Eternals has received a low Rotten Tomatoes score, but it's still the most ambitious, diverse, and visually distinct Marvel Cinematic Universe movie.
Chloé Zhao's 2021 space epic Eternals was met with mixed-to-negative reviews upon release, yet it was not without its merits and improved upon a second viewing–far from an MCU disaster. Eternals has the lowest critical Rotten Tomatoes rating of any Marvel Cinematic Universe film yet, and audience reception was also mixed, though it undoubtedly had its fans. Zhao's movie was generally considered to be too ambitious for its own good, with an ensemble cast filled with underdeveloped characters and a bloated runtime that lacked the stakes or likable protagonists of other long MCU movies like Avengers: Endgame. However, the film contained many elements that helped it stand out from its MCU contemporaries as a unique piece of art.
Eternals follows a group of superhumans including Sersi (Gemma Chan), Ikaris (Richard Madden), and Thena (Angelina Jolie) who are tasked with defending the Earth from the evil Deviants by Arishem, a Celestial. The story spans thousands of years, showing the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how the Eternals influenced human evolution and ultimately disbanded. The film then moves into the modern-day, after many world-changing events, such as those of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thanos' snap in Avengers: Endgame. The team reforms when the Deviants return, and it is ultimately revealed that their true purpose is to prepare Earth for "the Emergence," the birth of a new Celestial.
Despite the criticism it faced, Eternals is certainly not an MCU disaster. The film is perhaps the most ambitious and auteur-led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series, and though it definitely isn't perfect, there are certain things it nails that other MCU movies struggle with, such as its visual identity. Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao was the perfect director to create an aesthetically stimulating film and, despite many critics dissecting its issues, most agree that Eternals is at least visually striking. Additionally, though its characters aren't all well fleshed out, A-list actors such as Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, and Kumail Nanjiani (who played Kingo) help breathe life into key scenes, including the MCU's first-ever sex scene.
Eternals is the Lowest Rated Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie on Rotten Tomatoes
Eternals faced significant negative attention from film critics and ended up with a 48% Rotten Tomatoes score, the lowest of any film within the MCU (the next lowest was Thor: The Dark Worldwith 66%). However, the film received more favorable praise via its Rotten Tomatoes audience score, where it currently has a more respectable 78%. It is important to note that for major blockbuster movies like those of the MCU, audience reception arguably has more of an impact on the box office and later streaming numbers than critical reviews, anyway.
Many viewers who enjoy the film find its refreshingly diverse cast to be a major selling point. The film is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to feature an openly gay superhero, in the form of Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos. It also features the first deaf superhero, Lauren Ridloff's Makkari: the group's speedster. Additionally, the group is far more diverse than the original lineup of Avengers, as it features an even split of men and women as well as characters of color such as Phastos, Kingo, and Gilgamesh (Don Lee). For this reason, the film perhaps reached a wider audience, as people of many backgrounds are able to see themselves represented on screen. Despite its issues, the film undeniably won audience goodwill by providing authentic representations of different racial groups, as well as the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities.
Chloe Zhao’s Vision and Style Shine Through in Eternals
In addition to its diverse cast of characters, Oscar winner Chloé Zhao manages to craft an earnest story that is entirely her own, both visually and in a narrative sense. Eternals is the first Marvel Studios film that feels somewhat dissonant from the rest of the franchise. For some, this is a problem, as references to Iron Man, Captain America, and the other Avengers can feel forced at times. However, these moments aside, the self-contained nature of Eternals gives Zhao the opportunity to craft an epic story that doesn't need to feed into a larger narrative. Marvel fans certainly have a point when they argue that it is strange that other Marvel superheroes don't assist the team against such a world-ending conflict as the Emergence. Still, Zhao's Eternals feels like an individualist piece of art that doesn't require references to the wider MCU to build its world, which is as unique as it is exciting.
Additionally, Chloé Zhao's eye for wide landscapes and stunning cinematography isn't wasted in the film. Fresh off of winning her Oscar for Nomadland, the director doesn't disappoint, delivering the most visually distinct MCU movie yet. Scenes such as the failed Emergence of the Celestial Tiamut are on an epic scale that surpass anything Marvel Studios had previously produced. Even the set design is well-considered and visually distinct in comparison to the wider MCU, as the Eternals' ship is vastly different from the kinds of crafts seen in other cosmic MCU films likeGuardians of the Galaxy. Essentially, Zhao carves out a corner of the MCU that is distinct for her Eternals. The more earnest tone of the film works with Zhao's muted-yet-effective choice of color palette and the beautiful landscape shots that help Eternals forge its own visual identity.
Eternals Is The Most Ambitious MCU Movie
Though some critics suggested Eternals is overly ambitious, its ambition should be applauded nonetheless. Eternals aims to tell a story that goes far beyond the plights of scheming business partners in Earth-based affairs like Iron Man or Ant-Man. It even surpasses the scope of other cosmic stories like the politics of the Kree and Skulls from Captain Marvel and is perhaps only slightly challenged in scope by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which also features a Celestial as its core antagonist. Yet, Eternals' aim to tell a story that spans centuries is unlike anything else in the Marvel universe. The notion of a film that aims to chronicle the adventures of a large cast of immortal beings across such a large timeframe was always going to be challenging. The fact the film turned out as well as it did, despite its issues, is an incredible feat of filmmaking.
Eternals' plot is also ambitious. Even Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with its Celestial villain, Ego, told a fairly standard superhero story based around Peter Quill's past trauma. Eternals, on the other hand, tells an epic story about unfathomable beings that created all life in the universe, with major twists and turns that are genuinely compelling. The scope of the story is immense: the team didn't decide to protect Earth millennia ago but were literally created to do so, which is both a unique and fascinating prospect. While Eternals' story isn't necessarily better than the more traditional superhero stories that came before it, it is certainly more ambitious, even with the MCU's penchant for gods, mind-bending magic, and a sprawling fictional cosmos. Eternals isn't the perfect MCU movie. However, it is a stand-out film in many respects, and it succeeds more than it fails. Chloé Zhao crafted the most diverse, visually distinct, and ambitious film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Those titles are surely more memorable than its meager Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Nathanial is a film and tv nut from the UK, living in London. He's currently studying for a Master's Degree in Film Studies and has written for sites like the UK Film Review, Inside the Magic, and Coastal House Media. He's a Hufflepuff and a Daredevil stan.
