Marvel Studios’ Eternals follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.
The outstanding ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
For in-depth thoughts on Eternals, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Eternals debuts on Blu-Ray with an AVC encoded 1080p presentation in 2.39:1 that does an excellent job of bringing this world to life. Skin tones appear natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. The range of the color spectrum is impressive within the world Zhao has chosen to construct. From beginning to end, the disc delivers stable colors within the production design and costumes which really blow you away. The highlights in the film are finely delineated with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the film taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid and stable. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. This Blu-Ray release pushes the format to its limits in terms of technical excellence. There is a 4K UHD Blu-Ray also available that was not offered to me for review.
Audio Quality
The movie comes to Blu-Ray with a commendable DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that is pretty dynamic in its execution but slightly lacking in depth. The movie is fairly kinetic, but with the way the track is mixed you will have to turn up the volume a little louder than normal to feel it is properly effective. The low end of the track is active during the majority of the film, but it could be a bit more forceful in its execution. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the thrilling score where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels get some nice activity during the nature scenes and moments of chaotic action. This track gets the job done, but could be much more effective under different circumstances. Those with an interest in upgraded audio will want to check out the 4K UHD Blu-Ray for a Dolby Atmos presentation.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Chloé Zhao, Production Visual Effects Supervisor Stephane Ceretti, and Additional Visual Effects Supervisor Mårten Larsson provide a very illuminating commentary track which really delves into the film on a technical level. Zhao is a very thoughtful creative who has a great deal to say about the filmmaking process.
- Immortalized: An 11-minute look at the journey into the cosmos with this newest chapter as it explores the broadening scope of the universe, the comic book source material, the locations that make up the film, the film’s production design and more elements of the film.
- Walks of Life: A five-minute look at the talented ensemble and the characters they are playing in the film. There are some nice moments where you get to hear reactions from the cast on being involved in the film and the bond they had with each other when they finally assembled.
- Gag Reel: A nearly three-minute collection of humorous moments from the set including flubbed lines, missed cues, laughing fits, malfunctioning props and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Four scenes of unused material totaling six minutes are provided here featuring a conversation between Phastos and Jack, a moment between Sprite and Makkari, a confrontation between Sprite and Dane and more. There are some interesting character moments that are worth checking out.
Final Thoughts
Eternals finds the MCU heading in new and interesting directions as presented by the unique eye of Chloé Zhao. The film still allows for thrilling sequences of action, but more important is the care and depth given to each character. While some may find the pacing a bit too slow for their liking, those who vibe with this journey will find it to be one of their favorite entries yet. Disney Home Entertainment has given this film a Blu-Ray release featuring a fantastic video presentation but slightly lacking audio. The special features provided are decent but could stand to be a bit more substantial. Those MCU fans looking to add this to their collection should not be disappointed, although they may want to go for the 4K UHD option if they are capable. Recommended
Eternals is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
