Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will discontinue
publishing this website at the end of May (more...)
Search a Movie:
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGERMovie Reviews
Science fiction adventure focuses on the early days of the Marvel Universe, when Captain America wages war against the evil HYDRA organization. Cast:Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Hayley AtwellDirector:Joe JohnstonRelease Date:July 22, 2011DVD Release:October 25, 2011From:ParamountRating:PG-13Length:2 hr. 4 min.
Captain America: The First Avenger played to good reviews. • James Rocchi wrote for MSN Movies, "...light and bright and brisk, but never glib.... more than just pretty solid. It's great in spots, good in others, and hits exactly the right tone..." • And Carrie Rickey wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Earnest. Square-jawed. Unapologetically square. Chris Evans is ideally cast as the patriotic title character..." More Reviews Below...
Captain America: The First Avenger Positive Reviews (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...feels weighty and substantial, even in the dreaded and needless 3-D... there's something appealing about such an old-fashioned approach."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 07/20/11
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...stolidly corny, old-fashioned pulp fun.... nothing, really, that you haven't seen before, but it's the definition of a square, competent, deliver-the-goods blockbuster."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 704 words, 07/29/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Chris Evans brings such humor, heart and vigor to virtuous Steve that our rooting interest holds even when the action gets to be standard-issue..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 07/22/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's hard not to like a comic-book movie that features both Busby Berkeley-style dance numbers and high-tech vaporizing weaponry."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 07/22/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "I enjoyed the movie.... I admired the way that director Joe Johnston ('October Sky' and 'Jumanji') propelled the narrative."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 903 words, 07/22/11
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT(cg) "...light and bright and brisk, but never glib.... more than just pretty solid. It's great in spots, good in others, and hits exactly the right tone..."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 749 words, 07/20/11
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...pretty good fun.... has a winningly pulpy, jaunty, earnest spirit.... enjoyably preposterous, occasionally touching and generally likable."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,075 words, 07/22/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...muscular, red-blooded adventure has a decent heart and the stuff of Saturday afternoon serials running through its veins."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 449 words, 07/22/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...brings out an appealing earnestness and humility in Chis Evans that is certainly not business as usual in the comic book superhero genre."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 830 words, 07/22/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the most stylish comics-derived entertainment of the year... Joe Johnston's brand of storytelling and pacing distinguish his efforts from the run of the mill."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 861 words, 07/22/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't have Batman's cool cynicism, Thor's grunge-rock appeal or Iron Man's postmodern snark. But never underestimate the power of old-fashioned corn."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 291 words, 07/22/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "I enjoyed the movie.... I admired the way that director Joe Johnston ('October Sky' and 'Jumanji') propelled the narrative."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 903 words, 07/22/11
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...a hokey, hacky, two-hour-plus exercise in franchise transition/price gouging, complete with utterly unnecessary post-converted 3-D."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 660 words, 07/20/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The small things -- from the leading man to '40s flourishes -- are what make the movie work. If only director Joe Johnston had sweated the big stuff as well."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 07/22/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The first two-thirds are a rip-roaring adventure yarn and a sturdy, entertaining origin story.... And then we get to the last act... At least the 3-D is decent this time."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 446 words, 07/21/11
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "The ultimate origin story of the original ur-myth of Marvel Comics' universe... returns the form to its classic roots with the square-jawed forthrightness of its straight-arrow protagonist."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 772 words, 07/22/11
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Earnest. Square-jawed. Unapologetically square. Chris Evans is ideally cast as the patriotic title character..."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 311 words, 07/22/11
Tom Horgen, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Here's what's missing: tension, drama, and most of all, a sense of wonder. This is a superhero movie, isn't it?"(See all of Tom Horgen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 07/22/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...if you stop looking for what you've come to like about superhero films as an adult and concentrate on what you liked about comic books as a kid... 'Captain America' won't disappoint."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 07/22/11
