Marvel's Eternals

[Cap]

Talk about how amazing the film was here.

 

(Unlocks at 6:00PM EST on Thursday)

[Menor the Destroyer]

Reposted from Eternals spoiler thread:

 

Sersi was probably the weak point of the film. Not that I disliked her character, I think she worked ok as the "likable relatable empathetic character," but she felt more generic next to the rest and didn't have as interesting of an arc. Chan made it work fairly well, so wasn't too big a drag, but hoping she gets a bit more definition in sequels. 

 

Other than that, really dug this. I disagree with this having bad villains since the Deviants weren't really the "villains" in this, more just an element of the worldbuilding. I agree that Kro was disappointing, but it doesn't hugely affect this imo, because Ikaris, who serves as the primary antagonist here, was excellent. Really dug the character, probably the most engaging in the film, he had that kind of zealous commitment that defines a lot of the better CBM villains. I don't agree that Madden's acting was bad at all. 

 

As far as Sersi/Ikaris romance, it wasn't the greatest romance ever made, but still worked fairly well. At least, I cared enough that the scene where Ikaris can't bring himself to kill Sersi was pretty moving, so...

 

Going through individual characters, my favorites other than Ikaris were Druig, Kingo, and Phastos. Makkari and Thena were nearly there but needed a bit more screentime. Gilgamesh played a fairly minor role despite showing a lot of potential in the first scene where they meet him (can see why Korean fans are mad, but I think his death served the narrative well). Sprite's love for Ikaris felt a bit unnecessary, I think her frustration with being stuck in a childlike body was good enough motivation for a resentment of humanity, the love quadrangle thing just felt like too much. And Kingo's valet was hilarious as well, worked very well for me. Ajak I liked quite a bit though it's hard to compare her with the rest, since her big role was in flashbacks. 

 

Pacing-wise, it definitely was slow and disjointed at the start, but once it gets going it gets going. The third act was easily one of my favorites the MCU has done. Really spectacular visuals and it just keeps building. I saw in some reviews that people felt they had the same debate over and over again, I never got that sense. After the discovery of Ajak's body, the film moves at a very nice clip and presents some pretty narratively interesting questions. Really liked it overall. Upper half MCU for sure. Despite some flaws, I enjoyed myself immensely and will give it the A. 

 

[Spidey Freak]

This should have been a Disney+ series instead of a movie. That would have benefitted characters like Sersi, Sprite, Phastos and Thena immensely.

 

I agree with @Menor that Sersi's character was half-baked. Since the emotional crux of the film depended on her, the entire film fell apart. Sersi's love and fascination with humanity is supposed to be Ariel level from The Little Mermaid. Did anyone get that impression from this film, a crucial objective for people to understand why she needed to be the leader over other Eternals like Phastos who seemed to have made deeper bonds with humanity? Nope. I kind of get the DCEU comparisons now because some of those films assumed the audiences would know what made icons like Superman and Batman tick without actually exploring them fully again in films like BvS. But while DC's dependence on audiences' prior knowledge of their characters' mythos made sense (and to a similar extent, the way Sony/Marvel handle Tom Holland's Spider-Man) as there have been a million Batman/Superman/Joker/Spidey media representations, how the heck did Marvel and Zhao expect people to connect with unknowns like Sersi immediately? You gotta put in the work for newbies. THAT'S LITERALLY THE REASON FELLOW Z-LISTERS GOTG WORKED!  

 

 And Kingo not being in the final battle just rendered the presence of his character in the movie pointless. Was Kumail unavailable? What a clusterfuck. Also I'm done with the mentally unstable powerful women trope. Thena coming this close on the heels of Wandavision doesn't help. Weird character choices all around.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Spidey Freak

[titanic2187]

This film has so many issues but I have one main problem, the film try to be a ensemble adventure + civil war while trying to push Sersi's character arc as main focus. In the end, the result achieve very little. 

 

Should have further cut the number of Eternals from 10 to around 5-6.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by titanic2187

[filmlover]

A rare major misfire for the MCU, Eternals is a mess that tries to do too much and ends up accomplishing so little. As much as I want to admire Chloe Zhao for attempting to take a different approach to the standard MCU origin movie template, the screenplay by her and three other people is cluttered and poorly-structured, making it reminiscent of other ambitious comic book movies that faltered in their execution like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. If The Avengers had been forced to act as our introduction to all its heroes, the result would've looked like this. 

 

It's really the issue of having to introduce too much at once that ends up crippling this more than anything else, as 11 major characters becomes far too many mouths needing to be fed along with introducing the whole concepts of Eternals and Celestials. In a Disney+ series where it could develop over time, this would work, but in a 157 minute movie, it's too much and fails because of it. The reason the MCU has become so beloved is because they've developed characters that audiences eventually become attached to and root for, but that doesn't happen here (and it must be said that the reason as to why none of them participated in the events of Infinity War/Endgame is...eye-rolling, to put it nicely). And it's hard to get invested in any of the action sequences (which, by the way, are really well-made and prove that Zhao knows how to assemble an exciting set piece if she were saddled with better material) when you don't care about anyone on the screen.

