Marvel's Eternals

 

Eternals (7.5/10)
Genre: Superhero/Action
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast:  Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani,  Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington
Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 2021

Dishoom! Eternals is one of the best Marvel movies, in my opinion, and probably the reason why everyone hated it is because it doesn't cater to anything that other MCU movies do. I wasn't too keen or looking forward to watching it, but since I hardly miss out on these movies, I watched with no expectations, only hoping that Chloé Zhao wouldn't disappoint and she doesn't. Marvel's Eternals exceeded my expectations by a wide margin. 

Eternals is like the Batman V Superman of Marvel - it is not for everyone, and either you will love it or hate it. PS: I love Batman V Superman, but the Eternals is even better. I watched this movie from a neutral standpoint as I have no clue about these characters or their comic book origins, but I'm aware of certain significant discrepancies, which may be one of the reasons why the majority discarded with rave reviews and dislikes. 

I was hooked from the beginning and never felt a dull moment in the entire film. Yes, the character designs and looks are contradictory to their comic book counterparts, even had gender swaps, but all of these factors work for me since I'm unaware of the Eternals universe, and hence had an open mind that helped me to enjoy this movie. 

The screenplay is interesting, but one might feel a little slow compared to other Marvel movies and shows where we usually see our heroes jumping from one action set piece to another in their fancy suits and cheesy one-liners, and though Eternals have it too, it focuses more on the gravity of the subject and relies more on witty humor than slapstick one-liners. 

The ensemble star cast may be another setback for fans because not everyone has sufficient screen time but is efficient enough to move the story forward. As mentioned, there are some gender swaps in the characters, pardon my ignorance if the same happens later in the comic book storyline, but it might have led to some gaslighting. 

There is a drastic difference in the costume and look, but let's face it, almost every superhero movie and series do. The visual effects and production design is spectacular. Yes, there are moments when the CGI is easily noticeable, but it is the case in other superhero movies.

 Chloé Zhao's independent roots are visible in every frame, character, and narration, which is a little hard to get for people exposed to only pop-corn superhero films and don't have much affection for indie films. I loved how she handled this film, and it is refreshing to see a superhero film made with so much conviction and care. I had a feeling that the Eternals will be a good movie due to Zhao's involvement, irrespective of all the criticism and memes, but honestly, I don't see a reason why Disney shouldn't push it for the Oscars - hell, even Suicide Squad got nominated.

 As many as four writers are involved in the writing process including Zhao and their efforts reflect on the screen. I heard a lot of folks complaining about the boring screenplay - what else can you expect from Shang-Chi fans? 

The story is about a race of immortal beings and their arch enemy and how their conflict for centuries affects the destiny of the human race on Earth. 

I think I have already praised Chloé Zhao, and her direction deserves more appreciation instead of negative criticism. I think more people will appreciate this film post the OTT release. It is hard to talk about individual performances among a heavy-hitting cast. Despite limited screen time, everyone plays their role to the desired effect. As mentioned, I'll skip individual performances. 

Ben Davies has worked on other MCU projects as DOP, but this is his best work by far in the MCU. The sound, editing, and visual effects are also noteworthy. Ramin Djawadi's music uplifts the tone of this film, and he is another alumnus of Game of Thrones who has worked on this project. 

Eternals is a breath of fresh air from the textbook superhero films and series - be it Marvel or DC or any other studio that we witness these days. Marvel's Eternals is pragmatic, and it is now one of my favorite films in the MCU.