The Eternals tells the epic story of a hidden race of superheroes that have to protect the world! Chloé Zhao is the director and co-writer. She is coming from her Academy Award film, Nomadland (2020). The story and co-screenplay is by Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo, both of whom wrote short films. The other screenplay writer is Patrick Burleigh who co-wrote this year’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. Their work is based on the comic book series created by Jack Kirby. He was inspired by the Erich von Daniken book, Chariots of the Gods? (1968). Kirby is a world builder, coming from creating the Fourth World saga, then moving back to Marvel to write and draw his new creation in The Eternals #1 (1976). The roll up explains that the Celestial, Arishem created the Eternals, who come from the planet Olympia, they have to fight Deviants that came from outer space.
We first saw a Celestial, at least a head, made into the colony Knowhere, in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Another Celestial was Ego played by Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). Olympia was located in Greece in the comics and made into a planet here. Arishem the Judge first appeared in Eternals #2 (1976). We see the arrival of the Eternals in their ship which looks like a giant Monolith out of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). It is apparently called Domo, but I didn’t catch that mention. This shifts to Mesopotamia, 5,000 B.C., a beach has a young boy and a man fishing. The time and places around the world flashback and move through the narrative. The fishing man is swallowed by a Deviant, a dinosaur-like beastie, the Deviants in the comics were humanoid, their people had an unstable genetic code. Their motive is not clear, just vicious CG creatures like Velociraptors.
The kid is about to be swallowed, but is struck by beams. This is Ikaris (Richard Madden) who flies into battle firing his eye beams. Madden is known for Game of Thrones and also starred in Cinderella (2015) for Disney. The character appeared in the first issue of the Eternals. The kid sees Ikaris float down with four other Eternals. He pursues the winged Deviant into the sky. Another Deviant is about to attack the kid, but he is swept away by Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) moving at super speed. The character was Mark Curry first appearing in Eternals #5 (1976). Then, she speeds away other villagers. The next Eternal is Kingo (Kumail Nanjani) who generates energy in his palms to finger point lasers at Deviants. Nanjani had a comedic role in Silicon Valley, but he also played himself in The Big Sick (2017). The original character was Kingo Sunen, a samurai introduced in Eternals #11 (1977).
Makkari slams into the monster and Kingo blasts it off a cliff. I like the signing by Ridloff as a deaf superhero. Gilgamesh (Don Lee) powers up an arm and fist with the golden energy, this is explained as a power cosmic, the energy that powers Silver Surfer and galactic entities. He strikes a Deviant with super power. Lee was in the horror film, Train to Busan (2016). Gilgamesh was known as the Forgotten One in comics, he debuted in Eternals #13 (1977), and Avengers #300 (1989) was the first time he joined that team. He fights alongside Thena (Angelina Jolie) who forms a golden energy spear and shield. Jolie was in this year’s action film, Those Who Wish Me Dead, she has had a Disney connection with Maleficent (2014). The introduction of The Eternals in the comic book series was gradual, over several issues, but the movie emphasizes the group of superheroes, the number of characters need to be repeated to get familiarity. The Deviants are defeated, the ship descends, and we see the other Eternals walk down golden steps.
This is Ajak (Salma Hayek) and Sersi (Gemma Chan). Hayek is in the action movie, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021). Chan of course had a MCU appearance in Captain Marvel (2019) and was in Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Also walking down the ramp is Lia McHugh as Sprite. McHugh starred in the sci fi movie, Songbird (2020). Bryan Tyree Henry, who plays Phastos, is also there. Henry is in the dramatic series, Atlanta, and also in this year’s Godzilla vs Kong. Druig (Barry Keoghan) is also in the group. Keoghan’s cameo is the A24 film, The Green Knight (2021). Ajak heals the wounds of the Eternals, the leader of the group, Eternals #2 (1976) was the introduction of her character with a gender change. The humans bring up spears, but Druig possesses all of them to drop their weapons. The character was introduced in Eternals #11 (1977).
