While "Eternals" is worth more than one viewing, it is still a difficult film to comprehend. Marvel Studios
Warning: "Eternals" may contain minor spoilers.
Marvel's latest project is plagued by too many superheroes that aren't fully fleshed-out.
Kumail Nianjaini steals every scene. The second half of the film is superior to the first.
Marvel's most ambitious movie in years is also its weakest since Thor: The Dark World.
"Eternals" features A-listers such as Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, and Kumail Nanjiani. The film also contains some of Marvel's most shocking moments. This cast is a great representation of talent, but many are not being used.
Director Chlo Zhao ("Nomadland") won an Academy Award. The film's first hour is a disaster. Many plotlines vie for the title of main star.
We are introduced to 10 super-powered beings called Eternals. They were sent to Earth 7,000 year ago to defeat the Deviants and make mankind flourish. Each Eternal comes with its own set of gifts including flight, laser beams and super strength. They also have the ability to heal.
From left to right: Lauren Ridloff and Kumail Nanjiani. Don Lee and Angelina Jolie. Richard Madden, Salmahayek, Gemma Chan and Lia McHugh. Barry Keoghan in "Eternals." Marvel Studios
It seems like the Eternals could have helped in many of the MCU battles, judging by the big opening fight sequence. The group was instructed not to interfere in human dilemmas, such as taking on Thanos. This is unless they were told to by a mysterious force better explained in theaters.
The Eternals split after 5,000 years of being together and each group tries to find its own path on Earth. The present sees the Eternals fighting the mysterious Deviants and bringing back the group. The film's first half is dedicated to gathering the Eternals in order to stop the Emergence. It also deals with the Deviants, who may or not be involved with Earth's end.
Some of the Eternals are simultaneously navigating drama in their relationships. Gemma Chan's, Richard Madden's, and Kit Harington's characters form a love triangle (because why not?). While a different member of a group may sometimes want to kill them all (but not intentionally).
Continue the story
Yes. There are many things going on.
Harington's Dane Whitman has a relationship to Chan's Sersi when "Eternals" begins. Marvel Studios
Although the second half of the film is much better, with action sequences that are spectacular and moments that feel like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the end of 1968’s "Planet of the Apes", it doesn't compensate for the oddly-structured part one, which feels like it was taken apart and then Frakensteined again.
A bloated cast and too many places make the story less compelling.
Brian Tyree Henry is the leader of the group as Phastos, in this "Eternals” image. Marvel Studios
This is the first half of the movie.
It is filled with too many characters, places, and back-and forth moments between the past and the present. After many time jumps, I just stopped counting.
It continues to do it even after the film ends. It is overwhelming.
There are many Eternals in comics. The movie's 10 Eternals are a good representation of the comics. However, the film is so different from the comics it doesn’t matter which members were selected. A movie with three to four main characters would have served the film better. This would allow the storylines to breathe.
Jolie is not the beautiful warrior she was portrayed. Instead, her character struggles with memory issues and is basically babysat by Don Lee's Gilgamesh. This puts Jolie in a disappointing position for the majority.
Angelina Jolie portrays Thena in "Eternals". Marvel Studios
Don Lee portrays Gilgamesh in "Eternals" Marvel Studios
Imagine Jolie and Lee seated next to each other. Lee is a big star in South Korea (watch him in "Train to Busan") Those are the best scenes in the film, when they finally get to display their fighting skills.
Hayek's Ajak, the maternal leader of the group, is a healer, but Hayek has little to do. It's easy to see the arc of her character and understand why Elle said she had a "serious fight" with the director about the script.
Salma Hayek is stunning as Ajak. However, fans might not be pleased with the way her character is handled by "Eternals." Marvel Studios
Lauren Ridloff ("The Walking Dead"), billed as Marvel's first deaf superhero is often underutilized and feels like a checkbox in the diversity box. This is a shame, as a scene in the film that showed her character's incredible speed attracted cheers from the premiere audience. We learn little about her past and motivations by the end of the film.
Barry Keoghan's Druig and she also have a sweet love for each other, which the film barely scratches the surface.
Fans will love these two characters by the end of the film, even though they barely see each other. Marvel Studios
This shouldn't surprise you, given that Ridloff said to The Hollywood Reporter that the cast had "a hard time... agreeing on the story ending." This sounds like there were too many people in the kitchen with ideas about how Marvel's "Eternals should look. It's evident.
