Marvel’s Eternals boasts a keen directing eye, with beautiful shots and strong performances throughout, but an inconsistent tone and theme prevent it from being among the MCU’s best.
Chloé Zhao’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was exciting for both fans of Marvel and films in general. After a Best Director Oscar win for Nomadland, the potential of a filmmaker of her caliber headlining a Marvel film is an ambitious change from the norm. Long-known as a producer-driven franchise, with Kevin Feige leading at the helm of the juggernaut, Zhao’s directing style is a breath of fresh air. With Eternals, Zhao’s directing sensibilities are the highlight of the film. The film is vibrant and larger in scope than your standard Marvel fare.
The characters of Eternals are just as different from the MCU traditions as the directing style. With a strong cast featuring names like Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, each character is written with depth and a more somber tone. Where many Marvel superheroes feel like versions of Tony Stark, full of sarcasm and wit, the Eternals are somber, subdued, and tragic. Of the cast, Gemma Chan stands out as Sersi. Ironically her second role in the franchise, Chan makes the most of her role as the lead and centers herself as one of the more three-dimensional characters.
Playing on screen as a type of Justice League-lite, with characters like Ikaris, Thena, and Makkari being similar Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash at times, Eternals doesn’t properly establish each of them as truly unique outside of their power sets. Still, the cast work well with each other, and the chemistry that the viewer is supposed to pick up on is demonstrated.
Inconsistency of tone is a gripe that comes across throughout the movie. At times, Eternals feels torn between Chloé Zhao’s cinematic imprint and traditional MCU tropes. This is particularly played out during scenes with Kumail Nanjiani and Harish Patel, where the same joke would be made multiple times, getting less funnier each time the film tries to adapt it. This can be attributed with the screenplay and writing rather than the actors performances. The whiplash effect of going from a serious scene to a random joke can feel more out of place than a Marvel movie that’s just comedy or serious.
Overall, Eternals is arguably Marvel’s most beautiful film from a visual perspective. Chloé Zhao’s directing is the highlight of the movie, with a filmmaking style that stands among the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Still, inconsistent writing and a shaky thematic core prevents it from standing in the top echelon of the franchise thus far.
3/5
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