 

As has become usual for the MCU, it comes with an excellent cast that includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, and more...and wastes them all. Can't say any of them give bad performances, but none of them make much of an impression either, an issue that goes back to the script needing to introduce more characters than it can handle and trying to give each and every one of them an arc of sorts. When the most memorable character introduced is the star cameo in the mid-credits scene, that's when you know the movie has failed to make you care for any of the many heroes.

 

This is the first MCU movie where I came away with the impression of "you know what, I'm good if we never see these folks again."

 

C-

[Webslinger]

In many ways, Eternals is a strange film. On one hand, it stands as one of the most ambitious and stylistically and thematically unique films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. On the other hand, it is a noticeably flawed film that – to use an observation that seems increasingly prevalent in the current age of TV and streaming (especially in the MCU realm, where several hit shows have already launched) – feels like it would have been a better fit for an even longer form of storytelling than its 157-minute running time can afford. Either way, the fact that we have a sensitive, character-driven superhero film from Chloe Zhao feels like a win. It’s obviously a far cry from Zhao’s Oscar-winning work on Nomadland, but her sensibilities with actors shine through in this film’s dialogue-driven scenes, and indeed, the usually perfunctory character-building beats are the strongest part of this film. When Zhao gets the opportunity to explore these characters and how their experiences throughout Earth’s history have shaped them, Eternals takes flight. It’s when the film must adhere to more traditional action beats that it becomes less interesting. (I feel like there’s also something to be said for how each MCU film with a female director and female lead feels noticeably different when it’s engaging in action sequences than it does in its more character-driven moments and how it doesn’t seem like any of the female protagonists get to have nearly as much fun as their male counterparts in their solo films, but that’s a different topic for another day.) Zhao gathers an impressive ensemble to fill out the titular roles, and they’re mostly solid in their roles. Gemma Chan makes for a commanding presence as Sersi, who essentially acts as the film’s protagonist; Chan owns most of her scenes and gives viewers a clear point of entry into the film’s emotional stakes. The rest of the cast is also in solid form, and Zhao’s directorial style gives each of them chances to shine. The film covers so much narrative ground that its long running time moves quickly, but it gets bogged down with an action-driven final half-hour that feels out of step with what comes before. Such a shift might feel like less of a misstep in a longer TV season, but it comes across as more deflating in a film. Overall, there is much to like about Eternals, and it really works at being more emotional and character-driven than a viewer might initially expect; however, its grander ambitions ultimately collide with the need to make a single, action-oriented film, and this collision results in a good film that feels like it could have been much more with a change in format.

 

B

[druv10]

On 11/6/2021 at 12:13 AM, Menor said:

Reposted from Eternals spoiler thread:

 

Sersi was probably the weak point of the film. Not that I disliked her character, I think she worked ok as the "likable relatable empathetic character," but she felt more generic next to the rest and didn't have as interesting of an arc. Chan made it work fairly well, so wasn't too big a drag, but hoping she gets a bit more definition in sequels. 

 

Other than that, really dug this. I disagree with this having bad villains since the Deviants weren't really the "villains" in this, more just an element of the worldbuilding. I agree that Kro was disappointing, but it doesn't hugely affect this imo, because Ikaris, who serves as the primary antagonist here, was excellent. Really dug the character, probably the most engaging in the film, he had that kind of zealous commitment that defines a lot of the better CBM villains. I don't agree that Madden's acting was bad at all. 

 

As far as Sersi/Ikaris romance, it wasn't the greatest romance ever made, but still worked fairly well. At least, I cared enough that the scene where Ikaris can't bring himself to kill Sersi was pretty moving, so...

 

Going through individual characters, my favorites other than Ikaris were Druig, Kingo, and Phastos. Makkari and Thena were nearly there but needed a bit more screentime. Gilgamesh played a fairly minor role despite showing a lot of potential in the first scene where they meet him (can see why Korean fans are mad, but I think his death served the narrative well). Sprite's love for Ikaris felt a bit unnecessary, I think her frustration with being stuck in a childlike body was good enough motivation for a resentment of humanity, the love quadrangle thing just felt like too much. And Kingo's valet was hilarious as well, worked very well for me. Ajak I liked quite a bit though it's hard to compare her with the rest, since her big role was in flashbacks. 

 

Pacing-wise, it definitely was slow and disjointed at the start, but once it gets going it gets going. The third act was easily one of my favorites the MCU has done. Really spectacular visuals and it just keeps building. I saw in some reviews that people felt they had the same debate over and over again, I never got that sense. After the discovery of Ajak's body, the film moves at a very nice clip and presents some pretty narratively interesting questions. Really liked it overall. Upper half MCU for sure. Despite some flaws, I enjoyed myself immensely and will give it the A. 

