Civil War (2024) - I should like this more than I do

'Civil War' is a tough one for me to review.  Having seen it I'm still in two minds as to whether I liked it or not.  I'm a big fan of its writer (Alex Garland) and the story is an interesting premise, i.e. what if a civil war broke out in modern America.  The cast is solid (led by Kirsten Dunst) and the effects and atmosphere over all are very well done (with minimal - or at least not that noticeable - computer generated effects).

The movie follows a car-load of journalists who travel across the war-torn USA on their way to try and grab an interview with the President (before he's deposed?).  Before I saw the film I read online a lot of people thought it would be very 'partisan' with heavy handed political messages.  Maybe it's because I'm not American and therefore don't know that much about the country's politics, but I never really felt like it was taking sides - another plus point.

So, it had a lot going for it.  Yet I couldn't help but keep checking my phone to see the time.  It's just so damn long.  It's well over two hours (and feels more like three!) and it's a hard slog to get through.  The story doesn't really lend itself to - er - story.  It's just four people (who are pretty bland and unlikable) in a car going from one set piece to the next.

Yes, the set pieces certainly highlight what it might be like to live through the horrors of a war zone and they are good in themselves.  It's just I found the film boring.  I know people would say that the characters are 'bland' because they're hardened and embittered professionals and that might be true, but I still found them boring, bland and unlikable.

And that's the problem.  If someone asked me to sum up 'Civil War' in one word - it would be 'boring.' And that's a shame, because it had so much going for it and - individually - so many scenes were really well done.

5/10