By Megan Freeman, Nov. 23, 2021
I have never been one to watch superhero movies but “Eternals,” directed by Chloé Zhao, released Nov. 5, was exceptional due to its diversity in casting and innovative take on a Marvel crusader movie.
On top of being diverse, the storyline of “Eternals” is compelling, funny, sad and action-filled. With a running time of nearly three hours every minute was worth the watch.
With the film featuring blockbuster actors and actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harrington and Gemma Chan, expectations were set high. The film even featured singer Harry Styles.
The acting throughout the film was phenomenal with Nanjiani’s character, Kingo, bringing his comedic background into his role and serving as the comedic relief when there was too much fighting or a lull in the plot. Nanjiani’s take on the role was memorable and differed from the generic comedy featured in other superhero films.
Other characters felt lackluster. Jolie’s character, Thena, could have been better executed as she was supposed to represent Athena, the Greek goddess of war, an iconic character in popular culture. The role lacked a unique take to the Greek goddess, leaving it with less depth than could have been achieved.
The movie follows 10 immortal beings: Ajak, Sersi, Sprite, Ikaris, Kingo, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Thena and Gilgamesh, who each possess their own unique superpowers. According to the lore presented, they have been on Earth for centuries to defeat alien-like creatures called the “deviants.”
Every eternal possesses different powers: Sersi, Gemma Chan’s character, can turn heavy objects into rose petals and Druig, played by Barry Keoghan, can control the minds of everyone he encounters.
This film takes the audience through an emotional rollercoaster, and tells a tale of humanity, humor and love. The Eternals want to save Earth desperately and never fail to display it with their actions, which has the ability to make the audience’s hearts warm. Some of these superheroes have families on Earth and the audience can resonate with the fear of losing their loved ones, just like the eternals do.
Some of them are in love and have created romantic relationships, showing that although these superheroes are not human, they are capable of human emotions. The writing made for elegance in communicating humanity and it was very interesting and special to watch.
To top off the skilled writing, the graphics were terrific; the computer-generated imagery, or CGI, used for this film is top-notch. They make it feel like the audience is going to places like the Amazon, India and even London.
There are clear references to the Avengers by some of the characters throughout the movie, and I hope some of these characters will be in a Marvel crossover one day. Overall, I think this is a movie that every Marvel and non-Marvel fan alike should see—and some Harry Styles stans may be eager to stick around for the end.
Graphic courtesy of Justin Oo.