Marvel's Eternals is getting a respectable, but not stellar, reception from critics so far.
The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film holds a 73 percent "Fresh" score among critics after 44 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with the average rating coming in at 6.2/10. Eternals doesn't actually open in theaters until the start of November, so its critics score will likely fluctuate as more and more reviews pour in between now and then.
Eternals comes from Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, who previously helmed the critically acclaimed neo-westerns The Rider and Nomadland. Zhao's MCU movie, which she directed and co-wrote, centers on the titular superheroes, a group of immortal aliens created by the Celestials -- all-powerful beings that have more or less existed since the beginning of time -- and tasked with defending Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. When the film picks up in the post-Blip MCU, the Eternals have spent thousands of years living in secret among humanity only for the Deviants to re-emerge, forcing them to reunite and protect the planet from this mysterious new threat.
CBR's Brandon Zachary called Eternals "the most ambitious film yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date" in his review and praised the movie's "impressive visuals and stunning cast." At the same time, he felt the film's "massive scope can sometimes play against the story" and noted its plot "relies on convenience and coincidence during heightened moments, leading the film, at times, to feel rushed," which prevents its from fully realizing its ambitions.
Zhao's MCU film is notable for being the first movie in the franchise to feature an openly queer superhero in the form of the Eternal Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry. Eternals is also the first MCU movie to feature a legitimate sex scene since Disney began distributing Marvel Studios' films in the early 2010s. "For us to be able to show two people who love each other, not just emotionally and intellectually but also physically, and to have a sex scene that will be seen by a lot of people that shows their love and compassion and gentleness -- I think it's a really beautiful thing," said Zhao in a recent interview.
Eternals begins playing in theaters on Nov. 5.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes