Captain America Civil War: 11 Critical Reactions You Need To Know
9. Baron Zemo Is A Refreshing Villain
One of the most surprising tidbits from the reviews is how many of them focus on Daniel Bruhl's villain Baron Zemo, who to date still hasn't been unveiled to the general public.
The praise has nevertheless been lavish for both the character and the performance: "blessed as [Civil War] is with a new villain who has more on his mind than blowing human civilisation to smithereens" (Variety), "Daniel Brühl doesn’t get very many flashy moments, but he is great in his few big scenes" (Forbes), and "Bruhl’s shadowy Zemo is the film's Lex Luthor...but unlike Jesse Eisenberg’s aggressively annoying braniac, Bruhl gives Zemo gravitas and pathos" (Total Film). Ouch.
IGN were again the outliers, though, offering a more pragmatic perspective: "While Zemo's motive is very human and compelling, his actual scheme doesn't hold up under scrutiny and relies on a few too many coincidences."