Chloé Zhao breaks with the classic structure through an epic story, abundant and convinced of her style. Personal, risky, remarkably executed.
That Marvel Eternals is in a period of experimentation and change is something that we can attest in the most literal sense and in the figurative sense. The snap of Thanos not only caused the greatest cinematic event in recent years, but also a warning both to his loyal fans and to the house of ideas itself . A turning point that awakens again with a Phase 4 far from the conventional, from series like Wandavision to formulas not previously explored like the refreshing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings . This is how we got to the Eternals , a particularly unique film; an auteur film from top to bottomthat he relies on the contemplative, on delving into his characters and making the story the true protagonist.
Against the tide and leisurely, Eternals stands out from Marvel Eternals
Because it is never easy to build a character introduction movie without prior endorsement; especially if it is a cast of them, with a huge mythological bill behind and a reduced media support compared to other big names. When we learned that Chloé Zhao, who comes from devastating Nomadland , was assuming the direction of this film, there was no doubt that Eternals was going to debut in the Marvel Eternals Cinematic Universe breathing new cinematographic techniques. What we did not know was to what extent it was going to differ from the Avengers language or if it was going to work. The Squid Game uses post editing, is there machine translation in video games?
The answer is complicated; although the two and a half hours that the trip lasts neither do they insist on giving too many concessions to the viewer. This is not a failed experiment, but a very versatile work that would have worked the same (maybe better) if it had not been based on the original Jack Kirby comic. Eternals does not depend on Marvel Eternals to justify its successes or its mistakes; bet on an independent format of superhero cinema . To speak of the Eternals is to speak of mythology, of gods, of almost immortal beings destined to protect planet Earth. It is another tone, they are beings with such superiority whose fit with the Marvel of cinema that we have seen projected twenty-five times before does not match in the same way. And nothing happens. Because there are no written rules and Zhao has come here to break them.
With Captain Marvel and Thor the ballot was saved by drenching these ultra-powerful profiles of humanity, of development, and that was perhaps one of the biggest concerns of a movie hungry for everything. Eager to tell an epic story, heterogeneous and with feelings of all kinds; at the same time as eager to make us connect with these superhumans, residents on Earth for thousands of years by order of the Celestials . Having wanted to focus on so many things at the same time is perhaps one of his biggest burdens .
Different from anything seen before; For better and for worse
Why did they not lend a hand during the events that occurred in Avengers: Endgame – the plot takes place five years later – and other questions that the viewer can ask themselves are topics that are treated in a subtle but sufficient way, almost always falling on the figure of a Unused Kim Harington, recipient of some comic relief with avowed British humor.
The first act is quite solid and forceful: where we are, who we are and where we come from. No snag. The cast is luxurious, with a lineup of actors and actresses who do their part and, with few exceptions, invite us to be optimistic for the future: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry , Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie leave us more than remarkable performances. Everyone knows what their role is in this expertise. Gemma Chan as Cerci is undoubtedly the film’s greatest contribution to the Marvel Universe. Samsung Odyssey The elite of gaming monitors for all types of gamer
The main problem with Eternals is the structure chosen for the narration of the events . There are constant flashbacks , changes of scenery – the design of environments and the costume direction is really good – and jumps in time, surely too many. This interrupts the rhythm at key moments, to the point that you seem to be living two stories in parallel. Even though it is a very long film, you feel that there are minutes left to delve into fundamental themes of the script … but there is also plenty of footage in scenes that lead nowhere.
Eternals is a film with personality , which does not seek to satisfy the diehard fan of unbridled action: it seeks to find its own place in this rich cinematic universe without looking at anyone . The best solution, given what we have seen, would have been its adaptation to series, thus facilitating the digestion of the elements at a quantitative level and for a mere matter of time. There are still questions on the table and the fit of this new saga in the future of the UCM. The main task, however, is now to win over the viewer, although everything points to a divisive production.
A puzzle where not all the pieces fit together, but they outline a promising future
In short, Eternals is a superhero movie that sometimes tries not to look like it. It deals with deep, dense subjects; It tells you about the psyche of its protagonists, eager to tell you their story. Chloé Zhao has not given up contemplative scenes or dedicating minutes to purely recreational situations. Although the renowned filmmaker does not always come out triumphant -the second act goes from more to less-, we value that there is room for daring in Marvel, because it lays the first stone of a bridge that will take us to horizons hitherto unexplored in this universe .