F*** RT! Why is Cap Getting Mixed Reviews?

For many months many of us have trolled the interwebs for snippets of information on Captain America. The anticipation was (and still is) palpable in the various chat rooms and comment sections littered across this site. So, it's completely understandable that when one of our own, in this case Steve Rogers, gets trashed by a bunch of snooty critics that we raise our fists and demand their heads be skewered on a stake.

I myself am a diehard Cap fan. I've obsessed over Brubaker's run, so clearly I have a bit of a bias. That said, the rumors that Rotten Tomatoes (under ownership of Warner Bros) is somehow sabotaging CA: TFA in a personal vendetta against Marvel seems a bit farfetched. Instead, for my own cathartic reasons, I've come up with some theories of my own which I think might explain the mixed reviews.

1) Superhero [origin] fatigue: This is something that's being brought up more and more as the number of superhero films continue to fill our theater screens. I'm a true believer that a "good movie is a good movie" regardless of it's resemblance to past pictures (see James Cameron's Avatar). However, I think the eyes of critics, especially with CA: TFA being the fourth origin story of the summer, it was just another "normal guy gets powers" story. Looking at a superhero film this way, it's easy to see why they'd dismiss it.

2)Critics don't get Cap: I read a number of reviews complaining that Evans' portrayal of Cap was bland, boring, etc. Personally, I think Evans' past roles influenced these opinions. I think a lot of critics failed to realize who Captain America is, therefore missing the point of his strait forward portrayal. He's not John McClane, or, dare I say it, Johnny Storm. He's a man of purpose and principle, a "good man." He's a hero we're supposed to admire and strive towards, not appreciate for his one-liners. Evans played the hell out of the role and IS Steve Rogers. I think some critics just failed to see the meaning behind his performance.

3) It's "The Avengers" Fault: Before you flip out, let me explain. Since Iron Man, I think this has been the Critic's problem with Marvel Studios' films. Whether they just hate great Marketing, or truly feel that it drags on the plot (which I really don't see), critics always say that these films are just another lead-in to the greatness that will be "The Avengers". Of course, these films build the anticipation for next May, but it's pretty hard to ignore these films as individual stories. What will the excuse be when it IS "The Avengers"?

...it's just another ramp-up to "The Avengers II: Electric Boogaloo"!

I think looking at any of these reasons, with maybe the of exception of #2, it's really easy to dismiss CA: TFA before even viewing it, and honestly, I believe this is what a lot of critics did. They bumbled into the theater with their minds made up, and filled in the blanks from there, which is a shame.

But, we know better (and so do most critics)! Like I have to mention it, but check out "Captain America: The First Avenger" in theaters tomorrow!

Humbly submitted, Keytarhero.