do whatever they can to stop those visions coming true (even if it means arresting the individual before the crime: hello, 'Minority Report'!) whilst on the other we have those that believe these are only potential futures, and that, well, the crime has to come before the punishment!
I could very easily see this being adopted for a later film, after the as-yet-unfinished 'Infinity War'. Once again, we have a split in the super-hero community, this time brought about by the discovery of a new Inhuman who appears to be able to see the future -on the one hand, we have those who believe that they have to do whatever they can to stop those visions coming true (even if it means arresting the individual before the crime: hello, 'Minority Report'!) whilst on the other we have those that believe these are only potential futures, and that, well, the crime has to come before the punishment!
David McK (3425 KP) rated Traitor's Blood (Civil War Chronicles #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Billed as 'The Sharpe of the Civil War' (ever notice how these types of novels always use that character as their benchmark?), it's easy to see the influence of Cornwell's most famous creation on this novel, which (according to the author) is the first in a planned series of 10 books set during the English Civil War.
This is told from the POV of a soldier in the (doomed) Royalist army: a soldier who has a history with some in authority (like Sharpe and Wellesley), and who is chosen to go behind the enemy lines on a top secret mission (again, like Sharpe), with the beginning and end of the novel taking place during one of the battles of that war (yet again, just like a Sharpe novel ...). Enjoyable enough, and gets off to a strong start, but is just not as polished as one of Cornwells books. Still, an impressive effort for a debut novel, and I may pick up more of the sequels ...
This is told from the POV of a soldier in the (doomed) Royalist army: a soldier who has a history with some in authority (like Sharpe and Wellesley), and who is chosen to go behind the enemy lines on a top secret mission (again, like Sharpe), with the beginning and end of the novel taking place during one of the battles of that war (yet again, just like a Sharpe novel ...). Enjoyable enough, and gets off to a strong start, but is just not as polished as one of Cornwells books. Still, an impressive effort for a debut novel, and I may pick up more of the sequels ...
Gustaf Mannerheim
Book
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim is a legendary figure, whose life and career were deeply influential in...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Warlord's Gold (Civil War Chronicles, #5) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Book #5 in Michael Arnold's 'Civil War Chronicles', this picks up not long after then end of the previous ([b:Assassin's Reign|16281347|Assassin's Reign (Civil War Chronicles #4)|Michael Arnold|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373968716s/16281347.jpg|22383365]), with Stryker and his men off to retrieve a treasure from the Scilly Islands for the cause of King and Country.
Of course, agents of Parliament are also after the same treasure.
Meanwhile, Stryker's friend Capt Lancelot Forester is also sent deep into Parliamenterian held country in order to shore up the will of an outpost that is still holding out for the king ...
Surviving shipwreck, imprisonment and torture, the two distinct plot strands (Stryker and the treasure/Forester' mission) eventually mesh at the defense of Basing House, in another enjoyable entry in the series.
Of course, agents of Parliament are also after the same treasure.
Meanwhile, Stryker's friend Capt Lancelot Forester is also sent deep into Parliamenterian held country in order to shore up the will of an outpost that is still holding out for the king ...
Surviving shipwreck, imprisonment and torture, the two distinct plot strands (Stryker and the treasure/Forester' mission) eventually mesh at the defense of Basing House, in another enjoyable entry in the series.