Eternals is an overstuffed movie that fails to thoroughly focus on any of its ideas. Recognition is deserved because it touches on some interesting themes and provides light twists that break the ironclad Marvel mold. However, these themes are diluted by a cluttered story, and the twists (though uncommon for Marvel) are fairly standard for films overall. So, while Eternals has some relatively ambitious attempts, it still falls into classic pitfalls of franchise movies.
The most fundamental flaw of Eternals is its unclear intentions. Is it creating a cohesive experience, or is it merely a stepping stone to expand a franchise? When the main protagonist (Gemma Chan) has neither characteristics nor an arc, the narrative at hand feels like an afterthought. Meanwhile, side characters are superfluous, the villain lacks pay off, and the tone/pacing are erratic. Furthermore, the themes of Eternals aren’t fully explored. Ideas of autonomy, utilitarianism, and consciousness are introduced but, disappointingly, go nowhere. This lack of follow through applies to the filmmaking as well. Eternals has occasional visuals but is bogged down by CGI barf and bloated action. Ultimately, the movie reaches for respectable goals but fails to commit to a specific direction.
Writing: 5/10
Direction: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Acting: 7/10
Editing: 4/10
Sound: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Production Design: 7/10
Casting: 7/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 6.1/10
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