For the past 13 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a powerhouse franchise, consistently cranking out hit after hit with critics and fans. However, this year seems to be a bit of the Achilles’ heel which started with Black Widow and sadly has continued with Eternals which is very disappointing.
The movie features an all-star cast coupled with Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao, but even with both sides on the camera, they deliver a convoluted plot with stretches of character development that don’t get us invested as much as they should.
Gemma Chan and Richard Madden lead the cast as the Princess Leia and Han Solo of the Eternals which are an alien race that’s been around for the past 7000 years. However, they have been told never to interfere in the affairs of humanity by their leaders called the Celestials. Instead, the Eternals spend their time protecting their time from another evil alien race known as the Deviants.
Rounding out the rest of the Eternals is Kumail Nanjiani as a Bollywood superstar; Brian Tyree Henry as a technology inventor; Lia McHugh as a little girl who can project illusions and Lauren Ridroff who possesses supersonic speed.
Plus, let’s not forget Salma Hayek as the eldest leader of the Eternals and Angelina Jolie who can form any weapon out of her hands.
It’s such a shame that a well-rounded cast and a director like Zhao are saddled with a hit-or-miss script. The early scenes in the movie do promise hints of better things to come before it’s over, but about halfway through, it falls flat by delving into incomprehensible plot threads and having an overabundance of characters with their own motivations throughout that make the story altogether seem underwhelming.
The special effects sequences are also largely uninspired, instead recalling more spectacular moments that have been done in the MCU and done better.
It breaks my heart, but narratively, Eternals can make watching this film seem like an eternity.
Grade: C+
(Rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, some language and brief sexuality.)
