Eternals (2021) User Reviews

Underrated

[breneff · 7/10 · 17 September 2022]

I personally feel like this movie is very underrated. It's not as jokey or flashy as any of the other Marvel movies but that's kind of why I like it. It felt less like a superhero movie and more like an art film about gods and what it does to your psyche when you live for such a long time on the planet that's not yours.

There's a lot of different diverse personalities in this and it shows interesting ways of how these characters and not only cope with their longevity but also take advantage of the world around them. Even though the characters seem wooden in the beginning of the movie as time goes on you start to at least in my opinion connect with them and their relationships to each other. I love the fact that the humor isn't over the top and one is there it's to help you understand the characters more instead of just being goofy for the sake of being goofy.

The main point of the movie is basically about the passing of time and what it does to people. Hence the song played over the marvel logo being Time by Pink Floyd. As time goes on these characters change how not only how they feel about each other but humanity all together, for better or for worse.

There are also twists in the movie that I did not expect that were pretty surprising. Without going into much detail I like the fact that all of these characters are kind of in the gray and aren't 100% good guys or bad guys. It feels more like a Snyder film in the sense that it's less about superheroes being quippy and trying to save the day and more about imperfect gods trying to figure out what there purpose is.

To a lot of people this felt like a huge step backwards for the MCU. For me this was a refreshing change of pace for these movies.

The only negatives that I will say is that I did not care at all about the romance between Ikaris and Sersi. There was absolutely zero chemistry between them. Also, personally, I can't stand Sprite. She is an insufferably selfish character she just came off as super annoying.

Eternal was the Runtime

[view_and_review · 5/10 · 12 November 2021]

I'm not going to give a long winded review though the movie was long. "Eternal" was the runtime. There were parts that were good and parts that weren't. One of the biggest issues is that a movie of this nature presents more questions than it answers. The very existence of eternal beings existing on planet Earth, sent there by their creator in order to protect human life from Deviants, begs a lot of questions. And the more they strayed from their prime directive, the more questions they presented. The eternals were human in every aspect with the exception of their powers and their lifespan. The fact that such humanlike and very fallible beings (as in not entirely obedient) were sent to protect humans is just a start of the questions.

"Eternals" was unnecessarily long. There were plenty of scenes that could've been left on the cutting room floor. Marvel bit off a lot with this metaphysical, beginning of creation movie. It was very emotional and slow at many points. Even the comic relief failed to garner the laughs it intended. But, there was applause in the theater after it was over. Honestly, I don't know if that was based upon how good the movie was or simply MCU diehards paying their obligatory tribute.

I don't understand the hate

[justin-marshall5 · 7/10 · 15 February 2022]

Not really sure why this movie got so much hate. It's introducing a swath of new superhero's and doesn't really converge with any other Avengers plot lines save for a few mentions of Thanos, Thor and some other hero's. That job on its own isn't an easy one and I think they did a fantastic job of giving us a new storyline. The shear scale of the movie was well done both in terms of time periods and in general how epic and massive everything felt. Loved the diversity of the characters - every one of them added something to the story. With that being said - and this is coming from just your average Marvel fan with no knowledge of the comics - the Eternals powers all seemed a bit underwhelming. Maybe it's just that they were trying to display how powerful the deviants were but even Ikaris couldn't take down one on his own. Other than that the movie was absolutely beautifully shot - maybe the best looking Marvel movie to date. Again, I'm not sure what the hate is about but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Not as bad as everyone thinks

[newyorkjetsafc · 7/10 · 10 September 2022]

I think this movie got such a trash review because people thought it was too "woke" with casting. Which is nonsense by the way. That is how the real world is. It does have its flaws but it's not nearly as bad as people rate it. These 2 & 3 ratings are nonsense. Those people who wrote those might want to try watching movies from a long ways back were they did put out some good movies but also put out tons of trash. This is most certainly not trash. It's pretty good. Decent humor, good action and a good story. Pacing and some of the dialogue is subpar. I will Also say that its run time is a bit much. I actually enjoyed this movie though and I'm very much not disappointed or think that it was a waste of time. It's a very unique take on the internals. I will say that Sercy and Icarus chemistry could've been better. It has its flaws but if you want to sit back and watch a unique interpretation of a comic book Then give it a shot.

Neither Intrigues Nor Entertains

[CinemaClown · 14 January 2022]

The 26th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe marks the arrival of a new brand of superheroes into their ever-growing family and further expands the horizons of its shared universe with its grand scope. However, being one of the lesser-known properties the way Guardians was back in 2014, Eternals needed to create an intrigue & curiosity to make us care & invest in its mythic world but the film as a whole simply falls flat at it.

