Captain America: Civil War

What’s it about?

With growing political pressure to regulate the Avengers’ actions, Captain America and Iron Man are pit against each other in a showdown that threatens to tear the team apart.

The facts

• Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
• Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, and Martin Freeman.
• English language, with some German, Xhosa, Russian, and Romanian languages
• Runtime: 147 minutes
• 13th release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Why did it get this rating?

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence

The film contains fantasy and war action where the fighting is choreographed and stylised. There are lengthy fight sequences involving superhero powers, heavy kicks, and punches, with sound effects of crunching bones and scenes of gunfire where people are killed. Not many injuries are shown – some scenes contain blood but it is not overly graphic.

Some of the strongest moments of violence include:

• A man assassinates two defenseless people stuck in their car. He beats the driver in the face and chokes the female passenger, but the camera pans away before she dies. This scene is drawn out and is watched by the son of the victims which may disturb some viewers.
• One character is tortured by being hung upside down in a sink as the water slowly fills up. The water is seen covering his nose as he begins to struggle, but the scene is cut before we see him die.
• There are many implied, mostly offscreen, deaths and injuries and people fleeing for their lives.

Suicide themes

A man attempts to use a gun to shoot himself in the head, but he is quickly stopped by another man.

Offensive language

The film contains coarse language. Words like “s**t,” “b*tch,” and “ass” are used frequently throughout.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters