Synopsis:
“Eternals” follows a group of heroes from beyond the stars who had protected the Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called the Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.
How would you feel if you found out your entire existence was a lie? We all question our life’s purpose at multiple points during our tenure on earth but we never truly know anything concrete. Running on some kind of faith, skepticism, or nihilism, none of us really know what we’re doing. We tend to create our own path or follow one set by our family. But what if there is no purpose? What if we are just here taking up space? However, things line up, connect, and make too much sense to be meaningless. Maybe we’ve been guided by otherworldly beings. Maybe we’re plugged into a simulator. Hopefully, we’ll find out the truth towards the end or perhaps it will elude us for eternity, either way, it’s interesting to think about.
“When you love something, you protect it.”
The MCU just got more interesting than ever before. Eternals is the most mature comic book film to date with perhaps the most expensive backstory. Not only is it a great film, but director Chloé Zhao Elevates Marvel to Marvelous. Giving us action within the first ten minutes, Zhao lets us know that this will not simply be the quiet ethereal piece of art that you might have expected. That being said, we all wondered what the Oscar award-winning director would bring to the Marvel Cinematic Universe especially with characters that the vast majority aren’t too familiar with. Well, I can say with confidence that she is a breath of fresh air and her imprint is exactly what we need going forward. Making even the most powerful beings feel mortal, the appreciation and exploration of the human experience are what Zhao brings to the table. Accompanied by majestic cinematography, the film not only has emotional and intellectual depth but aesthetic beauty as well. I believe this is the superhero film that will garner new fans of the genre. Featuring an already diverse cast, the film is effortlessly inclusive with Marvel’s first openly gay hero and family as well as its first deaf hero. We witness both in very natural and unforced ways that don’t make it feel as if they’re trying to win a woke contest.
The tone of the film is unlike any other in the MCU. Feeling like a bridge between Marvel and DC, the subject matter and story feel darker and more serious while still maintaining the natural chemistry and levity that we are used to under Fiege’s leadership. Told through our human past and present timelines of the Blip, there’s a historical fiction aspect that is very interesting and a lot of fun. As it gives us adequate time with each character, you’ll definitely leave the film with a favorite character and realize that sometimes good and evil are relative when billions of lives are at stake. I enjoyed this film abundantly more than I thought I would. I didn’t really know what to expect but we ended up with one of the MCU’s best. The cast is amazing, the look and feel is astonishing, the stakes are at their highest, and the action is intense. It’s one hell of an origin story. Oh yeah, the mid and post-credits scenes show that the future of the MCU is going to be even more thrilling than we thought. Eternals is definitely a theatrical event that you don’t want to miss. Its rewatchability is high.
Pacing & Pop
With the story being told by going back and forth from past to present, the film’s pacing feels a bit faster than it actually is. The story itself is more methodical and relaxed. Being an origin story done by Ms. Zhao, the story is allowed to breathe as each character is given adequate time to be fleshed out. What popped for me was the use of historical fiction and how the characters affected humanity throughout the ages.
Characters & Chemistry
Starring: Gemma Chan (Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel,” “Crazy Rich Asians”), Richard Madden (“Rocketman,” “The Bodyguard”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley,” “The Big Sick”), Lia McHugh (“The Lodge”), Brian Tyree Henry (“Atlanta,” “Widows”), Lauren Ridloff (“The Walking Dead,” “Wonderstruck”), Barry Keoghan (“American Animals,” “Dunkirk”), Don Lee (Ma Dong-Seok) (“The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil,” “Train to Busan), ”) with Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones,” “Gunpowder”), with Salma Hayek (“Like a Boss,” “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”), and Academy Award®–winner Angelina Jolie (“Those Who Wish Me Dead,” “Maleficent”).
This cast is amazing. Besides the strong lead performances from Gemma Chan and Richard Madden as Sersi and Ikaris, respectively, there are two characters that outshine the others and are sure to become fan favorites. That would be Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) and Phastos (Bryan Tyree Henry). Each of them still every scene they’re in, in effortless fashion. Don Lee also delivers a charming performance as Gilgamesh. Even with such a large star-studded cast, the chemistry between them all jumps off the screen. The film does a great job of getting you emotionally invested in each character. They love, fight, and sacrifice for each other, so when something happens to one of them, it hits hard as if we’ve watched them over multiple films. I’m excited to see how they fit in with the rest of our heroes.
Eternals opens in U.S. theaters on November 5th, 2021. Stay safe and enjoy.
Director: Chloé Zhao
Writers: Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, Kaz Firpo
Producers: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
Executive Producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Kevin de la Noy
Director of Photography: Ben Davis
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2h 37m
Rating: 4 out of 5