Ohio-born directors Anthony and Joe Russo did a stellar job with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and it appears they have topped that effort with Captain America: Civil War.
The critics are mostly praising Civil War with some saying it’s Marvel Studios best effort thus far.
The only indifferent review for the blockbusting crowd pleaser that we have come across was from the BBC by a reviewer who admitted he enjoyed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Check out a snippet from that review and six others below.
But the 146 minutes long Civil War is another feather in the cap for the Russo brothers who are slated to make two more outings for the money spinning Avengers. There are also reports also that they’re creating a Chinese super-hero franchise for China’s massive market. Anyone else out there wondering how China’s political realities might come into play when they’re writing a script for it? Captain China anyone?
JUDGEMENT
“Captain America: Civil War is the best Marvel Studios movie yet. There, we said it. First, and most importantly, it does what the best Marvel films do: juggling multiple characters so each is allowed its moment in a story that pushes forward the series’ overall continuity, while also forming and concluding its own cogent plot.” Dan Jolin, Empire Online
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“And there’s a superb new addition, Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther, an African prince turned enigmatic crime-fighter. As both man and cat, he’s patrician and polished, a touch of class padding quietly onto the scene. Like him, Civil War, at its best, is blessedly light on its superhero-booted feet.” Stephanie Zacharek, Time
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“It’s that balance of slugfest and gabfest that ends up being Civil War’s greatest strength. In Marvel’s movie universe Steve Rogers is both leader and blank slate. When Jay Gatsby threw parties, the point was that everyone else had a good time. Much like Cap, he always had an agenda and knew everything that was going on, but the most interesting thing about him was the people he brought together.” Angela Watercutter, Wired
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“In DC’s (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) film, you can believe that Batman and Superman loathe each other. There is also the intriguing suggestion that, in Batman’s fevered mind, his one meaningful contribution to humanity might be to eliminate the dangerous extra-terrestrial in our midst. But the schoolyard scuffle in Civil War doesn’t have any of that viciousness or life-or-death urgency. It’s all a bit of a lark, with the characters joking and apologizing as they punch one another.” Nicholas Barber, BBC
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“Joe and Anthony Russo’s film asks you not just to thrill to the escapades of its 12-strong superhero ensemble, but to invest in them as deeply as you would the leads in a long-form serial drama. In doing so, it draws on entire films’-worth of groundwork, detonating emotional time-bombs you didn’t even know had been rigged.” Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
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“Marvel’s new Captain America is anything but bleak—what’s so audacious about the film, and so pleasing, is its quicksilver mix of hardcore action and bright comedy. (Mr. Downey shines in the latter mode, with comic timing that needs no enhancement from Iron Man’s suit.) Yet the film takes its premise seriously. That outrage over collateral damage—read as a metaphor for America’s widening use of drone strikes—leads to demands that the Avengers come under international control.” Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal
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“But at its core — without giving too much away, because the plot is incredibly intricate and riddled with spoilers — Captain America: Civil War is about friendship. Peel back the layers of sparkle and shine, the muscles on top of muscles, the zipping around through the sky, and all the brutal fights, and you’ve got a movie that earnestly believes our friendships have the power to define us, and to reveal humanity at its best. It also dares to ask: How much is one bromance worth?” Alex Abad-Santos, Vox
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What about you? How do you rate Captain America: Civil War?
See a Captain America: Civil War video review by Chris Stuckmann: