Eternals (SPOILERS)

[80sbaby]

So I figured we need a seperate topic to freely talk about the movie without having to worry about spoiler tags.

I saw this last night and I’m going to disagree with most of you. I thought it was a good film and put it in the high mid to top half of MCU films.

I don’t get people saying it had a slow start when we get a good a toon scene right off the bat. It was a bit long but I can’t really think of what I’d cut out?

The characters were all interesting, even though some clearly got a bit more to do than others. Angelina did a great job and I was worried she’d be phoning it in. I also liked Sersi as the lead.

And the main conflict being internal, with both sides having valid points, was new for an MCU film (even though they tried to add in a more typical villain with the Deviant leader.)

I also like how they depicted superspeed in this. It was different than anything we’ve seen before with the power (my gf REALLY loved it.) Plus they made the Celestials awesome looking and really played up their god-like presence.

All in all, I’d give this a 7.5-8/10. I’m looking forward to the continuation and the team up with Dane and Blade that’s hinted

[Frobisher]

I thought it was alright. Even when Marvel Studios stuff isn't top tier they're never actually "bad" bad, and this was still a step above basic fare like The Dark World and Incredible Hulk.

Having Dane Whitman in just to set him up for a future film felt like a mis-step, and I didn't really like that the whole sub-plot of Kro just went nowhere. It was kind of interesting that Kro had the memories and personality of Gilgamesh in him, but Thena just ended up killing him anyway. Just the change of the Deviants just being ravenous wolf things was a pretty huge difference from the books, and this bit almost seemed like it was pointing to them becoming more sentient.

I can't see them lopping off the new Celestials-based canon just because of a low RT score, so feel pretty sure this will become an important keystone film in setting up future stories. Kind of like how Age Of Ultron set up loads of actually really good stuff.

And bloody Starfox - after the revelation about the Celestials hatching out of heavily populated worlds I started to wonder whether Thanos knew this and it was part of his reason for the Snap, so the revelation that he has a brother who is an Eternal (and is probably an Eternal himself) really cemented that idea for me. Why was the Pip The Troll CGI worse than Gollum in 2002 though?

[juan678]

Celestials are based on Earth X alex ross and not Marvel 616

[Tofali]

The Eternals' conflict had me feeling removed and at the same time feeling involved because their conflict was about humanity and their real purpose for existence. It was an Interesting movie coming from Marvel and a running theme for phase 4 It seems with going against held beliefs and destroying institutions.

I love seeing Pip the Troll (although I was expecting a more lecherous sexy voice than Patton freaking Oswalt)

[CosmiComic]

The Eternals' conflict had me feeling removed and at the same time feeling involved because their conflict was about humanity and their real purpose for existence. It was an Interesting movie coming from Marvel and a running theme for phase 4 It seems with going against held beliefs and destroying institutions.

I love seeing Pip the Troll (although I was expecting a more lecherous sexy voice than Patton freaking Oswalt)

From Pip the Troll? Haha

[Tofali]

From Pip the Troll? Haha

Yes. He is a total lustful little thing in the comics. So is Eros. The lustful duo.

[godisawesome]

I’d still stack it up in the top third of the MCU overall, and is a better film than Captain Marvel and Black Widow, and I still like those films. Now, that would put it in the bottom tier of Phases 3 and 4 thus far… but it’s a better starting movie than Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, and Captain Marvel, and not that far behind Shang Chi; as far as MCU origins/introductions go, that’s a very strong film.

Ikaris was a genuinely great antagonist, even if Kro felt like an add-on sub-antagonist not worth that much. And the overall scale and cast managed to actually land strongly.

I think critics are ganging up on a film they see as vulnerable enough to take out some frustrations they have at the MCU’s continued exposure of how much more popular escapist romantic adventure is compared to their preferred types of films.

I swear, the next time I hear someone complain about a “formula” for a film they want to disparage, I’m going to scream. 9 times out of 10, it’s not formulas they have an issue with, but the success of a formula they don’t like compared to a more cynical, more boring one they would prefer. “Formula” complaints are not a substantive argument - if the problem you have is a lack fo dramatic tension, that's your problem, not the fact that the film uses familiar archetypes and set-ups.

[Kirby101]

I agree with 80sbaby that it was a good movie. It was much more complex than most Marvel movies, and the internal dynamics made it much more gray than black and white.
And visually it was fantastic. I will say this, it was better than Dune in every way. (of course I did not like Dune). But from story, to characters to visuals, it beat it hands down.

And they caught me with Kit Harrington. I didn't make the connection until he was about to confess to Sersi, then I thought "Oh s&*t, that's Dane Whitman!"

[Ramsay Snow]

I'd put Eternals close to the bottom tier of MCU films. It's far better than Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Ant-Man & the Wasp, but at the same level as the first Captain America & Thor movies.....I thought Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and Shang Chi were all better films, and those I consider mid-tier MCU films.

The dialog and overall screenplay made me cringe a number of times. So did the acting, the girl who played Sprite was pretty bad. At times she was passable, at times she was downright horrible. I liked the portrayals of Phastos & Kingo, but the performances of those two characters were a mixed bag. At times, Henry & Nanjiani were solid, but sometimes they were horrible.......Salma Hayek's performance was far below average. She's never been an elite-level actress, but she's usually at least passable with her performances. This film was one of her worst. I would actually get annoyed when she was onscreen......And Jolie's generally a pretty good actress, but it was a mixed bag with her, as well. At times she was solid (Especially her facial reactions and such during the fight scene with Ikaris), while at times she was ordinary, at best. I also thought her fight pose at the end of the beginning fight scene looked real awkward.

