Reviews are starting to trickle in forCaptain America: The First Avenger,which hits theaters this Friday and premieres at Comic-Con in San Diego. Here's what the critics are saying:
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"If you take a World War II movie, dial up the action with contemporary visual effects and CGI, then give your hero a double dose of steroids and human growth hormones, you wind up in the movie/comic-book world of Captain America: The First Avenger," writes Kirk Honeycutt in The Hollywood Reporter.
"Captain America delivers comic-book action that should satisfy Captain America’s fans, old and new, while Chris Evans’ no-nonsense yet engaging portrayal of a man who doesn’t know how to back away from a fight may cause young women to swoon and young men to join a gym," he adds.
But "in terms of even recent films, Captain America lacks the deft touch, appealing character interaction and sophisticated storytelling skills of Marvel Comics’ X-Men: First Class," Honeycutt adds. "And let’s not even bother to compare this to Christopher Nolan’s Batman series."
Hit Fix's Drew McWeeny thinks Captain America: The First Avenger is "one of the finest movies yet from Marvel Studios, and a big departure in tone and storytelling from most of the films they've made so far. It is a strong indicator that the more willing the studio is to experiment, the more exciting the payoffs can be."
"Marvel has been working towards this moment for a while, and there have been a few moments where it felt like they were making missteps with the individual movies in their rush to reach The Avengers, but they've saved one of their very best movies for last, and I suspectCaptain America: The First Avenger will send audiences out of the theater rabid to see what's next," he adds.
Comic Book Resources reviewer Josie Campbell says watching the movie is "akin to walking back in time: a throwback to the summer adventure movies of yesteryear, Captain America inhabits a world where the bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, and the day is saved in the nick of time -- though with some original twists along the way."
Comic Book Resources reviewer Josie Campbell says watching the movie is "akin to walking back in time: a throwback to the summer adventure movies of yesteryear, Captain America inhabits a world where the bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, and the day is saved in the nick of time -- though with some original twists along the way."
"The latest superhero flick from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures, "Captain America" is a solidly entertaining movie that, while lacking the wow factor of Thor or X-Men: First Class, tells an otherwise interesting summer yarn," she adds. "It's pleasant and light-hearted tone is great for younger audience members, but it never dips below this surface of mindless entertainment. Overall Captain America is a pleasing popcorn movie: it's a light, easy snack of a film, but don't expect anything to stay with you after the movie is over."
