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torquillI watched "Captain America: Civil War". This is very mildly spoilery -- mostly little details and vague over-arching themes.
I'm a Marvel fan, pure and simple; I've seen all the movies, I know some of the comics canon, I watch Agents of SHIELD. But it's times like these that I realize it's more than basic fandom. Parts of my identity are wrapped up in that universe -- and just as Doctor Who can reduce me to a trembling heap by doing certain things (don't get me started on injuries to the TARDIS) apparently Marvel can manage the same thing, if they take it far enough. And I should have come to expect that this creative team isn't afraid to go further than most.
I have strong feelings about both Captain America and Iron Man. The contrast between them was shown very clearly in this movie, even more so than in "Age of Ultron": the idealist vs. the pragmatist. It's why I don't object to how they divided in this movie: Tony, whose far-too-vivid imagination had terrified him with exactly how bad things could get, was trying to mitigate the potential damage and head things off at the pass. Steve, following his gut instinct, was not willing to compromise his values, which is exactly in line with his famous "No, YOU move" speech from the comics. It also fit right in with his experience with government oversight in "The Winter Soldier". They both respected each other even while, as Tony said, they wanted to punch each other in the teeth. They both had loads of personal integrity, which was what made their argument so heartbreaking.
Steve is in constant partnership with his conscience, while Tony is forever locked in mortal combat with his. It's like he had it locked up all those years to protect himself, and now it's loose he's vulnerable in all his most sensitive places. Steve sleeps well at night. Tony often doesn't sleep at all. (I'm a little surprised they didn't bring in the drinking problem he had in the comics, because it would totally fit RDJ's Tony.)
I identify with both of them. I strive to be Steve, though most of the time I think I only manage to get to Tony's level. Steve's loyalty was tested, in several different directions, but he's always had a pure sense of what is right, and he only had regrets when innocents got hurt. But Tony... watching him struggle to protect his friends in spite of themselves, and then have his heart get shredded into tiny little bits... that hurt. That hurt a LOT. RDJ managed to put a look in Tony's eye that went beyond pain and into that breathless space just after receiving a mortal wound. I know he's been through a tremendous amount (though his automatic "I'm always fine" when Natasha checked in still sounded false, maybe because of Pepper). But that's going to leave a pretty hefty scar, even in comparison with the other ones.
I miss JARVIS. I miss him, because along with Pepper, he was there to give Tony somebody to lean on. Friday is much more impersonal, having had only a couple of years to pick up his mannerisms, and her sass just isn't the same. Tony was able to stand on his own through all this, but there's the feeling that he could really have used a shoulder, at least afterward. He seemed exhausted, and lonely. Steve has the warmth of his convictions to keep him company; Tony just has demons.
I'm not sorry I went, but the experience was decidedly bittersweet.
I'm a Marvel fan, pure and simple; I've seen all the movies, I know some of the comics canon, I watch Agents of SHIELD. But it's times like these that I realize it's more than basic fandom. Parts of my identity are wrapped up in that universe -- and just as Doctor Who can reduce me to a trembling heap by doing certain things (don't get me started on injuries to the TARDIS) apparently Marvel can manage the same thing, if they take it far enough. And I should have come to expect that this creative team isn't afraid to go further than most.
I have strong feelings about both Captain America and Iron Man. The contrast between them was shown very clearly in this movie, even more so than in "Age of Ultron": the idealist vs. the pragmatist. It's why I don't object to how they divided in this movie: Tony, whose far-too-vivid imagination had terrified him with exactly how bad things could get, was trying to mitigate the potential damage and head things off at the pass. Steve, following his gut instinct, was not willing to compromise his values, which is exactly in line with his famous "No, YOU move" speech from the comics. It also fit right in with his experience with government oversight in "The Winter Soldier". They both respected each other even while, as Tony said, they wanted to punch each other in the teeth. They both had loads of personal integrity, which was what made their argument so heartbreaking.
Steve is in constant partnership with his conscience, while Tony is forever locked in mortal combat with his. It's like he had it locked up all those years to protect himself, and now it's loose he's vulnerable in all his most sensitive places. Steve sleeps well at night. Tony often doesn't sleep at all. (I'm a little surprised they didn't bring in the drinking problem he had in the comics, because it would totally fit RDJ's Tony.)
I identify with both of them. I strive to be Steve, though most of the time I think I only manage to get to Tony's level. Steve's loyalty was tested, in several different directions, but he's always had a pure sense of what is right, and he only had regrets when innocents got hurt. But Tony... watching him struggle to protect his friends in spite of themselves, and then have his heart get shredded into tiny little bits... that hurt. That hurt a LOT. RDJ managed to put a look in Tony's eye that went beyond pain and into that breathless space just after receiving a mortal wound. I know he's been through a tremendous amount (though his automatic "I'm always fine" when Natasha checked in still sounded false, maybe because of Pepper). But that's going to leave a pretty hefty scar, even in comparison with the other ones.
I miss JARVIS. I miss him, because along with Pepper, he was there to give Tony somebody to lean on. Friday is much more impersonal, having had only a couple of years to pick up his mannerisms, and her sass just isn't the same. Tony was able to stand on his own through all this, but there's the feeling that he could really have used a shoulder, at least afterward. He seemed exhausted, and lonely. Steve has the warmth of his convictions to keep him company; Tony just has demons.
I'm not sorry I went, but the experience was decidedly bittersweet.
