Marvel, with most of its recent releases, has been used to receiving high praise from critics but it appears that they have released their most polarizing film to date as Eternals, set to open this week, has become the first MCU movie to receive a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes.
As of this writing, Eternals is currently rotten at 58% with 143 reviews counted. This is a far cry from how things appeared to look after the film had its premiere in Los Angeles as the early reaction from those in attendance seemed universally positive. It should be noted that early reactions following a lavish premiere can tend to be more positive, mostly out of a desire to not be disrespectful, but it seemed like Eternals was headed to some solid reviews from critics once the embargo was lifted.
Eternals got started on Rotten Tomatoes with a fresh score of 75%, which did seem like a suspiciously low start for the highly-anticipated Marvel ensemble. The score was just above that of Iron Man 2, which clocks in at 72%, but as the days progressed, the score continued to drop until it slipped below the 60% threshold to maintain a fresh score. This puts the film below the scores of The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World, which is at 67% and 66%, respectively. The critical consensus for Eternals on Rotten Tomatoes reads, “An ambitious superhero epic that soars as often as it strains, Eternals takes the MCU in intriguing – and occasionally confounding – new directions.”
Some critics have commented on the film’s pacing and length, stating that at 2h 37m, the film tries to do a bit too much. There is also a complaint about the film having too many characters, too little plot, and not enough action. Some critics are even questioning if Chloé Zhao was the right choice to direct the film despite the success she found with the Oscar-winning Nomadland. That being said, other critics credit the film for being visually stunning, something Marvel has never done before, and single out its diverse cast of accomplished performers. It will be interesting to see if audiences are just as mixed on the film as it heads into its opening weekend.
Marvel has had a solid year so far with Black Widow landing at a 79% fresh rating and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings performing even better at 92%. They still have Spider-Man: No Way Home to rebound with this December but one has to wonder if the MCU bosses are concerned by the critical response Eternals has received so far. Great box office may soften the blow but I’m sure there will be some meetings about what to do with the Eternals moving forward to ensure a better reaction from critics.
What are YOUR thoughts on Eternals going rotten on Rotten Tomatoes?