Click here!

Captain America: The First Avenger (12)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.


The critical consensus

The final piece of the Avengers jigsaw falls efficiently into place: decent acting, decent action, a few too many “we’re all heroes inside” platitudes. But it’s no star-spangled sick-maker, either.

***(*)(*)Matthew Leyland, Total Film, 05/07/2011

Evans is perfectly serviceable as Captain America, and if your needs are uncomplicated then his Captain America is fine; another good-humoured conflation of expository dialogue and special-effects that don't feel particularly special.

***(*)(*)Siobhan Synnot, The Scotsman, 26/07/2011

Charming, handsome and full of pep – all 70 year-old Cap lacks is a knockout blow. Still, Johnston should be saluted for old-fashioned heart in a cynical age, while Marvel should be confined to barracks for cynical marketing.

***(*)(*)Colin Kennedy, Empire Online, 26/07/2011

fter establishing its leading character well, [the] film feels like it’s rushing to be someplace else. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

***(*)(*)Rob Carnevale, The Herald, 28/07/2011

The Captain isn't perfect, but he's the equal of Thor and loads better than the Green Lantern: he's the summer's pre-eminent superhero.

***(*)(*)Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 28/07/2011

Solid, efficient, often anachronistic: Captain America is earthbound when it needs to soar.

***(*)(*)Sukhdev Sandhu, The Telegraph, 28/07/2011

Familiar, but great performances and pitch-perfect tone make this one of Marvel’s best.

****(*)Lewis Bazley, Little White Lies, 28/07/2011

A whole lot of fun.

****(*)Daily Record, 29/07/2011

A film that begins promisingly ends rather percussively: the sort of bang that is no better than a whimper.

***(*)(*)Anthony Quinn, The Independent, 29/07/2011

Everything is clear cut, action-packed and uncomplicated. You might yearn for a bit more of the daredevil exhilaration of Indiana Jones but this is still a good deal more fun than Green Lantern.

****(*)Allan Hunter, Daily Express, 29/07/2011

You'd need to be in possession of steel buttocks, or the biggest anorak around, to care.

*(*)(*)(*)(*)The Scotsman, 30/07/2011

As formulaic as it is, it's one of the more joyful examples of the genre, largely because it's a period piece.

Nicholas Barber, The Independent on Sunday, 31/07/2011

The movie is highly enjoyable, and fans of the Marvel comic books won’t be disappointed.

STV, 31/07/2011

It's retro futurism charm reminding you just how fun comics, and the movies, can be.

***(*)(*)Thom Atkinson, The Skinny, 29/07/2011

Captain America warrants a look, and it does set things up nicely for The Avengers, which, written and directed by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, ought to be something much more special.

***(*)(*)Miles Fielder, The List, 04/08/2011


Features about Captain America: The First Avenger (12)

Captain America, without the Stars and Stripes?

The Independent, 23/07/2011

Captain America: The First Avenger (12)

Where and when?

General release. Check local listings for show times.

Comments: 0 (Add)

To post a comment, you need to sign in or register. Forgotten password? Click here.

Find a show


Search the site


Find us on …

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on YouTube

Click here!