Today marks the release of the 26th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – Eternals! Directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao, the film is getting an unusually harsh reaction from critics, who tend to love the MCU. As of right now, it’s got a pretty bad 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is shockingly bad for a Marvel film. That said, it doesn’t seem to have impacted business yet, with the film scoring a muscular opening night gross on Thursday.
Here at JoBlo, our own JimmyO was cool on the film, giving it a 6/10, with him praising the visuals but not too much else. Our other critic, Matt Rooney, liked it more, telling me he would give it somewhere in the neighbourhood of an 8/10. I saw it myself today, and I gotta say – I didn’t care for it at all. Running a punishing 2.5 hours, it’s long and dull, with characters who didn’t move the needle much for me, despite the A-list roster of talent. The exception, I’d say, is Kumail Nanjiani, who shows a lot of charm here as the Eternal Kingo, who moonlights as a Bollywood star. Nanjiani also shows some decent action chops ( I also liked Bollywood actor Harish Patel as his valet/sidekick). Otherwise, I found it pretty dull for a Marvel movie and nowhere near as good as the recent (kick-ass) Shang-Chi.
But, in the end, what we think doesn’t matter. What we want to know, dear readers, is what you think! So now’s your chance to let us know – have we been too harsh on Eternals? Is it better than critics say? Or is it a rare Marvel misfire? Let us know in the comments below! Also check out our interviews with Chloe Zhao and Kit Harington below!