Background:

Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ is Marvel’s newest movie release, and one of the most anticipated releases within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Released on the 5th of November, millions flooded the theatres to see what Marvel had in store, but does it really live up to all the hype?

 

Rooted in Comics:

Like many other Marvel Franchises, the ‘Eternals’ started out as a comic, the first issue being released in July 1976. The ‘Eternals’ details a resplendent and majestic parallel universe, where the cosmic Celestials, ancient beings brought to life by the universe itself created the Deviants, a dangerous and violent mistake - the evolutionary process gone wrong. At the same time, they created the Eternals, human-looking beings who possess otherworldly powers. The Eternals are said to have resided on Earth throughout the eagles, rarely interfering with the human race.

 

Film Adaptation:

There was relative peace for a long time across Earth until the deviants showed up, leading to a long and brutal war between the Eternals and Deviants. The war was long and hard, but eventually, the Deviants were all killed off, or so they thought. Hundreds of years later, the Deviants have shown up again and the Eternals have to defeat them and protect the Earth from these otherworldly threats, becoming the premise of the movie.

 

The film features the 10 last Eternals, including characters like Sersi (played by Emma Chan), Ikaris (played by Richard Madden), Sprite (played by Lia McHugh) and Thena (played by Angelina Jolie) among others. The plot unfolds grounded in reality but quickly unfolds in an ever-increasing battle of tension and destruction between the Eternals and Deviants, but the plot isn’t as simple as that. Without spoiling anything, we see ‘Eternals’ pull off some of the best plot twists, and this only adds to the impeccable acting and dialogue. The crew are some of Marvel’s most convincing characters so far, and work very well together, though maybe not on the same level of magic as the Avengers for example.

 

The one flaw many have found with this movie is that it isn’t really a Marvel movie. That’s obviously not true, it is a Marvel movie, but it doesn’t feel like one. There are very few connections to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and to the new Marvel viewer, it may seem like a completely unrelated film. But this is not necessarily a bad thing; the movie may put off some since it doesn’t constantly reference their favourite Marvel Characters, but as a somewhat self-contained story, many viewers will enjoy this aspect of it.

 

So, is it worth it?

Whether you’re a new Marvel fan or an old-timer, Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ is highly worth watching. Don’t be put off by the mixed reviews, this movie is a testament that Marvel can still craft captivating and exciting stories without relying on a pre-established set of characters. Marvel is able to put a Comic Classic on a cinema screen and still retain the writer’s original ideas and creations whilst adding a modern flair to it.

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternals_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternals_(comics)