Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battled one another to the tune of over $1 billion in worldwide box-office receipts in the live-action, blockbusting epic Captain America: Civil War (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 148 minutes, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, $32.99).
For the humans who have loved the film or, heavens to Murgatroyd, have not seen it, the Blu-ray release allows a fine wine appreciation of the best superhero team-up movie ever made.
The Russo brothers (Joe and Anthony) took what they learned from their smash 2014 film “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and apply it liberally in the Avengers universe.
The result was a Marvel Comics hero- and villain-packed effort loosely adapted from the 2006, seven-part comic book crossover story that explored a complex question.
Should super-powered beings with weapons of mass-destruction capabilities be held accountable for the collateral damage they inflict on a human population they have sworn to protect?
When U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) asks the Avengers, lead by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans), to sign onto an accord that would allow a United Nations committee to act as their bosses, a division of the team begins.
SEE ALSO: Blu-ray review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ultimate Edition
The conflict ultimately plays out amid a web of political intrigue, moral ambiguity, shocking revelations and plenty of gritty fight scenes mixed in with a healthy dose of pathos and humor to perfectly balance the character-dense story.
In addition to numerous vintage Marvel moments such as the conversion of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) into a Soviet Super Soldier, Cap and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) battling Crossbones (Frank Grillo), Vision (Paul Bettany) flirting with the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Tony Starks’ visit with Peter Parker (Tom Holland), a battle royal in the second act will make comic book fans weep with joy.
The fight — Vision, Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine (Don Cheadle), Spider-Man, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) against Captain America, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Winter Soldier, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Ant Man (Paul Rudd) and Scarlet Witch — in an airport hanger will require dozens of viewings via the Blu-ray in its high-definition splendor.
The extras adequately supplement the main event by offering roughly an hour of behind-the-scenes production fodder as well as, mandatory in my universe, an optional commentary track.
Specifically, the directors, along with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, deliver a compelling dialogue while watching the movie. They often focus on the deep story construction, scene and actor minutiae, the creators’ influences and the movie’s relevance to the entire Marvel cinematic universe.
Examples of minutiae include the mention of a scene between Tony Stark and grieving mother Miriam Sharpe that was influenced by a different grieving mother confronting Sheriff Brody in “Jaws.” Or, pointing out Miss Olsen’s chipped nail polish and the effort put forth to create the perfect messy apartment for Peter and Aunt May Parker.
SEE ALSO: Blu-ray review: Supergirl: The Complete First Season
The quartet constantly stress the importance and appreciation of creating a film based on character interaction rather than being constrained by having to explain the back-story of every hero and villain.
However, I was surprised by the gaps of silence in the track. Considering the amount going on in the movie, I would expect that commentators could offer an unending stream of information.
Next, a two part, 44-minute sweeping overview of the production includes a look at the original comic book source material (with some beautiful artwork), interviews focused on Mr. Downey Jr. and Mr. Evans, the intense fight choreography and combat techniques, a fantastic car chase, a key battle sequence and its over 2,700 visual-effects shots.
Also plenty of other interviews with actors and crew explore the characters Crossbones, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Ant Man, General Thunderbolt Ross, War Machine, Vision, Black Panther, Spider-Man and the villain Helmut Zemo.
Finally, viewers get a pair of short vignettes on Captain America and Iron Man concentrating on the characters’ motivations, the actors and the iconic heroes’ recent appearances in films.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.