Eternals is a wholly unique MCU movie so why aren't its reviews more positive?

Date:
Sat, 30 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Eternals is the most polarizing Marvel film since Thor: The Dark World but its originality is what the MCU needs right now.

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Theres a quote from Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo, as part of the recently released Story of Marvel Studios book, that sums up the daunting
task of developing a new MCU movie .

"The big thing I used to say all the time was, 'People tell you how much they love chocolate ice cream, he said. You give it to them six days a week, they're gonna throw it in your face on day six. And the problem is, if you have three chocolate ice creams in the can at 200 million dollars a pop, you're screwed. So you better start figuring out ahead of time how to be disruptive."

As the co-director of four Marvel movies, Russo knows what hes talking about. Fan expectations grow with each new entry in the MCU so much so that Marvel Studios must constantly break its own glass ceiling to please its fanbase. So the Marvel movie formula needs to be disrupted and tweaked occasionally to keep it fresh. Spider-Man: No Way Home : what we know so far Here's
everything you need to know about Doctor Strange 2 Marvel Phase 4 : release dates, multiversal crossovers and more

Russos quote couldnt be more apt, then, for Eternals , the next movie in Marvels Phase 4 slate. Its a film with all of the right ingredients: an Avengers-esque line-up of superheroes, an all-star cast, an Oscar winning director in Chlo Zhao and a creative, novel vision that sets it apart from
its predecessors.

Whats not to love, then? Well, a lot of things, judging by the films critical reception . (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Currently, Eternals holds a 61% rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes . To put that into context, Eternals is considered to be the worst MCU movie to date. Read that again: the worst. MCU movie. To date.

As things stand, based on its average score, critics think that Thor: The
Dark World believed to be the worst Marvel film ever, which led to director Alan Taylor stating the backlash made him lose the will to make movies is
a better MCU flick than Eternals. The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 and Avengers: Age of Ultron are also viewed as far superior films.

And yet, as someone lucky enough to see Eternals ahead of its November 5 release, I cant grasp the absurdity of how poorly received Eternals has been, relatively speaking.

Marvel movies need to reinvent themselves in order to stay relevant and
remain at the top of their game, and weve already seen examples of this on multiple occasions.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the first MCU film that the Russo brothers directed, was a superhero flick dressed up as an espionage thriller. It hadnt been done in the MCU before and, following the period setting of
Caps first MCU runout, it made Chris Evans supersoldier feel subsequently fresh and innovative. (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney)

Cosmic entries including Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as fantasy-style flicks like Doctor Strange, also helped the MCU to branch out into different genres. Black Panther, too, was a celebration of Black communities,
traditions and cultures, with Wakanda adding a new dimension to the fiction. Even Thor: Ragnarok breathed new life into the God of Thunders MCU series
with its 80s-style, comedic elements that didnt seem possible after Thor:
The Dark World.

So Marvel has previous for switching up its moviemaking formula. Sure, from a structural standpoint, MCU films havent changed much: theyre still humorous, action-heavy, heartfelt at times and comprise three distinct acts.

What does change, though, is how each director or head writer chooses to tell these stories. They determine how their MCU film is shot, written or edited. And they decide on each movies tonal or aesthetic differences. This constant reinvention through the use of different storytellers, albeit with Marvel's in-chief creative team keeping a tight hand on the steering wheel, keeps the Marvel movie formula fresh.

Eternals is no different. It pushes the envelope of what a Marvel movie can
be through its storytelling and visuals, as well as offering a teasing
insight into just how little of the MCU weve actually explored.

Im not only talking about Eternals from a representation or inclusivity standpoint here, either. Its vitally important that the worlds biggest cinematic universe is more reflective of the world around it. So its pleasing that Marvel Studios continues to diversify its predominantly white, cisgender male superhero line-up, albeit slower than expected. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

But the scope of this film is what's exciting. Eternals is ambitious in how its story spans 7,000 years of human history. Its visually arresting in its use of different color palettes to set the tone for various scenes. Moments
of joy or celebration are vivid and brightly lit, while more serious scenes are gloomier affairs made up of paler or faded hues.

Eternals numerous real-world locations not only give it a global appeal, but also bring a grounded, natural and realistic feel to its tale. And, when it does need to go more cosmic, such as when the Eternals talk to the
Celestials, the sheer scope of these sequences present a universal depth that outstrips what weve seen in any Thor, Guardians or Avengers flick.

Sure, there are missteps. Some decisions made by the Eternals are a tad
silly, while a few hard edits are noticeable early on in the film. Well dive into some other niggles in our review early next week.

But Eternals shouldnt be belittled for trying something new. Nor should Zhao be criticized for tackling a superhero movie, even if its a far cry from her previous projects. Directors should push their own boundaries, too, so Zhao shouldnt be singled out for branching out into new territory.

Maybe critics opinions on sites like Rotten Tomatoes shouldnt be taken as gospel, either. Maybe Marvel fans should wait to see Eternals for themselves and, in what would be an ironically amusing twist, its audience score may outweigh its critical score. After all, another comic book movie 2018s Venom
is adored by most Rotten Tomatoes users , whereas critics universally
slammed it. (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney)

I get it: people dont like change. I didnt like how Zack Snyder altered the ending to his 2009 Watchmen movie adaptation. In July, He-Man fans were furious with the direction that Netflix and Kevin Smith took that franchise
in for Masters of the Universe: Revelation, too. As a result, even though Revelation: Part 2s trailer looks like itll rectify Part 1s errors, some He-Man fanatics wont be tuning in to watch it.

To suggest that Eternals is the worst ever MCU film, though, is simply wrong. Sure, it takes some big swings that some viewers may be unimpressed by, but they represent a necessary effort to bring something unique to the
traditional Marvel movie formula. If every MCU film was made in the same way, fans would get bored quickly, their box office hauls would fall, and the MCU would eventually die off.

Marvel Studios took a big risk with 2008s Iron Man, which paid off. It took another major gamble by bringing the Avengers together in 2012: an ensemble movie that similarly wowed audiences. And, until March's re-release of James Camerons Avatar in China put it into first place again, Avengers: Endgame was the highest-grossing movie of all-time. Not bad for a company thats made its name on risky endeavours.

Eternals deserves the same treatment. Yes, its a high-risk entry in the MCU, but it has to be. We need originality and ingenuity in movies, including Marvel films, and Eternals provides that in spades. It seems, though, that this very same creativity isnt what most critics want from a Marvel movie
and I cant fathom why. Marvel's supporting characters are the glue that holds the MCU together



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/eternals-is-a-wholly-unique-mcu-movie-so-why-do nt-critics-like-it/


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