In November, millions of fans anxiously awaited the release of Eternals, the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU). But shortly after the film’s release, negative critic reviews made fans begin to wonder: is Eternals actually worth watching? 

Eternals’ release was announced in 2019. And as an addition to worldbuilding in the MCU, fans were incredibly excited. After the delay of the pandemic, however, it released to shockingly bad reviews from fans. “With such a build-up, an award-winning director, and an a-list cast, it was incredibly disappointing,” said a student at Foothill High School.

**Spoilers ahead, but mostly just the same information you would have seen in trailers. Anything not included in trailers will have spoiler warnings marked.**

What Did the Audience Think?

“Eternals as a movie had a lot of potential but the plot was a let down and very predictable,” remarked Foothill Sophomore Tejas Prakesh. The premise introduces nine eternally youthful beings with powers akin to typical protagonists of the MCU, tasked with defending the people of Earth from monsters called Deviants. Alone, this gives the movie incredible range for a storyline. And true, the general plot was decent. However, the issue was the pacing of the entire movie. Certain sections were rushed into, particularly the second half.

Another flaw of Eternals, according to an anonymous student, was how “many areas of the storyline made no sense, and were not foreshadowed in the slightest, seeming to appear out of nowhere.” Altogether, these unrelated plot points confused viewers.They also created a chain-like effect, creating an awkward plot that would only make sense at the conclusion.

Of course, “there were some funny parts and I loved the diversity in the film,” admitted Foothill student Maya Brightchester-Velociraptor. With impressive racial representation in protagonists and side characters, many critics acknowledged the movies’ steps to diversify entertainment. 

**Marvel’s first openly LGBTQ+ character, the Eternal Phastos, is introduced as a gay man with a husband and son. Another one of the Eternals is a deaf woman, with characters using sign language to communicate with her. **

Rotten Tomatoes: What do the Ratings Mean?

Unfortunately for the movie, the rest of the world seems to agree with student reviews— Eternals being the lowest reviewed Marvel movie of all time. As the only Marvel movie to ever get a Rotten ranking (under 60% positive critic reviews), it definitely didn’t hit the mark. Additionally, the Audience Score is uncommonly low (78%), far lower  than the rating that Marvel’s other recent movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (98%), achieved.

Finally, Is Eternals Worth Watching?

All in all, Eternals has not reached the incredible standard set by other movies in the MCU.

“If you’re looking for a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this isn’t it. If you’re looking to keep up with the MCU timeline, go ahead and watch it,” as one Foothill student put it.

If you are an avid Marvel fan but still don’t want to watch the movie, check out articles, blogs, or videos that can update you on important information for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.