Eternals (2021) is certainly one of the more obscure Marvel comics with content that is both highly artistic and aesthetically appealing, and yet it contains a broad-scope narrative that is difficult to present cinematically, largely due to the vast history and individuality of each of the characters.
Directed by Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao, the film follows the saga of the Eternals, an immortal race of beings sent to the Earth thousands of years ago to protect humans from an apex predator race known as Deviants. The ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikarus, Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie as Thena, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff of "The Walking Dead" fame as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig, and Ma Dong-seok (not to be confused with Benedict Wong from Doctor Strange (2016)) as Gilgamesh. The diversity and accolades of this all-star cast certainly sets Zhao with immense star power to work with.
With so many important themes to touch on, from loss of love, betrayal, the good and the bad of technological advancement, and the destructive nature of humanity, it is no wonder the characters get lost in the shuffle. Some are more developed than others, such as Thena (Angelina Jolie), who suffers from a neurological condition resulting from the pain of all she has endured through the centuries. Jolie plays with this arc methodically, generating more emotion and connection than the rest of her counterparts. While a lot of time is spent focusing on the connection that Icarus and Sersi developed over the ages, ultimately falling in love, there is just no chemistry between the two. Each Eternal in their own way forges connections to humanity, relating to them in an unexpected way. The execution of the themes throughout time across various cultures and man-made disasters shines a light on humanity's failures in the hope that we may learn from them and not repeat them. Many of these sequences were poignant and tear-jerking that organically generates self-reflection without the audience feeling preached to.
The flashback sequences that have the Eternals present throughout various important falls in civilization in history are fascinating in and of themselves, and had Marvel's strict timeline allowed for it, would have made an interesting enough prequel/origin story film in their own right. From Mesopatamia in 7000 BC to ancient Babylon in 1500 AD to Teotihuacan to the Gupta empire in 400 AD to the fall of the Aztecs in 1521 AD, these glimpses into fascinating historical times offers intrigue and social commentary on the folly of man. However, these iconic visuals perhaps set the modern-day sequences up to be decidedly more lackluster. The action of the fight sequences with the Deviants balances this out for the most part, however the pacing suffers from longer dramatic sequences in between.
Despite the perhaps overzealous runtime of over two and a half hours, the characters still somehow feel underdeveloped. Icarus and Sersi lack any discernible heat or passion. Juxtaposed with such iconic on-screen romances that pulled heartstrings from the moment they met each other. Examples of this include Rick and Evie from Stephen Sommers' 1999 The Mummy, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman (1990) and Runaway Bride (1999), Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly in Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's Titanic (1997). Each leading actor does well to portray their respective character's personalities, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, however there's still a latent undertone of something lacking-an inability to truly be invested in them, individually or collectively, with the exception of Thena-a testament to Angelina's particular set of skills.
And then there's the elephant in the room... Critics and audiences alike have praised or detested the incorporation of Marvel's first established on-screen openly gay couple, citing a variety of political correctness and the like. In all honesty, it neither detracts nor enhances the story only insofar as to give Phastos more reason to be invested in the fate of humanity. It was tastefully and naturally done-no reason to get in an uproar about it.
Ramin Djawadi's score had no presence nor voracity, to the point that it was almost undetectable. Not to mention the first end-credits song is incredibly mismatched tonally. The amazing visual effects offered the Deviants truly predatory movement that made them both menacing and intriguing, and yet on the heels of Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021), the visual landscapes suffered from the lack of filming on-location in nearly half of the sequences. For example, neither the 'Australia' nor the 'Amazon' sequences were shot in those respective locales, and in consideration of Marvel's generous $165 million Blockbuster budget, this just seems inexcusable.
With all that being said, the film is most certainly not the dull dud most critics and reviewers are making it out to be. The themes are equally strong and dark, Zhao clearly unafraid to stand up on her soapbox and make a statement, asking audiences to reflect upon our own existence and an examination of what is truly important. The acting talent is exceptional, with Angelina turning in the strongest performance, generating some intense emotions. And as usual, the marketing team did the production a disservice incorporating most of the funny moments in the final trailer. It sets the audience up for disappointment when they go in expecting a different tone, not to mention considering this chronologically follows Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), which can easily be classified as a comedy in its own right. There are some lingering questions that follow the big reveal, but for the sake of not spoiling the third act, we'll skip those for now.
FINAL VERDICT: While Eternals excels at storytelling, stunning visuals, and superior direction and acting, it remains too underdeveloped and sporadically paced to justify its runtime. Despite this, it is still thoroughly entertaining and does not feel as though it is nearly three hours. Definitely worth an IMAX viewing if you will go in with an open mind. And I shouldn't have to say this 26-films in, but STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE CREDITS.
And one last thing... For those of you who complained that Marvel films are too formulaic (just not true), and then complained about this film not being like other Marvel films... Perhaps you should reevaluate whether you have the ability to form an objective opinion, or consider maybe you're just an obsessive contrarian who is looking for a reason to complain.
7.5 (8) = 1.5,1,1,0.5,0.5,0.5,0.5,1,1 - Rewatch Value: 5 (of 10) ______ Reviewed November 5th, 2021 - 1ST viewing 11/05/21 in IMAX at AMC Marvel Studios - Rated PG-13 - Directed by: Chloe Zhao - Based On: Marvel Comics.
