Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Why does a fight over government paperwork hit harder than most alien invasions? Because the Russos make every punch personal. The villain’s master plan is held together with tape and luck, and it only works if every hero in it refuses to make one phone call. The middle drags too, all briefings and hallway arguments setting up a brawl you already saw in the trailer. Then the airport fight happens and it’s the most fun Marvel has ever had in a parking lot, everyone trading jokes mid-punch like it’s recess. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. both have a point, which is the whole trick. Sebastian Stan does more with a stare than most heroes do with a speech. The final showdown drops the jokes completely and it’s the best scene in the movie. $1.16 billion worldwide off a reported $250 million budget. An 8.0 because it’s a superhero movie about friendship breaking, and it actually breaks. $73 says you choose a side before the airport fight and argue it at dinner like a lawyer.

What works: The airport fight is pure joy, and the final showdown hits hard because it’s about a friendship, not saving the world.

What doesn’t: The villain’s plan only works through absurd luck, and the middle stretch spends too long setting up fights instead of having them.

Who it’s for: Marvel fans who’ve watched everything leading up to this and have strong opinions about whether Tony or Steve is right.