Eternals Review Bombed on IMDB Before Film’s Release

Eternals by Marvel Studios is being attacked, but not by the Deviants, but by review bombing. The movie is the most recent installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is one of the most anticipated films of the year for many; because it is the first MCU picture to have an Academy Award-winning director and an all-star cast.

So far, just a small number of people have seen the film during premieres, and reviews have been mixed to good, with the film now sitting as the lowest-rated MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes, but still with a fresh rating.

The MCU is ready to see a lot of firsts in Eternals. Kevin Feige, director Chloé Zhao. The studio has made much of the film’s diverse ensemble and commitment to inclusiveness; with Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos, and Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari playing the first openly homosexual and deaf superheroes in the MCU, respectively.

Zhao has expressed her desire for Marvel Studios to not censor the film for international audiences. Marvel Studios is working hard to make their films more diverse and accessible so that everyone can see themselves as superheroes.

It appears that some people are offended by this and have taken it upon themselves to review bomb the picture. According to The Direct, a week before the film’s theatrical debut; IMDb’s rating for Eternals was overwhelmed with nasty reviews, with over 400 1-star reviews. The inclusion of a gay kiss and the film’s LGBTQIA+ portrayal has been a recurring subject of criticism among those who have left negative reviews.

Captain Marvel Was Bombed With Negative Reviews Before

IMDb has subsequently disabled the Eternals audience rating area until after the film’s theatrical premiere when it has been seen by an audience. Review bombing, or a concerted attempt on review boards by a big group of people to provide unfavorable ratings to a product; (sometimes without having seen it) in order to create the impression of a negative public perception; is unfortunately nothing new.

After a similar coordinated onslaught against Captain Marvel, Marvel’s first female-led project, Rotten Tomatoes deleted their audience score. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the 2016 Ghostbusters revival, and, most recently; Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation all faced comparable review bombing efforts from a minority of the public; who took issue with the story’s progressive message.

The minds of those who carried out the review bombing are a small set of people who rarely express themselves in public. Despite attempts to make Captain Marvel appear to be a film that viewers disliked; it grossed $426 million in the United States and over $1 billion globally; making it the sixth highest-grossing film of 2019.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the highest-grossing film domestically and internationally in 2017; with $1.333 billion. Marvel Studios does not appear to have been deterred by the negative response to Eternals; particularly from a new audience; and has stated that this is merely the beginning of a more inclusive and diverse franchise.