Eternals reviews are in – and they hint at the Chloé Zhao-directed Marvel epic being one of the most divisive MCU entries yet.
While our own four-star review praises the film’s "purposefulness and gravitas that feels strikingly akin in places to Denis Villeneuve’s recent Dune," others were less kind.
"There’s just too much going on," reads The Guardian’s two-star review. "It’s not exactly boring – there’s always something new to behold – but nor it is particularly exciting, and it lacks the breezy wit of Marvel’s best movies."
IndieWire bemoans Eternals’ lack of desire to wrestle free from Marvel’s tried-and-tested formula, saying "It still amounts to several hours of watching good actors save the world from bad CGI, as philosophical differences erupt into a weightless battle royale while civilization itself hangs in the balance."
On a more positive note, Observer calls Eternals "a film full of wonder and romance fueled by an agenda and audacity all its own," while Screen Rant is similarly effusive: "[Eternals] is a thrilling, epic superhero adventure all its own, with a captivating emotional heart brought to life beautifully by Zhao's direction."
As you might imagine, that’s led to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic reflecting the mixed response from critics. The latter carries a 71% critical response, the third-lowest MCU entry of all time (as of writing – that could change) ahead of The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World.
Metacritic, meanwhile, averages out at 58/100. By that metric, it’s the fourth-lowest rated MCU movie ever made. If nothing else, it’s likely a movie that’s going to dominate the discourse for weeks to come – for better or worse.
Eternals is set for release exclusively in theaters on November 5. For more from the MCU, check out our guide to Marvel Phase 4.
