Image provided by Marvel Studios
Eternals, the newest blockbuster film to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally in theaters and well.. It's a mixed-bag to put it lightly. Eternals showcases the gargantuan mythology and lore that encompasses the Marvel Universe and while the film does it's best to execute their mythology, it ultimately comes off as confusing and dense. Not all is wrong with the film however and there is a lot to admire and love about this movie, I just wish I loved more of it.
But let us begin with the positives. First, Angelina Jolie is GREAT in the movie. I was shocked at how raw and emotionally drawn in I was to her character. Her action scenes are tremendous and was by far the standout of the film for me. Gemma Chan and Richard Madden also put in great performances as the two main Eternals Sersi and Ikaris and execute their scenes quite well together. The rest of the cast put in good performances as well and the acting across the board is very good. The action is very captivating and even at this point there are some surprises along the way.
One of the most positive things I can say about Eternals was the examination of it's characters. Each character while possessing incomprehensible superpowers feels very vulnerable and you can feel it. Characters make choices that are unfamiliar for a Marvel film and it was refreshing to see heroes struggle with the outcome of their decisions and what that does to them. Another positive is the actual look of the film. The film is beautifully shot and dare I say the most visually stunning Marvel film to date. Every shot looks like it could be a wallpaper and I was pleased with how real-looking the visual effects were.
While reigning Oscar winning director Chloe Zhao brings a unique and distinctive style to Eternals that we haven't seen in the MCU up until now, that isn't necessarily always a good thing for the film. Certain scenes felt jarring and honestly felt extremely out of place for certain characters. The plot of the film is dull and at times incredibly convoluted. The worst thing I can say about the film is the villain "The Deviants" are incredibly generic and useless. They appear and cause havoc whenever it is convenient for the plot and it was frustrating to say the least.
Lastly, the film sets up the future for certain characters that is incredibly exciting and something I cannot wait to see, however, a film needs to be able to stand on it's own and characters have to work within that film. A few of the characters just appear as a simple introductions to who they will become in future installments and for this films purpose, were entirely pointless.
Overall, I enjoyed Eternals and had fun with it. The 1st act is rough but gets better as the movie progresses. Even though the deviants are awful in this movie, the main characters are the reason this movie works and I enjoyed the journey they took me on. This isn't a Marvel movie for everyone, but it is one that should be visually appreciated. Oh and their is two post credit scenes that are both exciting to say the least.
Grade: B-