They return to the ship and Ajak has a sphere appear from herself to communicate with Arshem. The Celestial is massive like Dormammu in Doctor Strange (2016). This relationship is very similar to Galactus, the cosmic being, and the Silver Surfer, his herald. The Eternals eventually have a non-interference pact similar to The Watcher in What If...? and they go their separate ways. There is a relationship between Icarus and Sersi which does become physical, but I saw an episode of Friends that had the same level of intimacy. Later, a Babylonian child walks up, Sersi forms from sand a dagger with a gold blade, based on the historical Ceremonial Golden Dagger. The character can transform any matter, she first appeared in Eternals #3 (1976), and joined another team in Avengers #314 (1990). We shift to London in the present day. Sersi sees the dagger as an item significant to history on a screen and takes a pic of it.
She hurries into the Natural History Museum with the class prepped by Dane Whitman (Kit Harington). Jon Snow is a well known role for Hanington in Game of Thrones. There were other Black Knights, but Dane took up the mantle in Avengers #47 (1967). Sersi’s lesson is on apex predators, her students mention lions and wolves as examples, but humans are the apex predators and in this world, Eternals and Deviants. Later, they are at a dance club, Sersi and Dane kiss, and they are interrupted by Sprite. The character is a gender change and he was introduced in Eternals #9 (1976). Sprite was the inspiration for Puck and Robin Goodfellow so could be gender fluid with his powers. He has spent centuries as a child and wants to be treated as an adult, a bit like Claudia in Interview with a Vampire, she could use her powers to shapeshift into an adult (or really any form) like Loki. Then, they walk along the Thames, and a Deviant bursts from it. Sprite runs from the Deviant, it is slammed into a building, and then blasted by eye beams.
Sersi and Dane check on her as Ikaris enters the battle. He is struck by a Deviant and this overturns a bus which Sersi transforms into flower petals. The Deviant escapes. Ikaris says they should get back together. This brings us to the Eternals in the ordinary world, they don’t take secret identities, like Ike Harris in the comic books. Using their superhero names just keeps them as distant, superhero figures. These Eternals travel the world, but also flashback to key moments in time and their lives. They travel to South Dakota to find the next Eternal, a ranch where Sersi finds the body of Ajak, a sphere travels from her body to Sersi. She is the new de facto leader of the Eternals. We next see the set of a Bollywood film, a lively dance number, Bollywood produces an incredible number of films every year so this scene is a good nod to the industry. We have the star, who looks like a princess (Nikkita Chadha), and her leading man, Kingo. He is joined by his other Eternals and his manager Karun (Harish Patel) who is impressed by them. Patel is known for Bollywood films, and also the comedy, Run Fatboy Run (2009). Karun is the human perspective of this film.
Kingo tries to capture private conversations and interviews with his video camera, which is part of the comedy with Kingo, but I would have preferred Margo Damian from the comics. She is an archeologist who is trying to understand the Eternals and brings along her cameraman, Ike Harris. They have to gather the other Eternals, fight the Deviants, and discover their true purpose on Earth. The Deviant leader, Kro, later mutates into a humanoid form, voiced by Bill Skarsgård. The Eternals has some incredible visuals, the standout for me was the blue walls of Babylon, but while some of the vistas may be by Ben Davis, it feels like many of the shots are manufactured in CG. The run time is very long, 157 minutes, to encompass the world and time spanning Eternals story. Some chances are taken, very brief scenes, but this film may not be for younger audiences. The cast is an impressive roster of talent headed by Gemma Chan while balancing the other characters. The Eternals is a bold attempt at Marvel to go epic, but the special effects and number of characters makes it difficult to focus on their relatability.
Four Spheres out of Five!
#TheEternals, #ChloeZhao, #JackKirby, #GemmaChan, #RichardMadden, #LiaMcHugh, #SalmaHayek, #KumailNanjani, #AngelinaJolie, #DonLee, #LaurenRidloff, #BrianTyreeHenry, #BarryKeoghan, #HarishPatel, #KitHarington
No comments:
Post a Comment