--- title: "Captain America: Civil War: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/captain-america-civil-war/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/captain-america-civil-war" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 19 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Captain America: Civil War (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 19 reviews: 17 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics come away pleased, and several call it the studio’s best film yet. The praise gathers around how many heroes and storylines the film juggles without losing its shape. The falling-out between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, and Rogers’s loyalty to Bucky Barnes, are credited with giving the fighting real weight, with Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr singled out for carrying it. The airport battle is the sequence most often named as the high point, and the introductions of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Black Panther are widely welcomed. The reservations are mostly small: several reviews find it overlong, Radio Times thinks the villain weaker than earlier Marvel antagonists, and Sight and Sound says the action grows repetitive. The sharper dissent concerns substance. The New Yorker treats the oversight debate as an excuse for spectacle, and Slant Magazine argues the enjoyable fights undercut the film’s own theme of collateral damage. The spread runs from five stars at The Telegraph to Slant’s dismissal, but the bulk sits firmly in approval. ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin Rating 5/5. 29 April 2016. This is Marvel's peak, a film that invests deeply in its characters as a long-form drama and delivers emotional payoffs alongside spectacular action. It has pin-precise tone control and faith in its heroes, making for the ultimate superhero showdown. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/04/20/captain-america-civil-war-is-marvels-best-film-so-far---review/) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 April 2016. The critic calls it the best Marvel Studios movie yet for its skillful juggling of multiple characters and their arcs while advancing the overall continuity. It singles out the emotional core of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes' friendship, along with the smart handling of the central conflict without a conventional supervillain. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/captain-america-civil-war-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2016. The review describes the film as a gargantuan, well-paced entertainment that balances spectacle with emotional resonance and character-driven storytelling. It highlights the confident juggling of multiple superheroes and the plot's legitimate stakes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/captain-america-civil-war-review/5102527.article) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2016. This is the most mature and substantive Marvel Cinematic Universe film yet, with dramatic coherence, thematic unity, and inventive action that shows restraint. The sibling directors and writers demonstrate the benefits of continuity in the franchise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/captain-america-civil-war-review-1201752643/) ## Total Film — Jordan Farley Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2016. The critic describes it as the superhero slugfest the summer deserved and up there with the best of Marvel, praising the emotional stakes, inventive airport battle, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man stealing scenes. It highlights how the film explores the cost of the Avengers' actions meaningfully while delivering fun, character-driven action. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/captain-america-civil-war-review/) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film solid, engrossing, and inspired, delivering taut storytelling and legitimate drama rather than just setpieces. They single out the introduction of Black Panther and the strong ensemble performances, especially Downey and Evans, for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-captain-america-civil-war/) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating ★★★★. 30 April 2016. The critic praises the thumping, well-choreographed action and strong performances from Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in the hero-vs-hero slugfest, while noting the villain feels weaker than prior MCU antagonists. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/captain-america-civil-war-review-thumping-action-comes-thick-and-fast-in-this-stupendous-slugfest/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 4/5. 20 April 2016. The review celebrates the film's joy, humor, and well-crafted character conflicts alongside spectacular action, calling it Marvel at their best. It singles out Tom Holland's Spider-Man introduction as one of the series' sweetest scenes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/captain-america-civil-war) ## Sight and Sound — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2016. The critic finds the film prioritizes emotional depth in its central conflict over pure spectacle, making it superior to similar superhero showdowns like Batman v Superman through strong character work. Action sequences are effective but eventually repetitive. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/captain-america-civil-war-review) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2016. The film delivers entertaining mayhem as Avengers split over government oversight, with engaging action and a twisty plot involving betrayal. It is a tasty but insubstantial snack that gets upstaged in places by its ensemble but remains fun overall. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/20/captain-america-civil-war-review-an-aspartame-rush) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Sheri Linden Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2016. The critic finds the film overlong but surprisingly light on its feet, delivering fan-thrilling goods with strong action sequences and character contrasts, especially between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. It singles out the winning introductions of Black Panther and a new Spider-Man for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/captain-america-civil-war-film-882017/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 May 2016. The film is a crowded but reasonably enjoyable Avengers installment that succeeds by not trying to transcend genre conventions. The airport battle stands out as the most entertaining sequence due to its relatively low stakes and inventive spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/movies/captain-america-civil-war-review-chris-evans.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2016. The movie reduces the Avengers to a group of enhanced individuals squabbling over UN oversight, leading to a team-vs-team fight that serves as an excuse for spectacle rather than genuine political depth. It features clever cameos but feels like a collection of trailers for future films. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/16/the-lobster-and-captain-america-civil-war) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 3 May 2016. The review notes that the fun of the action scenes exacerbates the failure of the narrative to adequately contend with its own themes of collateral damage and oversight. It praises the set pieces and character-specific combat choreography but criticizes how the story devolves into hero preference fights and uses personal loss to motivate characters. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/captain-america-civil-war/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 4 May 2016. The critic praises the film as a tremendous feat that undermines its superheroes to humanize them, balancing personal conflicts with spectacular action, and notes both sides of the divide have merit. [Read the review](https://collider.com/captain-america-civil-war-review/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 4.5/5. 6 May 2016. The critic calls it one of the top MCU films, an epic yet intimate tale that juggles multiple storylines and character responsibilities successfully. They single out the careful introductions of Spider-Man and Black Panther, along with the emotional weight of the hero-vs-hero conflict, for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/captain-america-civil-war-review/) ## /Film — Ethan Anderton Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 May 2016. The critic calls it a sharp, astounding, action-packed summer blockbuster and the kind of superhero movie you've been waiting to see your whole life, praising the organized handling of a busy story and the best action sequence Marvel has ever created in the airport battle. The performances of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are singled out as the heart of the film, along with the organic introduction of Black Panther. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/543812/captain-america-civil-war-review/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2016. The review highlights how Civil War addresses superhero genre issues through its conflict, atones for previous MCU missteps with better character handling and levity, and positions Marvel as adaptable and nimble. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/05/11/movies/marvels-self-aware-superhero-machine-ff47640676b) ## The Wrap — Dave White Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2016. The film is a satisfying sequel that moves the Avengers to battle each other in service of exploring superhero responsibility and accountability for collateral damage. It balances serious-minded action with character relationships and fun, centered on Evans' empathetic performance as Cap. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/captain-america-civil-war-review-mcu/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/captain-america-civil-war.md