The movie, while intricately connected to all that's come before (epic imprisonments! adamantium! Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes!), works well enough as a prosaic, vigorous, more-stand-alone-than-not adventure that balances shield-bashing,

“This isn’t an instruction manual for the current president,” he said. “It’s simply a story about a group of people in tight suits who can fly, as part of the wonderful imagination that the Marvel Cinematic Universe provides. It’s primarily an escape from reality.”