Captain America Civil War reviews round-up: 'Marvel Studios’ finest yet'

One critics called it 'a damn-near-perfect popcorn crowd-pleaser'

It may be two weeks until Captain America: Civil War hits UK cinemas but the reviews embargo has dropped and the critics have voiced their opinions.

As it currently stands, with just 15 reviews registered, the film has a 100% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, blowing away rival superhero smash Batman v Superman which held just 9% with the equivalent number of reviews.

High praise comes from Empire’s Dan Jolin, calling it “Marvel Studios’ finest film yet” in a five-star review. In an equally positive review, Total Film described Civil War as “a damn-near-perfect popcorn crowd-pleaser”, praising Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther.

Less positive reviews came from both Forbes and IGN, the former of which criticised the plots middle section for adding little to the plot, while IGN’s Jim Vejvoda said the film didn’t “quite recapture the emotional and cerebral strengths of its predecessor, The Winter Soldier.”

Meanwhile, both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reasoned that the film was good in itself, but also - as Justin Chang notes - “doesn’t break the Marvel mold: it burnishes the brand, and sets a high but not insurmountable bar”.

Early social media reviews of the film were also wholly positive, with commentators mainly concluding the film is one of Marvel’s best films yet.

Empire - Dan Jolin - 5/5

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo don’t just want to rocket your heart into your mouth with their action sequences, which have the tight choreography of a Greengrass Bourne, and the brutal flair of a Gareth Evans rumble; they want to keep your brain firmly engaged, too.

Total Film - Jordan Farley - 5/5

If there’s a risk of the Marvel ‘formula’ becoming stale, there isn’t any evidence of that here. Civil War isn’t just a damn-near-perfect popcorn crowd-pleaser; it doesn’t offer any easy answers for its combatants, or the world going forward. Team Cap or Team Iron Man? The real winner here is Team Marvel.

Variety - Justin Chang

But for the purposes of this surprisingly fleet-footed 146-minute entertainment, Evans and especially Downey invest their characters’ ideological divide with a potent sense of conviction, which helps offset the generally two-dimensional feel of the many other characters squeezed into the margins.

The Hollywood Reporter - Sheri Linden

Call it "civil war" or call it brand extension; call it a "cinematic universe" or a corporate behemoth - the latest Marvel extravaganza furthers the studio's cross-pollination of action franchises in a way that's sure to satisfy devotees.

Forbes - Scott Mendelson - 6/10

Captain America: Civil War is a good movie, one worth enjoying on the biggest screen you can find, and one that will entertain the hell out of lots of people even as it goes against the grain in some surprising ways. But the film is periodically an exercise in long-form frustration, one which flirts with “The Idiot Plot” more often than it should.

IGN - Jim Vejvoda - 7.8/10

Civil War is an enjoyable, but flawed follow-up to both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s not nearly as powerful or gripping as TWS, but it also does a much better job of juggling so many different characters than AoU did.

The Wrap - Dave White

Civil War strikes that admirable balance: serious-minded action that never forgets to indulge in serious fun.

The Daily Beast - Jen Yamato

Civil War manages to strike a perfect tonal balance while exploring more sobering real-world parallels. A feeling of urgency permeates the proceedings, as if the Avengers are reckoning with a moral debate that will determine who they are and how they act in the coming films.

USA Today - Brian Truitt - 3.5/4

Tear away the powers, abilities and egos, though, and the third Captain America movie is at its core a deep exploration of friendship and family and what sacrifices should be made to hold onto both.