Eternals, the latest Marvel movie, was released on November 5 in theaters. The anticipation was high for many Marvel fans, but the film attracted mixed reviews. Though some enjoyed the movie, others were disappointed… and that’s easily agreeable.
Being a Marvel fan and a huge sucker for an action packed MCU movie, the expectations weren’t exactly met with this film. Fans can’t help but to be excited about the award-winning director and A-list actors such as Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden and- of course, who could forget Harry styles. Despite all the talented actors- and non-actors- their performance was covered up by the storyline.
Throughout the movie, fans see flashbacks of the Eternals before their present-day split. The characters display their history together as we see them reunite for one last major heroic moment. Although the movie provides some unexpected plot twists, the storyline lacks the excitement and thrill that makes Marvel movies so enjoyable.
There are ten main characters that the plot revolves around, each with their own scars and unique powers. But are they really that unique? One of the Eternals, Ikaris, based off the Greek myth Icarus and played by Richard madden, has the same abilities as superman- just less impressive. Another one of the Eternals, Makkari played by Lauren Ridloff, is basically the female version of the Flash and Angelina Jolie’s character, Thena, is the goddess of war based off the famous Greek goddess, Athena. While marvel is known for their original characters, they appeared to modify characters from DC and Greek mythology and called it their own.
There are many fight scenes throughout this two-and-a-half-hour movie, as many would expect, but perhaps the most anticlimactic moment was the final battle scene. Though there are some entertaining parts, we see Sersi (Gemma Chan) ‘save the world’ doing nothing more than what she’s done throughout the whole movie.
We do see some diversity in the main characters of the movie, where black, white, deaf, and LGBTQ persons are represented. This movie can be considered a staple for those who aren’t commonly portrayed in the entertainment industry. Marvel is taking a large step towards normalizing more diversity in their cast and further supporting recent movements on equality that many viewers appreciated.
The ending leaves the viewers on a cliff hanger more than once. A couple of things are left to the imagination and along with suggestions that are very vague yet crucial to the storyline. This made for a frustrating time attempting to decipher the meaning of the end of the movie.
It includes two end credit scenes, one featuring harry styles in his long-awaited moment. While he is known as a talented singer, Styles lacks the experience and knowledge in acting that is expected when performing in a high-profile Marvel movie such as Eternals. His playful persona does not fit the bill and he lacks the stern, heroic appearance of a classic hero which most agree upon. The producers introduce Styles as a character that will potentially be seen in future films, yet it is unknown if his acting career will continue with Marvel.
Overall giving the movie a 5/10, though it can skate by as a solid and fun film, it doesn’t compare to other marvel films. With the bar set high for MCU, this movie felt disappointing, but Marvel may improve the storyline and performance if they choose to make Eternals a series.
Isabel Ballard // Staff Writer
Return | Marvel Studios’ Eternals – YouTube