Even Deviants are not given the right end of the stick. They are portrayed as nothing more than CGI Marvel monsters. If you've ever read comics, then you'll know that this is not true. They're compared to tortured souls who weren’t made as beautifully as the Eternals. Kros is one example of this, and we start to see the movie take the initiative to explore his species.
This is a Deviant. Marvel Studios
It appears that the film might touch on a historical relationship between Kros, one of the Eternals at one point. But the moment quickly passes. Another missed opportunity.
Kumail Nianjiani, a scene-stealer who is the film's saving grace, is an excellent choice
Nanjiani adds a lot of lightness to every scene. Sophie Mutevelian/Marvel Studios
Chan, Madden and Lia McHugh stand out. Madden is Marvel's Superman, who can fly and shoot beams from his eyes. He is almost indestructible. The film's heart is Chan's Sersi who loves humans and McHugh’s Sprite, a 1000-year-old Eternal trapped inside a 12-year old's body are McHugh's Sprite.
Harington is also charmingly funny as Sersi's human boyfriend Dane Whitman. In HBO's "7 Days in Hell," Harington previously displayed his comedy chops. Although he isn't in the film as much, Insider can expect to see him more often in the future.
Kumail Nianjiani steals every scene and is the film's most memorable character. "Eternals" was not made to life until Nianjiani entered the movie again in a Bollywood dance sequence that the actor had spent months learning. This man deserves his own Disney+ spinoff.
"Eternals" takes a major Marvel criticism to heart: There are real stakes
Richard Madden's Ikaris, the equivalent to Superman in "Eternals", is Richard Madden. Marvel Studios
One complaint that critics frequently have about Marvel movies is that they don't feel high-stakes. Because they are required to return for the sequel, real harm is rarely done to the main characters.
One of the best things about "Eternals" is that it lets you know from the beginning that it's a mature movie. It doesn't hesitate to be violent. "Eternals," is Disney's "The Suicide Squad" version.
The film contains some shocking moments and at least one surprise twist that you won't believe. Fans may be disappointed by one of the shocking moments in the film's early scenes.
Parents will be interested in one moment from 'Eternals' before they take their kids.
The heart of "Eternals" is also the romance between Ikarissi and Sersi. Marvel Studios
Parents with young children should be aware that the movie contains a sex scene. Although it is a close-up of two characters, there is obvious thrusting.
It seemed unnecessary for a Marvel movie since the audience is informed that the characters have been together for thousands years. They didn't have to do a 10-second lovemaking scene to prove that.
Marvel's first openly LGBTQIA+ family is portrayed in 'Eternals'
We meet Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), his wife and son, who were previously made public in marketing when he rejoins the Eternals. Their inclusion is not forced like it was in Disney's previous films.
A trailer for "Eternals" shows Phastos' family. Marvel Studios
Phastos and his relationship with Phastos are not shown in the background or for a brief moment. It's there, front and center, and it's natural.
It shouldn't take 25 Marvel movies for an openly gay character to be seen in the MCU. (Nah, that scene in "Avengers: Endgame", was not a great representation. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Variety during the film's premier that "Eternals", is "just the beginning" of representation onscreen.
These two scenes at the end of credits are some of the best in the film.
Gemma Chan in "Eternals." Marvel Studios
The film's last 30 minutes, when the Eternals finally come together to fight for a cause, is a great success. As the puzzle pieces that were set up in the second half are put together, there are some big revelations. These reveals may have been more helpful to the film if they were made public earlier.
The world premiere's first end-credit scene was the most popular. You may have seen it ruin your week on social media. Be careful.
These two end-credits scenes, which are among Marvel's finest, have huge implications for the future. These scenes shouldn't be seen in a boring movie.
Marvel seems to have wanted another "Guardians of the Galaxy" in "Eternals." An adaptation of an obscure comic book was the 2014 surprise hit. It grossed $772 millions worldwide. Marvel probably thought they could do it with "Eternals", a similarly obscure comic that the company revived.
In this instance, however, lightning did not strike twice. You fall in love with each character fully fleshed out with "Guardians". The introduction of too many characters at once made "Eternals" disjointed and difficult to follow even though you were familiar with the comics.
"Eternals" was ultimately too ambitious. It wanted to be romance and end-of-the-world spectacle, while also introducing 10 new heroes, multiple villains and one potential antihero. Unfortunately, there were just too many chefs in the kitchen.
Feige and Nate Moore produced "Eternals", which will be shown in theatres November 5.
Grade: C
Insider has the original article.