Co-written & directed by Chloé Zhao (The Rider & Nomadland), her latest effort opts for a slightly different path that at times avoids or escapes the familiar trappings of a standard Marvel fare but then its attempts to forge its own identity is executed with such blandness that there is no life to it. The film is devoid of the fun & fascinating qualities of its studio's finest works and neither its storytelling nor its ensemble compel us enough to give a damn.

It is an ambitious undertaking no doubt that intends to explore a few interesting ideas but Zhao goes for it without working out the fundamentals first. She aims for the intimacy with surface-level digging into these superpowered beings but with there being no incentive for us to even bother, the emotions & warmth don't shine through. Add to that, the story is needlessly overlong, tediously paced, and is filled with characters without camaraderie with one another.

Overall, Eternals is a dull, lifeless & forgettable addition to Marvel Studios canon and also happens to be one of their rarest gambles that doesn't pay off the desired dividends. While the diverse ensemble is a welcome move from the inclusivity standpoint, the actors are more or less wasted in their roles and aren't given anything interesting to leave their imprint upon. It remains to be seen how this chapter plays out in Marvel's Phase 4 plan but as a standalone entry, Eternals is mediocre at best.

Dire.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 3/10 · 11 December 2021]

I've read several critical reviews applauding this film, however having sat through it twice I have to point out that this is a very poor film.

Almost two and a half hours long, and every single minute of this film was an effort. How on Earth did they think this would appeal?

It's a lifeless watch, it rambles along at a torturous pace, and sadly half the cast seem totally disinterested, giving very wooden performances.

Special effects vary, some look good, some look very poor, when you look at the budget this film had, it should have looked flawless, it doesn't.

I love Gemma Chan and Richard Madden, but neither of them look totally at home here, I only hope this turkey of a movie doesn't halt either career.

I don't think a second will follow somehow.

Awful sadly, I did give it a second watch to be sure, but there you are, it's a shocker, 3/10.

A Breath of Fresh Air in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

[sairohit-95 · 8/10 · 11 November 2021]

I went in with little to no expectations and I was pleasantly surprised by what the movie offered. Multiple relatively unknown new characters and their dynamics, their stories spanning centuries.

It was definitely not a typical Marvel fare that at least I'm acclimated with. Watching this movie, it didn't feel like it's an MCU movie. It was different, something unexpected.

I do understand some people not liking this movie. I have some criticism too, like the editing in the beginning seemed a bit sloppy. And watching it in IMAX, the transition between aspect ratios was not smooth, very apparent and a bit distracting. The visuals on the other hand were amazing. Some of the action sequences were really good and were executed perfectly (like the usage of hand held camera during a fight scene between a deviant and Ikaris in Amazon).

Overall, it felt nice to witness something very different from MCU. I am eager to see them try new things and take their world to different directions and keep it interesting and unpredictable.

Good Enough Film in the MCU

[Coolmade2000 · 7/10 · 10 November 2021]

I had a good time watching Eternals. It wasn't the best film I've seen, but I have a lot of respect for the effort to make this.

Eternals has the humor, top-notch special effects, and references that make it an MCU movie.

The notes that worked in this film are the humor, VFX, stunning visuals, and fight scenes. The notes I think need improvement are the character development, the runtime, and understanding of character motivations.

Watching this movie felt like an eternity

[cricketbat · 4/10 · 8 November 2021]

Shang-Chi gave me hope for Phase 4 of Marvel. Eternals dashed those hopes. This is probably my least favorite Marvel movie. This film is too long and crammed full of overly complicated plot points, yet it's also completely predictable. It seems the filmmakers were too busy trying to check off boxes rather than create a good story. It's also a downer. People watch MCU movies to have fun, not to have existential crises. Perhaps the Eternals should have stood on the sidelines a little longer.

Underestimated

[stormpasawat · 9/10 · 4 November 2021]

I like it since the beginning of the story. It's been cool to see eternals through the ages, but the past-to-present contrast isn't that smooth. The characters are cool and their powers are awesome, but it's frustrating in some scenes. But overall, it's actually a good movie, so it shouldn't be underestimated like that, the scale is big, it's epic, the visual work is very beautiful, very spectacular, want to see it again to enjoy the visual work.

Magnificent to look but it's pretty much lifeless with boring actors playing boring characters

[Sir_AmirSyarif · 6/10 · 14 November 2021]

Chloé Zhao's direction gives Marvel Cinematic Universe a much needed breath of fresh air, but 'Eternals' doesn't quite come together. Despite the fact the film claims to have a far more thought-provoking theme and a plethora of philosophical concepts, it fails to elaborate on them sufficiently to create a more compelling experience. The movie is still magnificent to look but it's pretty much lifeless with boring actors playing boring characters.