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...successfully taps the unembarrassed corniness of an old-fangled World War II B movie. Except for its (not-bad) 3-D conversion job, the film is a total throwback."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 376 words, 07/22/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a big-scale movie that feels intimate, an action adventure built with the precision of a thriller.... entertains zestily but treats you like a grown up..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 766 words, 07/22/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the best kind of comic-book movie. It's stylish and spectacular, yet it's rooted in history and human emotions. It's smart yet it's funny. It's wise yet it kicks ass when it has to."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 414 words, 07/22/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Joe Johnston keeps things relatively simple and pleasantly stupid.... Chris Evans plays the role with freshly scrubbed machismo and a hint of the geek..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 471 words, 07/22/11
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...a hokey, hacky, two-hour-plus exercise in franchise transition/price gouging, complete with utterly unnecessary post-converted 3-D."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 660 words, 07/20/11
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "Not a bunch of great characters in a weak script. Not a good idea with nowhere to go. Not an advertisement for some upcoming franchise connection."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 972 words, 07/21/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...exalts the virtues of optimism, decency, and perseverance in a rousing adventure of old-fashioned adolescent exuberance."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 144 words, 07/28/11
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...manages to balance laughs, genuinely rousing moments, and a fully packed agenda into something fleet enough to keep running under the weight of its rich ambitions."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 07/21/11
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a capable, if somewhat unremarkable, affair... the introductory first half exceeds, in compelling drama and kick-ass thrills, the latter fight-the-baddies combat."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 648 words, 07/20/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The first two-thirds are a rip-roaring adventure yarn and a sturdy, entertaining origin story.... And then we get to the last act... At least the 3-D is decent this time."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 446 words, 07/21/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "Evans makes an appealingly earnest hero, but the more ripped he gets, the less interesting the role becomes.... deserves a more inspired treatment..."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 634 words, 07/22/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...enormously entertaining.... there is something really kick-ass satisfying in watching Captain America mess around in 1942."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,144 words, 07/25/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...action that grows ponderous and repetitive; a color palette that goes unaccountably dull; a production design that turns claustrophobic; a pallid performance by Hayley Atwell..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 07/22/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...pretty good fun.... has a winningly pulpy, jaunty, earnest spirit.... enjoyably preposterous, occasionally touching and generally likable."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,075 words, 07/22/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...brings out an appealing earnestness and humility in Chis Evans that is certainly not business as usual in the comic book superhero genre."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 830 words, 07/22/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: EXCELLENT "...why we started plundering comics for story ideas in the first place: because they're great sources of American populist myth, in addition to being rollicking good fun."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,034 words, 07/21/11
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: FAIR "Red, white and bland.... Although Joe Johnston earnestly attempts to resurrect the WWII-era action figure, his debut adventure comes across as remarkably flat."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,153 words, 07/20/11
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "Evans' no-nonsense yet engaging portrayal may cause young women to swoon and young men to join a gym. Yet the film will leave others wondering, 'Is this all there is?' "(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,182 words, 07/20/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...brings out an appealing earnestness and humility in Chis Evans that is certainly not business as usual in the comic book superhero genre."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 830 words, 07/22/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...pretty good fun.... has a winningly pulpy, jaunty, earnest spirit.... enjoyably preposterous, occasionally touching and generally likable."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,075 words, 07/22/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...action that grows ponderous and repetitive; a color palette that goes unaccountably dull; a production design that turns claustrophobic; a pallid performance by Hayley Atwell..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 07/22/11
18.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Captain America: The First Avenger's reviews are separated by an average 18.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Captain America: The First Avenger (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Captain America: The First Avenger's reviews cover 73.1% of potential readers (average is 68.0%). Volume:The film's reviews total 32,330 words involume (average is 20,221 words). Length:The film's reviews average 703 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Captain America: The First Avenger Coverage, Volume & Length (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 5.2 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.3 Release)
Captain America: The First Avenger's reviews on average broke 5.2 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.3 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Captain America: The First Avenger's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Captain America: The First Avenger (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
