Eternals

I personally feel like this movie is very underrated. It's not as jokey or flashy as any of the other Marvel movies but that's kind of why I like it. It felt less like a superhero movie and more like an art film about gods and what it does to your psyche when you live for such a long time on the planet that's not yours.

There's a lot of different diverse personalities in this and it shows interesting ways of how these characters and not only cope with their longevity but also take advantage of the world around them. Even though the characters seem wooden in the beginning of the movie as time goes on you start to at least in my opinion connect with them and their relationships to each other. I love the fact that the humor isn't over the top and one is there it's to help you understand the characters more instead of just being goofy for the sake of being goofy.

The main point of the movie is basically about the passing of time and what it does to people. Hence the song played over the marvel logo being Time by Pink Floyd. As time goes on these characters change how not only how they feel about each other but humanity all together, for better or for worse.

There are also twists in the movie that I did not expect that were pretty surprising. Without going into much detail I like the fact that all of these characters are kind of in the gray and aren't 100% good guys or bad guys. It feels more like a Snyder film in the sense that it's less about superheroes being quippy and trying to save the day and more about imperfect gods trying to figure out what there purpose is.

To a lot of people this felt like a huge step backwards for the MCU. For me this was a refreshing change of pace for these movies.

The only negatives that I will say is that I did not care at all about the romance between Ikaris and Sersi. There was absolutely zero chemistry between them. Also, personally, I can't stand Sprite. She is an insufferably selfish character she just came off as super annoying.

Visually stunning.

Different "vibe" than we know of Marvel, but very refreshing. Would almost say more calming and suiting. Love that it wasn't a cliché group, but very diverse, which just makes total sense.

Don't forget: Some Avengers already had their solo films to explain the origin of their story. Even though it's not fully explained for the Eternals, almost each character will get (a part of) their story explained. This takes time and some might consider this too long with a slow pace. However very necessary for the film.

Could've used a little more action, but think upcoming film(s) will have more of that and maybe even some solo films? It definitely leaves an open window for (a lot) more and the movie was interesting enough to leave you with questions you want to have answered!

PS. Keep seated during the credits for the two addition scenes. You want to see more after this.

PS. Proud of Angie. Very layered character. Love the roles she chooses to play.

I had a good time watching Eternals. It wasn't the best film I've seen, but I have a lot of respect for the effort to make this.

Eternals has the humor, top-notch special effects, and references that make it an MCU movie.

The notes that worked in this film are the humor, VFX, stunning visuals, and fight scenes. The notes I think need improvement are the character development, the runtime, and understanding of character motivations.

The 26th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe marks the arrival of a new brand of superheroes into their ever-growing family and further expands the horizons of its shared universe with its grand scope. However, being one of the lesser-known properties the way Guardians was back in 2014, Eternals needed to create an intrigue & curiosity to make us care & invest in its mythic world but the film as a whole simply falls flat at it.

Co-written & directed by Chloé Zhao (The Rider & Nomadland), her latest effort opts for a slightly different path that at times avoids or escapes the familiar trappings of a standard Marvel fare but then its attempts to forge its own identity is executed with such blandness that there is no life to it. The film is devoid of the fun & fascinating qualities of its studio's finest works and neither its storytelling nor its ensemble compel us enough to give a damn.

It is an ambitious undertaking no doubt that intends to explore a few interesting ideas but Zhao goes for it without working out the fundamentals first. She aims for the intimacy with surface-level digging into these superpowered beings but with there being no incentive for us to even bother, the emotions & warmth don't shine through. Add to that, the story is needlessly overlong, tediously paced, and is filled with characters without camaraderie with one another.

Overall, Eternals is a dull, lifeless & forgettable addition to Marvel Studios canon and also happens to be one of their rarest gambles that doesn't pay off the desired dividends. While the diverse ensemble is a welcome move from the inclusivity standpoint, the actors are more or less wasted in their roles and aren't given anything interesting to leave their imprint upon. It remains to be seen how this chapter plays out in Marvel's Phase 4 plan but as a standalone entry, Eternals is mediocre at best.

Chloé Zhao's direction gives Marvel Cinematic Universe a much needed breath of fresh air, but 'Eternals' doesn't quite come together. Despite the fact the film claims to have a far more thought-provoking theme and a plethora of philosophical concepts, it fails to elaborate on them sufficiently to create a more compelling experience. The movie is still magnificent to look but it's pretty much lifeless with boring actors playing boring characters.