Eternals (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Chloé Zhao
Written by: Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, Kaz Firpo
Starring: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie
Runtime: 156 min
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.
Ever since the end of the Infinity Saga that viewers have been waiting for the next big step. Everyone knew the MCU needed to go cosmic and deal with a completely different kind of superheroes. Kevin Feige entrusted Chloé Zhao - winner of last year's Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture with Nomadland - with probably the most important project of Phase Four. This film is supposed to mark the beginning of a new Era of heroes, and it even introduces the next "big bad" - or at least, a villain of that level. So, while we all wait for the Multiverse, let's discuss the highly divisive Eternals.
I'll start with that last sentence. As always, I've been able to avoid trailers and all that, but it was difficult to ignore the negative evolution of critics' general consensus. Usually, these massive blockbusters all mostly greeted with extraordinarily positive reactions that overhype any work. However, it's uncommon for such a considerably well-received movie to exponentially get negative reviews to a point where it becomes 50-50. The narrative issues and structural problems are undeniable from my viewpoint, but they're far from overpowering the numerous excellent aspects of the film.
Let me get the bad stuff out of the way then. Eternals holds a team of four screenwriters: Zhao herself, Patrick Burleigh (Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway), Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. Most movies within the MCU possess more than just a couple of people responsible for the screenplay, so nothing new here. Nevertheless, I can't help but find the number of writers attached to this film one of the reasons why the movie loses itself amid so much exposition and world-building, forgetting about the characters and the core story.
Eternals constantly jumps back and forward in time to explain to the audience everything. Literally everything. From the origin of the Eternals, Deviants, and Celestials themselves to the religious rules, cosmic hierarchy, and principles that the characters must hold close to their hearts. Contrary to what some people may think, this film isn't too long. The 157-minute duration fits the amount of story Zhao and her team desire to establish and develop across that runtime. It's the preparation and execution of said story that doesn't work that well.
First of all, the number one mistake filmmakers can make while handling exposition: treating the audience like brainless viewers. Some expository dialogues feel irrelevant and uninteresting in retrospective due to the incessant need to explain plot points or foreshadow events that don't need any of that. These scenes could have been replaced with more character development, something that I was already expecting to be a challenging task. With such a stellar ensemble cast and a group of heroes larger than the first Avengers team, it isn't surprising to see that some characters end up underdeveloped.
It's even more frustrating since every Eternal holds a pretty likable personality. Some get more screentime than others, which is understandable, but the flashbacks lack efficient storytelling concerning both plot and characters. A particular twist is saved for the transition between the last two acts, but its shock value is almost null due to the heavy foreshadowing and repetitive discussion about the topic that leads to that revelation. I also find the Deviants' arc underwhelming, especially when the movie misleads the viewers into believing there's something more to them than what's at the surface.
With all these problems, I still find Eternals far from being one of the worst MCU flicks. In fact, it holds a solid position in the top half of the board…
Action-wise, it features the high levels of entertainment fans expect. The distinct superpowers allow for some fascinating combinations, consequently creating thrilling sequences. The visual effects are on-point, but I don't think I've ever called an MCU film "beautiful" until now. With the tremendous help of Captain Marvel's DP, Ben Davis, Eternals is the most gorgeous movie in the cinematic universe. From the jaw-dropping wide shots to the more intimate angles, the striking cinematography steals the show in the technical field.
Ramin Djawadi's (Game of Thrones) score accompanies the narrative seamlessly throughout the whole runtime, but it's only in the action-packed third act that it really steps up and becomes a chill-inducing factor. The costumes (Sammy Sheldon) look amazing, but I send my congratulations to every department for such a well-produced film. Moving on to what makes this movie one of the riskiest, ambitious films of Marvel's recent years: its themes.
Zhao brilliantly walks the thin line between faith and fanaticism, which becomes one of the most captivating storylines of the movie. The Eternals believe in the Celestial Arishem, the God-like figure of their "religion". Some characters are blindly devoted to Arishem and follow his commandments without question. Others eventually start seeing the world from their own perspective, forming their own opinions, and making their own decisions. However, it's the middle-ground that Zhao nails perfectly.
A character - who I won't spoil - believes in Arishem as much as the fanatics, but they respect and understand other positions. At a certain point, an impossible moral dilemma is dropped at the feet of our heroes, where basically either they apply what their religion taught them, or they follow their hearts. Honestly, there's no correct answer, and Zhao demonstrates it to the audience through the behavior of each character.
Eternals is undoubtedly an exposition-driven story, but its success depends almost exclusively on how the viewer connects with the heroes. I won't delve into detail about everyone, and I might as well praise the exceptional performances already. Everyone embodies their characters effortlessly. The diverse and inclusive cast offers fans of the MCU new favorites, and I stand by the statement that it will be improbable that a viewer doesn't create a connection with someone in the film. In fact, Eternals is a movie of "firsts" in many ways.
Not only it contains the first sex scene in the cinematic universe, but it also holds the first deaf character and openly gay family. I wouldn't mention these details - particularly the latter - if it didn't cause so much controversy, including a specific market forbidding the distribution of this film. It's true that in the last few years, studios have tried to force inclusion and diversity into hundreds of projects, leading to movies randomly and weirdly focusing on character traits as if they're something special instead of normalizing them. Zhao is clever enough to handle these sensitive topics carefully.
Everything is approached just like every other scene in the film. Every kiss is filmed in the exact same manner, and the sex scene unravels naturally because that's simply how intimacy works. The characters themselves might not all be fully developed, but their relationships feel astonishingly genuine and emotionally compelling. Ikaris (Richard Madden), Sersi (Gemma Chan), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Sprite (Lia McHugh), and Thena (Angelina Jolie) are my personal standouts when it comes to the Eternals.
However, I find the relationships between Druig (Barry Keoghan) and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Thena and Gilgamesh (Don Lee) more worthy of investing on. Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) is mainly used for comic relief, except for one of my favorite scenes in the movie related to the third act events. In the end, it's Karun (Harish Patel), Kingo's valet, who I remember most fondly. Karun represents the very best in humanity: he's humble, honest, loyal, hardworking, and incredibly grateful. One of the most genuine performances of the whole year.
The problem isn't in the characters themselves, but what they do with their allocated screentime. The film feels a tad convoluted and messy at points, but I wholly believe that if the viewers can establish an emotional attachment to some of the characters, these issues may turn out to be insignificant. By the way, Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) is merely a teaser in this movie for what's to come in future content, so moderate your expectations. Don't forget to stay for the credits!
Final Thoughts
Eternals boasts evident narrative issues that affect its overall structure and pacing, but Chloé Zhao still manages to deliver a solid MCU installment. Packed with outstanding performances from the stellar ensemble cast, Zhao still follows some of Marvel's success formulas, but her unique style brings new attributes to the cinematic universe, such as the distinctly gorgeous cinematography and the profound themes of faith and humanity. Despite the exposition-driven screenplay, the admittedly underdeveloped yet inclusive, diverse group of characters hold genuinely compelling relationships. For fans of the mandatory action, the extraordinary entertainment levels are still present, but it's definitely the furthest from the MCU a film has ever been. It's meant to be divisive, but fortunately, I fall on the positive side.
