Critics dub Captain America: Civil War 'best Marvel yet'

Critics are raving about the latest Marvel release, Captain America: Civil War, calling it "the best Marvel (movie) yet".

The movie sees Chris Evans as the Cap and Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man going head-to-head and has received glowing reviews, earning it an astounding 97 per cent approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website from critics, with 99 per cent of audiences saying they're desperate to see the film.

Civil War is the third Captain America movie and the latest in the Marvel/Avengers universe. Alongside Evans and Downey Jr, the film stars an ensemble cast of Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd and Tom Holland as Spider-Man.

Spider-Man/Peter Parker played by Tom Holland in Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. Photo / Marvel

Many reviewers gave the film, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, four out of five stars, with some going as far as to grant Civil War a solid five out of five-star rating.

Empire Magazine was one of those publications, saying the film matched "its blockbuster scale and spectacle with the smarts of a great, grown-up thriller, Captain America: Civil War is Marvel Studios' finest film yet."

Access Hollywood also wrote that Civil War is "The biggest, the boldest and the most ambitious movie yet to come from Marvel Studios."

"If Captain America: Civil War is the true herald of Marvel's Phrase Three and its carefully planned future; maybe it doesn't actually feel so bad that we'll be getting these movies every year until the Earth collapses in on itself," the UK Independent wrote about the film.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph said: "This is the cinematic superhero showdown you've dreamt of since childhood, precisely because that's everything - and all - it wants to be."

Iron Man/Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr. in Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. Photo / Marvel

The Wrap praised the film's directors, writing: "Anthony and Joe Russo continue to mine their experience with TV comedies, juggling all the members of their superhero family with a playful touch that both informs character interaction and delivers vital breathing room in between battles."

And The Guardian said Civil War was "a huge aspartame rush of a film: a giant irresistible snack, not nutritious, but very tasty."

"Call it 'civil war' or call it brand extension; call it a 'cinematic universe' or a corporate behemoth - the latest Marvel extravaganza furthers the studio's cross-pollination of action franchises in a way that's sure to satisfy devotees," wrote the Hollywood Reporter.

Variety called the film "The most mature and substantive picture to have yet emerged from the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

Captain America/Steve Rogers played by Chris Evans and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes played by Sebastian Stan. Photo / Marvel

Time Out UK compared the film to DC's Dawn of Justice released earlier this year, saying that Civil War is "packed to bursting with the one ingredient Batman v Superman lacked: joy."

Forbes magazine said the film is "The best Marvel yet, with the greatest superhero action on film. It's immense, marvelous action-packed fun ... The single greatest pure superhero movie ever made."

Captain America: Civil War is set for release in New Zealand cinemas May 5.

- nzherald.co.nz