Eternals
Marvel Studios’ newest release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was released in theaters on Nov. 5, 2021, as part of Phase 4 and the 26th film in the MCU. Following the sudden reappearance of half of the population after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the return of mankind’s most ancient monster forces the Eternals, a group of thousands of year old aliens, to band together once more to save the world. With an estimated budget of around $200 million dollars, the movie sets up to be a major success.
Although it is a different kind of Marvel movie, Eternals does not stray far from what the franchise is famous for, and is full of attempts for suspense, comedy, and action packed entertainment. The key word here being ‘attempts.’ To be fair, the concept for this movie was great, and honestly was quite intriguing. Unfortunately, though, the way in which these great ideas were told did not reach near the same level of success. The storytelling was mostly a bore, and lacked comic relief that is usually anticipated and expected in Marvel films.
Throughout the lack of joy and excitement this film provided, there was most definitely entertainment in the concept that this movie provided that should not go unnoticed. Specifically, the film explains how the Eternals factor into human life, and how their existence and decisions affect the future of humanity. In their expedition you begin to understand the struggle and sacrifice they have gone through and the connection they have with one another which engages and involves you closer with the story.
Many people often enjoy the supernatural, magical ideas the Marvel universe provides. This film especially does not disappoint. The cinematography displays unique, fascinating concepts, bringing the abstraction the movie is compiled with to life. As usual, the special effects are close to overwhelming, but ultimately extremely enjoyable. Along with this, American comedian Kumali Nanjiani is fantastic in his role starring as Kingo, entertaining and amusing throughout its entirety. In general, none of the characters were specifically terrible by themselves, but the production did seem to have them spending a lot of time staring out into the distance.
This film ultimately had great potential, but was burdened by the ambitious, overreaching storyline. Though the movie is obviously known to take place in a fictional universe, the poor connection between fantasy and the real world in the film makes it difficult to enjoy. If you are looking to purchase a ticket for this film, walk in expecting to have over two and a half hours of your life wasted, with most of which you will be wanting the time to pass faster. The film is longer than most other Marvel films, but somehow it seemed hurried and as if it finished too quickly. In fairness, the amount of dull, boring moments makes this rushed finish understandable, but disappointing nonetheless.
Whether one should be excited or indifferent of this news is up to the individual viewer, as the success of the film is entirely up to them, but it should be noted that the film never seemed to have a complete finish, most likely giving reason to prepare for a sequel that hopefully will blow this disgrace of a Marvel film out of the water.