Eternals Review
Shenell Logan '23 Staff Writer
Before Marvel’s newest project, Eternals, was officially released, mixed reviews were pouring in from both professional movie critics and fans of the MCU.
Based on the trailer, I was expecting to see an engrossing film. The Eternals were being portrayed as these godly beings with astonishing abilities and I was excited to see how their powers would be used in the film, specifically in the action sequences. Ever since seeing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in September, my expectations for Marvel fight scenes, or fight scenes in general, have increased greatly.
For the first twenty minutes of the film, I was actually enjoying myself. The Eternals and their abilities, along with their dynamic, were well introduced. But I soon realized that the movie would not be exactly what I expected or really wanted.
Eternals was super slow during many scenes of the movie. I found myself losing focus and wishing for something to actually happen. I’m not used to seeing so much exposition throughout an entire Marvel movie and it was absolutely draining. I was restless in my seat, waiting for the movie to end. There is so much dialogue that just goes on and on and on.
There was also the problem of the amount of characters that are introduced in the movie, as well as in the post-credit scenes. There are ten Eternals, all with different backstories that the movie tries to expand on and flesh out, but ultimately fails for a few of the characters. Because of this failed attempt, I did not feel as connected to the characters as I should have been. By the end of the movie, I felt as if I had no emotional connection to any of the Eternals or people they interacted with.
An important aspect for fans of the MCU is the emotional connection and relatability to the characters. Yes, these people are superpowered and gifted with unimaginable abilities that we could only hope to obtain ourselves. But at the same time, they are still people. They are regular people who, for the most part, stumbled into the path of being a hero. We can see ourselves in them; their everyday struggles, their flaws, their strengths and weaknesses. But in Eternals, they are presented to us as gods on earth, similarly to how the DCEU presents their heroes. Yes, they may be awesome and have the coolest powers, but are they truly relatable? No, not really.
It’s hard to call a Marvel movie boring and unrelatable. But, boring seems to be the most fitting adjective to describe most of the duration of Eternals. Nevertheless, I have to say that the chemistry between the Eternals is excellent. They feel like an actual family and you can tell through the screen that they really care about each other. Compared to the forced chemistry between the X-Men in Dark Phoenix (which, to be brief, was horrible and nauseating to get through), this film was amazing.
Marvel is also known for their dry humor in their films and, luckily, Eternals does a good job of continuing that legacy. The movie was actually pretty funny, especially with the help of the side characters. There were a few times that I laughed out loud which provided some relief from the boredom I felt for the rest of the time.
I am absolutely amazed by the diversity of the cast and how it wasn’t shown as a marketing tool. It wasn’t ignored that the characters were of different ethnic backgrounds or sexualities, but it wasn’t a “Hey, look at us! We have minorities in our movie!” type of aim. It was casual and felt normal.
I have faith that Marvel will find a way to truly integrate the Eternals into the storyline of the MCU. But as for the origin story, it could have been better. There were definitely a couple of strong points in the film, but sadly they don’t outweigh the positives.
All in all, I think that Eternals has the power to grow. I want to like the movie and I would definitely watch it a second time to fully absorb everything that is being shown and told. However, the film still seemed to be a small let down for Marvel.
Based on the trailer, I was expecting to see an engrossing film. The Eternals were being portrayed as these godly beings with astonishing abilities and I was excited to see how their powers would be used in the film, specifically in the action sequences. Ever since seeing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in September, my expectations for Marvel fight scenes, or fight scenes in general, have increased greatly.
For the first twenty minutes of the film, I was actually enjoying myself. The Eternals and their abilities, along with their dynamic, were well introduced. But I soon realized that the movie would not be exactly what I expected or really wanted.
Eternals was super slow during many scenes of the movie. I found myself losing focus and wishing for something to actually happen. I’m not used to seeing so much exposition throughout an entire Marvel movie and it was absolutely draining. I was restless in my seat, waiting for the movie to end. There is so much dialogue that just goes on and on and on.
There was also the problem of the amount of characters that are introduced in the movie, as well as in the post-credit scenes. There are ten Eternals, all with different backstories that the movie tries to expand on and flesh out, but ultimately fails for a few of the characters. Because of this failed attempt, I did not feel as connected to the characters as I should have been. By the end of the movie, I felt as if I had no emotional connection to any of the Eternals or people they interacted with.
An important aspect for fans of the MCU is the emotional connection and relatability to the characters. Yes, these people are superpowered and gifted with unimaginable abilities that we could only hope to obtain ourselves. But at the same time, they are still people. They are regular people who, for the most part, stumbled into the path of being a hero. We can see ourselves in them; their everyday struggles, their flaws, their strengths and weaknesses. But in Eternals, they are presented to us as gods on earth, similarly to how the DCEU presents their heroes. Yes, they may be awesome and have the coolest powers, but are they truly relatable? No, not really.
It’s hard to call a Marvel movie boring and unrelatable. But, boring seems to be the most fitting adjective to describe most of the duration of Eternals. Nevertheless, I have to say that the chemistry between the Eternals is excellent. They feel like an actual family and you can tell through the screen that they really care about each other. Compared to the forced chemistry between the X-Men in Dark Phoenix (which, to be brief, was horrible and nauseating to get through), this film was amazing.
Marvel is also known for their dry humor in their films and, luckily, Eternals does a good job of continuing that legacy. The movie was actually pretty funny, especially with the help of the side characters. There were a few times that I laughed out loud which provided some relief from the boredom I felt for the rest of the time.
I am absolutely amazed by the diversity of the cast and how it wasn’t shown as a marketing tool. It wasn’t ignored that the characters were of different ethnic backgrounds or sexualities, but it wasn’t a “Hey, look at us! We have minorities in our movie!” type of aim. It was casual and felt normal.
I have faith that Marvel will find a way to truly integrate the Eternals into the storyline of the MCU. But as for the origin story, it could have been better. There were definitely a couple of strong points in the film, but sadly they don’t outweigh the positives.
All in all, I think that Eternals has the power to grow. I want to like the movie and I would definitely watch it a second time to fully absorb everything that is being shown and told. However, the film still seemed to be a small let down for Marvel.