The word for the past two weeks is that Eternals is a long, dense, incomprehensible mess of a movie that is incredibly flat despite some astonishing visuals. However, that’s just not the case.
Eternals is long, yes. Is it dense? For sure. But it’s not incomprehensible nor is it bad as the critics say.
A few hours ago I watched Eternals and I found myself engaged in the story that seemed to move along at a relatively fine pace that was full of fascinating characters who were each given impactful stories. Basically, everyone’s going to have a different favorite character for a different reason.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts about this one because it practically was perfect for the film that it was and yes, Chloe Zhao did embrace the complexity of the Eternals and crafted a powerful story that explores humanity and why this world is such a special place. Unfortunately, Zhao is a certain type of artist and her stamp mostly works for this movie but at times you can totally tell she is out of her league with this one.
Shots that should be over in mere seconds sometimes drag on agonizingly long and the dramatic nature of the film felt a little overbearing but overall, Eternals is another solid entry that I can’t believe has been considered Rotten by the critics.
It’s undoubtedly better than Captain Marvel, Thor 1 and 2, The Incredible Hulk, both Ant-Man movies, and even Iron Man 2 and 3 for sure. No, this wasn’t more enjoyable than Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings but it is undoubtedly one of the most profound entries in this franchise and a fresh new pace for the MCU.
By the way, I thought critics wanted the MCU to do something different. And then they actually go for this really ambitious story and the critics destroy them for it. Why? Hmm. It seems so puzzling…doesn’t it?
I’ve got more to say, of course, but for now, I can definitively say Eternals isn’t the best MCU film but it’s a good one.
I’m giving it 89 out of 100 and 4 out of 5 stars.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a fantastic day.
Annlyel Online 
Wow. If it’s better than that many of the Marvel movies then… well, the MCU hasn’t been as consistently great as we’d like to think.
That said, Chloe Zhao is an indie film maker being given a blockbuster to play with. And… not gonna lie, but Nomadland bored me to tears. But… I’ll go watch it anyway.
LikeLiked by 2 people
But that’s the thing. ‘Eternals’ isn’t a bad movie! The critics have just unfairly highlighted its flaws without trying to enjoy the film’s story and ultimate plot twists.
LikeLike
See, now this is why I put more value in to a review by someone like yourself. I have seen films that were critically acclaimed that I felt were just ok movies, more of a worth a $1.99 rental. And I’ve seen films that critics have slammed as horrible, that ended up being decent films, entertaining, and a decent escape for 2 hours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! This film is worth the watch and it’s a shame it’s being slammed the way it is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chloé Zhao’s Eternals Is the David Lynch Dune Of MCU
LikeLiked by 2 people
I definitely don’t think it was a bad film. I enjoyed a lot of the story, especially the way they went all-in on the crazy Jack Kirby cosmic comic book mythology. At the same time, I shouldn’t feel the need to check my watch 90 minutes into the movie wondering if we’re getting close to the end yet. Somebody should’ve dialed back the ambition at the screenplay level. 10 new heroes is a lot to try and introduce in one movie. 6 might’ve been a more manageable number that allowed the movie to be tightened up a bit. I know as a kid I would’ve had trouble with this. I remember seeing Greystoke, The Legend of the Apes and 2010 in the 1980s, which were very cerebral and deliberately paced, and not fun at all for a kid. I imagine a lot of kids had the same reaction to this movie. If they do another movie like this, they ought to consider going for an R-rating, let it be as adult as Watchmen, and not pretend it’s a fun adventure story for young children.
I definitely enjoyed it as a drama, and thought the moral questions raised by the story kept it interesting. I think Gemma Chan held it together as the lead. I felt like she handled the shifts in her character with nice subtlety, and totally avoided becoming a one-dimensional “I was born to be the good guy” hero. And I thought Kumail Nanjiani was one of the funniest side characters in the MCU in a long time, because his schtick was a satirical commentary on the social media generation, not just somebody acting stupid.
LikeLiked by 1 person