Rumours of The Eternals being the worst MCU movie ever are greatly exaggerated. Having seen many of the scathing popular and critical reviews of the latest MCU, I went into this film with tempered expectations. On the way out of the theatre, my 10 year old son looked at me, smiled, and said, "Dad, that was a lot better than I thought it would be. It was different and I liked it!"

Indeed, The Eternals is different in many ways than that of any other MCU film. In the hands of Oscar winning director Chloe Zhao, the film captures moments of natural beauty (Zhao knows how to capture the magic hour sunset better than anyone!) while tapping into some emotive and thought provoking aspects of our shared humanity.

It's slow burn with some clunky moments in portions and some awkward attempts at sprinkling in some light, humourous moments, but the overall experience of being transported around the world (and beyond) over 7,000 years of history with this smartly cast group of Eternals was quite engaging and compelling for the majority of its run time.

I can't help but think that the fact that this is currently the lowest rated MCU movie ever is a reflection of the cultural disappointment of leaving a movie that sacrifices action and CGI in the viewing experience for natural beauty and more space for contemplation after the viewing experience. This is what made The Eternals an overall enjoyable and meaningful viewing experience which will reward repeated viewing.