Fairly shallow Marvel experience...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 16 January 2022]

Another year, another Marvel Studios superhero movie, right? Well, so it would seem. I had only vaguely heard about "Eternals" prior to sitting down to watch it. But then again, superhero movies isn't exactly my primary go-to-movie choice. But yeah, I do watch them if given the chance, as Marvel Studios does churn out movies that are fun enough if for nothing else then for the amazing CGI.

And that was the case with the 2021 movie "Eternals" from writers Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo. This movie was all flash and bang and no proper contents. It was all essentially just pointless eye-candy.

For me, then we are talking about a swing and a miss for Marvel Studios with the 2021 superhero movie "Eternals". When the movie ended, I was left with an overwhelming sensation of 'what did I just waste two and a half hours on watching?'. And I was also left with a sense of none of the characters portrayed in the story had any significance or backstory. You might as well replace them with mannequins and still end up with the same movie result.

You would assume that with a cast ensemble that included the likes of Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington and Lauren Ridloff among others, that you would be in for a stellar movie experience. But nay, director Chloé Zhao didn't rise to the occasion to deliver a wholesome and entertaining superhero movie. Nope, this was a lukewarm movie at best.

The total absence of properly written characters and character development throughout the two and a half hours of runtime was just atrocious to witness. And it totally turned the movie into a shallow experience. Yet, I managed to sit through it, but believe you me, this is not a movie that I will ever be returning to watch a second time. There were so many characters to keep track off, yet none of them had any properly written backstory, character traits, personalities or anything, so they just sort of blended into one singular faceless mass. And hence, I didn't care one bit about any of the hero characters, because they were about as interesting as mannequins.

"Eternals" was pure and simply just eye-candy in term of entertainment value. The storyline would have been more interesting if the story had interesting characters, subplots, etc., but there was no such thing going on here.

Sure, I am by no account a fan of the superhero genre, but watch the movie regardless, but "Eternals" was definitely among the top contenders for being among the most pointless and boring of superhero movies.

My rating of "Eternals" lands on a three out of ten stars.

Different, but refreshing

[anja-rijnsburger · 7/10 · 3 November 2021]

Visually stunning.

Different "vibe" than we know of Marvel, but very refreshing. Would almost say more calming and suiting. Love that it wasn't a cliché group, but very diverse, which just makes total sense.

Don't forget: Some Avengers already had their solo films to explain the origin of their story. Even though it's not fully explained for the Eternals, almost each character will get (a part of) their story explained. This takes time and some might consider this too long with a slow pace. However very necessary for the film.

Could've used a little more action, but think upcoming film(s) will have more of that and maybe even some solo films? It definitely leaves an open window for (a lot) more and the movie was interesting enough to leave you with questions you want to have answered!

PS. Keep seated during the credits for the two addition scenes. You want to see more after this.

PS. Proud of Angie. Very layered character. Love the roles she chooses to play.

Don't Believe The Bad Reviews!

[steveneli · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

An excellent film that Marvel fans will love! Really enjoy all the characters and fight sequences. The story is really well written and moves at a good pace for being a longer film.

More of an origin story than anything...

[simplygk · 7/10 · 3 November 2021]

The movie goes more into the origins of the eternals and gives you an insight into each of their personalities. Don't go in expecting an all out established set of characters kicking ass from start to finish. The story is fairly well told but I must admit that it does lack some action but the action you do get is very well done and visually stunning, especially those that feature Thena (Angelina Jolie) and Makkari the speedster. It is hard to see how these characters will have a future intertwined with the rest of the MCU stories but it does day "the eternals will return..." at the end.

I'm so sad

[FeastMode · 5/10 · 5 November 2021]

I went in knowing nothing about the source material and not watching a single trailer. I had no expectations for this movie. After watching it, I feel like it had the potential to be incredible. But it wasn't. It wasn't even good. I'm legitimately sad while writing this.

I see this as the MCU homage to Watchmen. It feels very "adult" in so many ways. But in others, it's childish. The story is a complete mess. So many useless subplots. The characters feel flat, especially the protagonist. Some uncharacteristically bad casting choices (while also criminally under utilizing Angelina Jolie, a beast of an actress, should have been the main character). So much of this movie doesn't feel natural, something always feels a bit off.

There's a lot I enjoyed. I watched some of the coolest things I've ever seen on screen. So many parts are visually stunning. Some of the action was good, some wasn't. An enormous step down in that department after Shang-Chi. The deep philosophical themes are interesting but poorly executed.

Sigh. I'll probably watch it again to see if it grows on me. But this might be the worst MCU movie. I hope the bad reception doesn't discourage them from being ambitious in the future. I'm afraid they might stick to playing it safe to avoid another underperformer.

