By Sophie Koutsoftas | December 6, 2021
Released on November 5th, 2021, ‘’Eternals’', is the third installment of Phase 4, a batch of Marvel movies and other productions that will be released from 2021-2023, of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It follows the Eternals, a race of immortal aliens who reunite to protect the Earth from the alien threat, called Deviants. The movie features a star studded cast that play the Eternals including A-list actors Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, and Kumail Nanjiani.
‘’Eternals’’ is the 26th movie edition to the MCU and I was excited to see how Marvel Studios would add to the ongoing story in Phase 4 and build on the lore from the comic books. We got a diverse cast of characters, expanding the representation we see on screen and changing the narrative of who can be heroes, as well as the first deaf superhero, played by Lauren Ridloff.
The movie stayed true to the Marvel movie formula with extravagant explosions, otherworldly villains, and large text on the bottom left of the screen telling the audience the location. Between the epic fight scenes, the movie has many still moments that let the audience learn who these new superheroes are. Those moments also build on the relationships these superheroes have with each other helping to enhance the plot.
This movie has a runtime of two hours and 37 minutes, and it unfortunately felt like it. The pacing of this movie seemed to drag at times and characters, such as Kingo and Makkari, appeared to be left behind in development in favor of others, like Sersi and Ikaris. With a cast of new characters this large it can be hard to flesh out each storyline enough to allow the audience to feel for them in times of crisis and stay engaged with the movie. The dialogue at times fell short, opting for cheap jokes that undercut a serious moment or vague philosophical statements about the violent nature of humanity that don’t blend well with the current scene or situation.
The visual effects of this movie are stunning. The portrayal of each character's unique powers are engaging and are fun to watch unfold. With all of the superpowers we have been introduced to already, ‘’Eternals’’ still adds an intriguing aspect to seeing what a new character is capable of.
In typical Marvel fashion, ‘’Eternals’’ features not one, but two post credit scenes that hint towards future projects and storylines that further the lore of the MCU.
Chock full of new characters and a little over a two and a half hour runtime, this movie seemed to simultaneously develop and underdevelop its main cast making emotionally driven scenes feel hollow while creating an overall jam packed, visually entertaining, but ultimately forgettable movie.
Score: 7 of 10
‘Eternals’ is now playing in theaters.
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