Directed by Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao, the film follows the saga of the Eternals, an immortal race of beings sent to the Earth thousands of years ago to protect humans from an apex predator race known as Deviants. The ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikarus, Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie as Thena, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff of "The Walking Dead" fame as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig, and Ma Dong-seok (not to be confused with Benedict Wong from Doctor Strange (2016)) as Gilgamesh. The diversity and accolades of this all-star cast certainly sets Zhao with immense star power to work with.
With so many important themes to touch on, from loss of love, betrayal, the good and the bad of technological advancement, and the destructive nature of humanity, it is no wonder the characters get lost in the shuffle. Some are more developed than others, such as Thena (Angelina Jolie), who suffers from a neurological condition resulting from the pain of all she has endured through the centuries. Jolie plays with this arc methodically, generating more emotion and connection than the rest of her counterparts. While a lot of time is spent focusing on the connection that Icarus and Sersi developed over the ages, ultimately falling in love, there is just no chemistry between the two. Each Eternal in their own way forges connections to humanity, relating to them in an unexpected way. The execution of the themes throughout time across various cultures and man-made disasters shines a light on humanity's failures in the hope that we may learn from them and not repeat them. Many of these sequences were poignant and tear-jerking that organically generates self-reflection without the audience feeling preached to.
The flashback sequences that have the Eternals present throughout various important falls in civilization in history are fascinating in and of themselves, and had Marvel's strict timeline allowed for it, would have made an interesting enough prequel/origin story film in their own right. From Mesopatamia in 7000 BC to ancient Babylon in 1500 AD to Teotihuacan to the Gupta empire in 400 AD to the fall of the Aztecs in 1521 AD, these glimpses into fascinating historical times offers intrigue and social commentary on the folly of man. However, these iconic visuals perhaps set the modern-day sequences up to be decidedly more lackluster. The action of the fight sequences with the Deviants balances this out for the most part, however the pacing suffers from longer dramatic sequences in between.
Despite the perhaps overzealous runtime of over two and a half hours, the characters still somehow feel underdeveloped. Icarus and Sersi lack any discernible heat or passion. Juxtaposed with such iconic on-screen romances that pulled heartstrings from the moment they met each other. Examples of this include Rick and Evie from Stephen Sommers' 1999 The Mummy, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman (1990) and Runaway Bride (1999), Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly in Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's Titanic (1997). Each leading actor does well to portray their respective character's personalities, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, however there's still a latent undertone of something lacking-an inability to truly be invested in them, individually or collectively, with the exception of Thena-a testament to Angelina's particular set of skills.
And then there's the elephant in the room... Critics and audiences alike have praised or detested the incorporation of Marvel's first established on-screen openly gay couple, citing a variety of political correctness and the like. In all honesty, it neither detracts nor enhances the story only insofar as to give Phastos more reason to be invested in the fate of humanity. It was tastefully and naturally done-no reason to get in an uproar about it.
Ramin Djawadi's score had no presence nor voracity, to the point that it was almost undetectable. Not to mention the first end-credits song is incredibly mismatched tonally. The amazing visual effects offered the Deviants truly predatory movement that made them both menacing and intriguing, and yet on the heels of Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021), the visual landscapes suffered from the lack of filming on-location in nearly half of the sequences. For example, neither the 'Australia' nor the 'Amazon' sequences were shot in those respective locales, and in consideration of Marvel's generous $165 million Blockbuster budget, this just seems inexcusable.
With all that being said, the film is most certainly not the dull dud most critics and reviewers are making it out to be. The themes are equally strong and dark, Zhao clearly unafraid to stand up on her soapbox and make a statement, asking audiences to reflect upon our own existence and an examination of what is truly important. The acting talent is exceptional, with Angelina turning in the strongest performance, generating some intense emotions. And as usual, the marketing team did the production a disservice incorporating most of the funny moments in the final trailer. It sets the audience up for disappointment when they go in expecting a different tone, not to mention considering this chronologically follows Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), which can easily be classified as a comedy in its own right. There are some lingering questions that follow the big reveal, but for the sake of not spoiling the third act, we'll skip those for now.
FINAL VERDICT: While Eternals excels at storytelling, stunning visuals, and superior direction and acting, it remains too underdeveloped and sporadically paced to justify its runtime. Despite this, it is still thoroughly entertaining and does not feel as though it is nearly three hours. Definitely worth an IMAX viewing if you will go in with an open mind. And I shouldn't have to say this 26-films in, but STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE CREDITS.
And one last thing... For those of you who complained that Marvel films are too formulaic (just not true), and then complained about this film not being like other Marvel films... Perhaps you should reevaluate whether you have the ability to form an objective opinion, or consider maybe you're just an obsessive contrarian who is looking for a reason to complain.
7.5 (8) = 1.5,1,1,0.5,0.5,0.5,0.5,1,1 - Rewatch Value: 5 (of 10) ______ Reviewed November 5th, 2021 - 1ST viewing 11/05/21 in IMAX at AMC Marvel Studios - Rated PG-13 - Directed by: Chloe Zhao - Based On: Marvel Comics.