Edit: I watched it again, in IMAX of course. I enjoyed it a lot more the second time. All of my initial flaws are still there. But I focused on all of the good, and tried to ignore the bad. It made for a much better experience, especially after moving past the initial disappointment of how truly amazing it could have been.

I think the reason I found the protagonist so underwhelming is because she doesn't drive the plot. Her character is always reactive. Things happen to her. She's generally likeable, but a weak character. And one thing that was impossible to ignore even when I tried, Salma Hayek was a terrible choice.

My favorite character is Druig, with a great performance by Barry Keoghan. I really like most of the other characters and wish I could have seen more from them. Kumail Nanjiani is awesome, except when they give him random "insert joke here" lines. I'm curious to see more from most of the characters.

This movie is still very flawed. And I absolutely hated how certain character conflicts were resolved after major decisions were made. But if you can move past the bad, you can enjoy the action, visuals, and ambition. Rating updated from 4 stars to 5 stars.

(3 viewings, opening night IMAX 11/4/2021, IMAX 11/17/2021, 4/30/2023)

Eternals will outlive all negativity.

[jaysondcooke · 9/10 · 4 November 2021]

I have read that this film has no humour, but I and the cinema audience all laughed out load at every joke. I have read this film is lifeless, but every frame is a celebration of the history, versatility, and complexity of life. I found every character compelling, and loved the family(ish) dynamic being challenged by 7000 years together.

Too many characters, should've been a series

[BuldakNoodles28 · 7/10 · 26 June 2022]

Like the headline says, this should've been a series to focus on all of the characters instead of a movie trying to force all of the characters and backstories in. It confused the audience.

Most boring supers ever

[judywalker2 · 2/10 · 15 January 2022]

I can understand Marvel wanting to expand its universe; all you have to do is look at the dollars to understand it. But, the thing about superheroes, they have to be super beyond their powers. I didn't know anything about these characters and frankly after watching this movie I don't want to know anymore. I thought Justice league and Batman versus Superman were bad. But nothing has been as boring as this movie. It's cheesy and preachy with no interesting characters except Sprite and the Deviant. I think they may need to stop cause superhero overload can cause bad movie making decisions.

Spectacular visuals, but

[Gordon-11 · 3 November 2021]

The visuals of "Eternals" are spectacular. They look very real and very stylish. I also applaud the film for the diversity of the cast. However, the build up of the film is just too slow and too long, and I lost most of my interest and concentration when the final showdown begins. In addition, the one liner jokes are a little out of place and quite contrived. It is still an entertaining film, but probably not as great as the recent Marvel films.

Don't listen to the haters, it was a great watch!

[therealjaysmoke · 7/10 · 12 March 2022]

After hearing so much bad reviews for this movie, I almost didn't watch it. But now after watching it TWICE, I have to say the reviews are flawed! This was a really good movie. From the story, the effects, the costumes, right down to the fight scenes which were just took dope and watching Angelina kick@$$ was so sexy. I've missed her in such action roles. I in particularly loved how they took us on a journey of discovering who the Eternals were and why they existed. I also loved how each Character had a moment to shine. Everyone played their role beautifully, the only let down for me was the forced gay character in there. Aside that, the movie made sense and I can't wait to see how they fight the big guy in the next one.

Was good. Better than the "critics" say.

[skylerelement · 7/10 · 4 November 2021]

It was a good movie. Good performance, good deed, maybe the story and rhythm had to be polished a little more, but it's definitely not a bad movie.

I hope to see a sequel soon. The story literally remained in a thread.

Better than critics say

[gabrielkiew · 7/10 · 4 November 2021]

Eternals turned out to be a visual master piece with a great story line. The film contained a good balance of action sequences, romance and humour, keeping me off my seat for the better part of 2.5hrs. At times, the film may suffer from too many characters, lacking much character development but makes up for it by being the most unique and different marvel film.

Worst MCU film ever

[WeAreLive · 2/10 · 23 January 2022]

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), an unexpected tragedy forces the Eternals, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years, out of the shadows to reunite against mankind's most ancient enemy, the Deviants.

This film is by far the worst MCU film I have watch. It's massive insuylt to the comics from the Jack Kirby days. Gender swapping some of the eternals, bad story telling which makes absolutely no sense, unlikeable characters, little to no action and ridicules changes to the MCU just sum up how bad this film. Completely ruined Endgame

The only goods were the music and the CGI for Arishen as well as bonus points for being voiced by David Kaye.

Other then that it's just not a good movie makes both Captain Marvel and Iron Man 3 look good.

Worth a watch

[tav44 · 8/10 · 4 February 2022]

Not sure why this film is getting so much bad press, actually thought it was a nice departure from Marvel's usual fair. Visually very impressive, had some interesting themes of theology and some good gags. Less predictable than most of the recent marvel offerings.