Marvel Studios’ “Eternals” is for an audience with an acquired taste. This film scratches the surface of a brand new genre. Producers have created what I’d like to call softcore action, where there’s an emphasis on the dreamy and dramatic aspect of the film, but they also pay less attention to the superheroes, the action and the extravagance of it all. “Eternals” is pleading for something more noticeable to make it stand out, but I’m also not entirely mad at what we got either.
“Eternals” follows the lives of ten super powerful and immortal gods from the planet Olympus. All are sent on a mission to Earth to protect humans from the dangerous and ruthless monsters, called Deviants. Each character possesses their own unique power and skill, but none of them have adjusted to living among mortals. They all must find their own paths in life, all while trying to blend into mundane society.
In two hours and 37 minutes, writers manage to get through several flashbacks and only the backstory of one character. The only thing super about this movie was how long it was. I grew so antsy in the theater, I almost missed the big reveal at the end.
Warning: Don’t trust anyone.
But one thing I did love was the character of Thena, played and perfected by Angelina Jolie. She plays a tough chick (she’s literally a goddess) who many initially wrote off due to her illness. But despite her troubles, she is still pretty inspiring and cool to watch. Not to mention, her weapon of choice is a sword and spear; it doesn’t get better than that.
The film had it’s rare laugh-out-loud moments, all of the jokes were timed well and were something to be anticipated. In other moments, the movie went still. The whole movie consists of filler plot for the real storyline to move along. It’s understandable that audiences need background, but was three hours really necessary, Marvel?
But let’s look on the bright side: the slow moments of the movie actually did provide great cinematographic views. The stills of all the places that the Eternals visited throughout their thousand-year journey were beautiful. They visited London, Alaska, the Amazon, even what was supposed to be Babylon. It was interesting to see how creators pictured the settings in their minds and to finally see them on the big screen.
I liked Marvel’s “Eternals,” but I don’t understand the hype behind it at all. It’s not their best work, but definitely not their worst. It’s also not the last thing they’ll ever make. If you end up not liking this film, be patient and wait for the next one.
Photo Credit: IMDb
