Eternals [IMAX]

Eternals was a wholly different kind of MCU movie. Chloe Zhao's first tentpole studio film had the arduous task of not only introducing a large new group of superheroes but also crafting and building a whole new MCU world and mythology (see: Guardians of the Galaxy for its introduction to space and Doctor Strange for its introduction to magic). 

Laden with so much expository need, Zhao, who also co-wrote the screenplay, chose to do it all by eschewing the MCU formula of an action/MacGuffin-led narrative, instead she stuck to her gun and kept Eternals mostly grounded to the emotional landscape of the characters (mostly, cause this was an MCU film after all). 

Zhao and cinematographer Ben Davis also maintained a lot of her visual style with gorgeous wide-angle and panoramic landscape shots during the magic hour, all those sumptuous sunsets and backlit silhouettes, natural blue hour lighting to underscore the drama and tension, and intimate close-ups of the actors' faces to allow the emotions to drive the story. Also, unlike previous MCU entries, Eternals actually had a great score, courtesy of Ramin Djwadi.

Eternals was, refreshingly, the closest the MCU has to an art film and it will surely turn off some, if not most of, their core fan base. Hopefully Kevin Feige remained devoted to Zhao and her team, and keep them on for the sequel. 

That was not to say that the film had no flaws. It was a tad overlong at 2.5 hours and the heavy exposition did weigh the middle act down. Kudos to the natural, non-CGI beauty captured by Zhao and Davis, but when the CGI was at the forefront it did seemed quite out of place. Our primary antagonists, the Deviants, seemed mostly amorphous and all blended together except, of course, for their leader, and the globe-trotting locales did have a sense of artifice about them.

As for the action sequences, there were quite a few of them and thankfully almost all were shot in the light with no annoying shadows and darkness to mask the action. However, although Zhao did an admirable job in filming these sequences - you could follow the action and knew what was happening - there were not enough big moments and kinetic energy through them.

Zhao may have an eye for beauty in terms of composing a landscape and emotional beats, but she lacked the vision for big spectacles.

Lastly, we have the problem of such a large primary cast, of which two were major A-listers, Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek. As a result, it was inevitable that not everybody will get the same weightage in terms of screen time and storyline. 

Gemma Chan and Richard Madden were ostensibly the leads of the film and the way Zhao's camera captured their moments really helped to sell their era-spanning relationship which was slightly better than Chan and Madden's onscreen chemistry which seemed inconsistent (although narratively possible). 

Chan is a good actress. Her work on Humans was exceptional, but she may not be ready to an anchor such a big film. Perhaps, if Eternals was more typically MCU, she would have fit right in, but Zhao's direction and screenplay demanded a lot more emotional depth than what Chan could muster now.

And in this aspect, her co-stars outshone her. Madden, especially, was impressive. His internal conflict was well expressed and his big climatic scene/moment was surprisingly moving. Jolie and Hayak undoubtedly have chops and it showed, although Jolie tended to be inconsistent whilst Hayak was more subdued. 

The other acting highlights were actually the supporting cast. From the expressive Lauren Ridloff who packed more emotional punch in her brief scenes especially with the uniquely sardonic Barry Keoghan. Lia McHugh had sass - and style - to spare for someone so young. Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry and Don Lee brought the laughs with their quips but also a humanity that was lacking in the other superheroes (though Nanjiani did not really have to be so jacked-up).

Cinematographer Davis and composer Djwadi were great here. Davis' lensing with Zhao vision created many gorgeous vistas. Some might say, too many. However, it did sort of suit the mood that Zhao was aiming for. Similarly, Djwadi's score was one of the best MCU scores. Epic yet otherworldly, but also soft and tender with a clear Sersi and Ikaris theme.

IMAX was great, again for those beautiful moments, and really to encapsulate the galactic nature of the Celestials/Eternals. The sound system was put into great use for the climatic, big fight.

Two post-credits scenes as per usual. One mid-credits that seemed to pave the way for the sequel and one post-credits that may be leading into a separate movie or Disney+ series. 

Eternals was definitely not for everyone and definitely not for the rote marvel fanboy or general audience. There was room for improvement but overall it was a refreshing new view into the MCU that was satisfying and exciting.