Considering the fact some of these actors have had better performances in other films, I'd probably lay the blame on the director. The only performance I thought was consistently solid was Barry Keoghan as Druig, and the character came off as one of the more interesting onscreen.

I thought most of the comedic attempts went flat, aside from Kingo and his butler. They were consistently amusing.

The plot twist with Ikaris was cool, and the film got a lot better from the Amazon location scene and on.....I thought Kit Harington felt completely out of place. From what little I've seen of him, he seems to be a one-note actor. I thought Richard Madden would've fit the role of Dane Whitman better. Instead we get a modern, non-brooding Jon Snow. I've never been a fan of the Eternals in the comics (Sersi was OK in that 90s Avengers run), but it felt jarring seeing Madden as Ikaris. Where's the broad-shouldered, barrel-chested Ikaris with shoulder-length blond hair? He was OK in the role, though. I do wonder if he died at the end, or if he'll come back in a later series as a cliche villain who has gone mad from flying through the sun.

Makkari was OK. Looked cool in the action scenes and was a likable character, but I'm not sure what to make of her being deaf. Don't really care, but I don't see the point of the Celestials making one of their Eternals deaf......Gemma Chan as Sersi, I didn't dislike her portrayal, but also wasn't crazy about it. She looked hot, though.

On a side note, the gay kiss scene felt kind of forced. It was as if they just threw it in there, complete with a sudden romantic song filling the ambience in the air.

Overall, I'd give the film a 5/10. I'm definitely not buying the 4k. The only other recent MCU film which didn't get included in my blu-ray/4k collection obsession was Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Why was the Pip The Troll CGI worse than Gollum in 2002 though?

Excellent question.

I love seeing Pip the Troll (although I was expecting a more lecherous sexy voice than Patton freaking Oswalt)

Hey, Patton Oswalt oozes sex appeal.

[Ramsay Snow]

Forgot to mention, I loved the added back-story on Kingo with him being a long-time Bollywood actor who fooled the public into thinking it was actually a generational series of actors in all those movies. And his butler thinking he was a vampire and trying to kill him with a stake through the heart was a nice touch.

Back to my theory of some of the bad acting being due to the director, Chloe Zhao is mostly known for slow-paced independent films. It's possible action films aren't her forte, although some elements in the film were pretty solid. As an example on directors who excel in slow-paced, independent films, David Lynch is a respected long-time director. His one action-oriented film is known as one of the biggest bombs in Hollywood: The 1984 version of Dune.....I'm not putting The Eternals anywhere near that level, but some directors aren't a good fit for certain genres.

[Username taken]

I actually thought the movie was pretty good. I actually like that the conflict was really amongst the Eternals and there wasn't any generic baddy to punch in the face.

And ultimately, the "heroic" Eternals might not actually be right because of the greater cost to the universe. It's also interesting that they went for the Earth X intepretation of the Celestials (this could explain the eventual arrival of Galactus). Knowing the origins of the Eternals, it actually explained why some of them were "performed" the way they were. Ikaris in particular was one-note in thought and purpose and it showed in his actions.

Maybe it was my expectations being low but I really don't see why the movie is getting such a cold response from both audiences and critics. After Black Widow, Thor 2, Ant-man 2 and Captain Marvel I'm a bit surprised that its this movie that folks are calling the "Death of the MCU".

I'd give it a solid 7/10.

[80sbaby]

Yes. He is a total lustful little thing in the comics. So is Eros. The lustful duo.

"Lustful" and "sexy" aren't the same thing.

[Tofali]

"Lustful" and "sexy" aren't the same thing.

I was describing two different things. I have always read and imagined his voice being very sexy lol that is why I was at least expecting that but the lustful part is he is a horny little troll in the comics.

[Immortal Weapon]

I enjoyed that this movie rewards you for paying attention to the small details. Like when Sersi told Dane to reconcile with his uncle in their facetime call. Next time they see each other he tells her his family history is complicated. I love stuff like that.

[AdamFTF]

I thought it was pretty good. This one's different from most MCU films. The conflict is more of a "dilemma" than a standard punch-em-up superhero thing. There are different, more complex relationships going on as well as more of a focus on the long, complicated histories they have together. And overall, this movie is more of a "talker" than most MCU films. All the characters are interesting. It's almost more worthwhile to watch their interactions than the action scenes. Also, I like Dane Whitman even if his main role here is to play opposite Ikaris to show how Sersi's caught between humankind and Eternal-kind.

Funny thing. I saw someone on Twitter say something like "Marvel put in all that work to give us Dane Whitman. That is hilarious." And it's kind of true. With most of their A and B list characters (by comics fan standards, mind you. Not by the more mainstream standard that no one was worthwhile besides Spider-Man and the X-Men) out of the picture or hampered in some way, Marvel is going to have to pour a lot of work into its C-listers. By 2027, some poor production designer is probably going to have to agonize over color swatches to figure out what the right shade of orange is for Tigra's fur.