 

I nearly agree with everything you said.

 

Tiamut looked freaking fantastic at the end

Edited November 7, 2021 by druv10

[Daxtreme]

I love mostly everything about this film and am in disbelief at the reviews it's getting so far. Like this is is somehow the worst MCU ever? Wow not by a longshot IMO!

 

I want Marvel to make more cosmic stuff now more than ever. This was absolutely amazing!

 

I loved the moral dilemma that the situation posed, Icarus was an excellent, conflicted villain who struggles with his own purpose vs the grand scheme of things. Both sides of the story are relatable, there are no real "villains", even the deviants are just fighting for their survival, it's entirely morally grey and I loved it. Nothing seemed out of place to me, even when at first I thought the deviants appearing felt a bit forced/happening by chance, and yet the movie later shows there is a reason for that (the "we have 7 days" shack scene). 

 

The 10 Eternals felt distinctive enough to me and they all had their quirks and personality. They were funny and badass and interesting. I really liked that and I felt like their actions made sense in the movie, like they weren't arguing near the end because the plot said so but because their philosophies clashed together in a way that makes sense in terms of what we've been shown in the past 2 hours. They had to clash because well, they wanted different things. Also their powers were awesome.

 

The plot managed to surprise me a couple times too which I wasn't expecting. Chloé Zhao has fully impressed me. Unfortunately it seems like I'm in the minority with this one though... It's ok, it happens

 

A

[Kalo]

Gotta be honest after going in know the reviews I was kind of blown away with this movie. 

 

It was just different, and in a really good way. like all the characters were likable, like freakin Ikaris was likable. and a very unique antagonist.. not villain really although what he did was almost unforgivable. he actually grew a conscience in the end.

 

All the acting was great. not the mention it was one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. and I just watched DUNE! lol

 

The pacing was nice, slow but not dull. best marvel film of 2021 and probably the best superhero film I've seen since Endgame. A

[Kalo]

3 hours ago, Daxtreme said:

I love mostly everything about this film and am in disbelief at the reviews it's getting so far. Like this is is somehow the worst MCU ever? Wow not by a longshot IMO!

 

I want Marvel to make more cosmic stuff now more than ever. This was absolutely amazing!

 

I loved the moral dilemma that the situation posed, Icarus was an excellent, conflicted villain who struggles with his own purpose vs the grand scheme of things. Both sides of the story are relatable, there are no real "villains", even the deviants are just fighting for their survival, it's entirely morally grey and I loved it. Nothing seemed out of place to me, even when at first I thought the deviants appearing felt a bit forced/happening by chance, and yet the movie later shows there is a reason for that (the "we have 7 days" shack scene). 

 

The 10 Eternals felt distinctive enough to me and they all had their quirks and personality. They were funny and badass and interesting. I really liked that and I felt like their actions made sense in the movie, like they weren't arguing near the end because the plot said so but because their philosophies clashed together in a way that makes sense in terms of what we've been shown in the past 2 hours. They had to clash because well, they wanted different things. Also their powers were awesome.

 

The plot managed to surprise me a couple times too which I wasn't expecting. Chloé Zhao has fully impressed me. Unfortunately it seems like I'm in the minority with this one though... It's ok, it happens

 

A

Completely agree with you, I am actually in SHOCK at it's low critic grade anyone who thinks this is worse than THOR THE DARK WORLD. needs to get their head examined 

 

No that's not even far enough this is top tier Superhero film imo. like am I living in a twilight Zone or somthing on what planet is this a bad movie? I already can't wait to see it again. 

[charlie Jatinder]

I liked it. 

[The Panda]

The critics did Chloe dirty, plenty of MCU deserves to be panned but not this one. A superhero film with narrative weight, scale and diversity. The deviants are frightening, the thematic moments have gravitas to them, and it’s visually up a few notches from other MCU stuff. Hope it gets the sequel.
 

It is probably top 5 marvel. B+

[Avatree]

I wanted to like it for hopefully being a bit different, but it ends up with the same feel as other MCU films, just without any of the characters.. For all of the flaws and repetitiveness of MCU films, the good ones do at least have sympathetic and engaging characters. This had almost none.

 

The ensemble cast approach just doesn't work here, the characters are so underwritten its impossible to know their motivations, that's why characters have to literally say out loud all of their feelings, because the film cant manage to portray them through emotional engagement. SO much exposition and wooden lines of dialogue. Felt sorry for the actors having to read some of that garbage script.

 

Had moments of fun and moments of awe but a lot more stuff which was boring and dragged out. Overall a misfire. Hopefully this doesn't put them off doing more "different" films.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Avatree