Editor’s Note: The following is a review. The opinions of the writer are her own and do not reflect the opinions of the Trailblazer staff.

Over the weekend I saw Captain America: Civil War. I’ve seen the other Captain America movies and loved them, along with some other Marvel movies. Normally, I’m a fan of Marvel’s action-packed thrillers. This time, though, I found myself completely lost.

There were a ton of references to other movies like the old Captain America films, as well as unrelated Marvel movies. Through the slew of Marvel-related references, a plethora of characters and extreme plot twists, I spent the whole time whispering questions to my friend in an almost futile attempt at figuring out who was who and what was going on; a less than ideal movie-going experience for myself and those around me, I’m sure.

This movie seemed like it was exclusively for members of some secret superhero fan club, and less like a family-friendly movie. What I’m trying to say is, if you’re a newcomer into Marvel’s universe, this is not the movie for you. If you’re going to see the movie, make sure you study up on the past Captain Americas, at the very least.

With that being said, from what I gathered, Captain America: Civil War was still a great movie. It was intense, shocking and hilarious. The fight scenes kept my eyes glued to the screen, and though I wasn’t always totally sure what was going on, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The audience was on the edge of their seats from the very beginning of the movie.

On top of the suspense was passion. The characters were so well developed; you were rooting for your favorite heroes, cringing when they got hurt, cheering (in your head, because you’re not supposed to talk during a movie) when they prevailed and feeling heartache when they were in pain.

There were some surprise characters like Ant-Man, portrayed by the always wonderful, Paul Rudd. There was also an exciting appearance from a certain character. Marvel didn’t include this character in the opening credits so the audience would be shocked by his or her appearance, which they definitely were.

All in all, Captain America: Civil War is an incredible action movie that ended with the audience wildly applauding as the credits rolled. If you are an avid Marvel fan, you’ll love this movie. This film is worth seeing, however make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Marvel movies so you can fully appreciate all of the excitement!