"Captain America: Civil War" makes me happy and sad

When Captain American and Iron Man finally go at it, one on one, late in "Captain America: Civil War," it follows a scene filled with emotion. While it's fun to see all the superheroes take each other on as a result of a philosophical squabble, a terribly incident long ago seemingly permanently divides Steve Rogers and Tony Stark as friends and colleagues.

Although "Captain America: Civil War" has its share of tremendous action set pieces, it has enough human drama, emotional deft and touches of humor that it never fails to lose its connection with fans.

After all, this is a popcorn movie based on comic book characters. This and practically all other Marvel films still have retained their sense of fun, and they remain linked with their fans who have built up a relationship - if you will - with said movies (X-Men and Spider-man included) over the last decade or so. Even "Deadpool," with its language and graphic violence, is just like its comic inspiration -- a guilty pleasure.

I'm sure I'm among many people who also want to see some kind of success at DC with their efforts to crank out blockbuster movies based on iconic DC comic characters, finally arriving with Justice League. I wanted to like "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" so much. I'm sure this sentiment is familiar to other fans. But as expected, the differences between the DC and Marvel film universes are becoming only more stark, and worrisome for DC.

I could only recall the smile on my face when Stark and Rogers engage each other in "Civil War" -- about whether to reign in the Avengers whose efforts to save the world don't come without deadly consequences to innocent bystanders. It's intriguing that a similar subplot between Captain America/Iron Man/Avengers and B v S -- the debate over the actions of supposed superheroes and whether those heroes should show restraint while trying to do "the right thing."

And yet, almost every conversation between Batman/Bruce Wayne and Superman/Clark Kent in B v S is filled needlessly with dread, so overwrought.  You want to grin briefly at Easter eggs in "Dawn of Justice," but you're afraid to because the film is practically devoid of humor and joy. Cynicism abounds.

Sure, the battle with Doomsday was not as exhausting or destructive as the Superman/Zod fight in "Man of Steel," Jesse Eisenberg's Luthor was enigmatic, and Wonder Woman's full debut was electrifying. But as we have seen by now, the literal and figurative dark tone of B v S was distracting, at the least.

By comparison, "Civil War" -- buoyed by brighter colors and optimism - effortlessly zips from the plot's conflicts involving Zemo and Teams Captain and Iron Man to  bursts of sheer geek joy. There's Ant Man who shows up in - well - an impressive way. There's Chadwick Boseman who makes one eager to see the standalone Black Panther flick.

Then there is perhaps, finally, a definitive big-screen Spider-man/Peter Parker when we least expected it. World, Tom Holland. Tom Holland, the world. The newcomer gave Parker/Spider-man a a nerdy/dorky/wondrous feel that we had been missing for the most part from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

"Captain America: Civil War" is definitely one the best Marvel films, and very important. It's all parts fun, funny, emotional and devastating. Pretty much like most previous Marvel films. It help lays a path for the future of Captain America and the Avengers with the same kind of adventurous personality of its cinematic predecessors without all the brooding and worry over "God vs. man" in B v S and the setup toward Justice League.

Perhaps with the behind-the-scenes troubles being endured with "Aquaman" and "The Flash" movies, and the promotion of Ben Affleck to executive producer," will give hope to the idea that Warner Bros. realize the DC/Justice League film universe can be fun and games without all the darkness.

Avengers: Age of Too Much of a Good Thing

It's rather counterproductive at this point to post a pure review of Avengers: Age of Ultron. You've either seen it once, twice or more. Or you will see it, armed with a certain set of expectations based upon (hopefully spoiler-free) thoughts from others who have seen the flick.

I'll spare you the details and spoiler exploration. Avengers: AoU is a great movie but definitely not an improvement upon the original. We're not in Empire Strikes Back or Godfather II territory here. Indeed, Avengers: AoU is more of a setup for the other Marvel cinematic universe films to come, leading up to Avengers: Infinity War.

No doubt, Avengers: AoU goes full throttle from the start and the action sequences, particularly - as expected the confrontation between Hulk and Tony Stark/Iron Man in Hulkbuster armor - are stupendous. Does some of the CGI of the action, when the crap really hits the fan, look more like a video game or a comic book? Yes.

Parts of the storyline (if you will) delve into darker questions and angles concerning the Avengers, who are really a fragile bunch to an extent. When they're fighting together, they're clicking on all cylinders. At the other times, their vulnerabilities can be so exposed to a dangerous degree.

Even if the movie Ultron doesn't seem as cold, calculating as some of the comic book Ultrons, James Spader's voice and mannerisms set a great, creepily fun tone to the proceedings. The introduction of The Vision, for as short a time he's on screen, is glorious. The introduction, also, of the Maximoff twins -- Avengers Quicksilver (as opposed to X-Men Quicksilver) and Scarlet Witch was fun and appropriate. Yes, I do have a thing for Elizabeth Olsen (aka the “good” Olsen sister).

There are the nice touches that reflect the state of the Avengers team members, how one believes his ingenuity and resources can bring about a global "peace in our time" when it really brings Earth to the brink of destruction; how two other people are drawn to each other when they know they can never truly be together; how a fourth desires simply to be back with his young growing family in their tiny peaceful corner of the world. Then there's the ever-present question about artificial intelligence, its potential for good or for bad.

It does feel overstuffed at times with so many characters appearing, crossing paths with each other often, but thanks to Joss Whedon's guidance and comedic timing, Avengers: AoU still entertains. He'll be missed in the director's seat from here on out. Indeed, the pace at which Marvel Studios are churning out films is amazing, perhaps hard to keep pace. By all appearances, the cast size and scope of Captain America: Civil War is approaching It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World/Ten Commandments level. And only Avengers: Infinity War, split into two parts, could only be bigger than that.

So many more movies to come between now and then. It all seems still like a dream, these Marvel properties coming to life before our eyes, in our lifetime. Even outside of Avengers: AoU, there's enough to talk about away from the storyline, namely Marvel, ahem, "forcing" Whedon to insert and maintain questionable scenes, such as Thor's dreamscape, for the sake of satisfying the meddling, naive suits back at the studio.

Then there's backlash that MAY HAVE compelled Whedon to abandon Twitter. The suggestion is that Whedon betrayed the feminist ideals and strong female characters he's instilled in practically all of his TV shows and movies by having Natasha Romanov/Black Widow reveal, in a moment of openness and understanding with Bruce Banner/Hulk, a man she "adores," that she was made sterile at a young age while undergoing training as an assassin.

Natasha is saddened by something that took place against her long ago, yet as she goes to work, romance and never being able to conceive a child are rare thoughts in her mind. She does have a tender, extended family side -- again, one of the fairer flourishes of Avengers: AoU.

It's a notion worsened as Jeremy Renner "jokes" (as he notes in the press) that Black Widow/ Natasha is a slut for perhaps having slept with several of her colleagues. Meanwhile, other critics call out Marvel for a seeming inability (or lack of desire) to make a standalone movie with Black Widow or other heroine in the Marvel universe. 

If that's not bad enough, Avengers: AoU toys somehow leave Black Widow out of her own key scenes. How does that happen? (Not that DC and Warner Bros. have been rushing over the years to give contemporary audiences a fitting on-screen interpretation of the likes of Wonder Woman or Supergirl, but that's another story.)

Anyways, so much has Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios given us, especially in the last 15 years or so, the comics and now TV shows and films are more than special effects-driven blockbusters. We help to create cultural icons that help to give us address, if not totally adequately, complex issues of the day. It's indeed a golden era we're living in.

Meanwhile...DC...I hope for the best when more of your properties hit the big screen. I also fear for the worst.