Eternals is now the worst-rated MCU film ever, Angelina Jolie film compared to a PowerPoint presentation
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 30 October 2021 15:44
- Written by Indian Express
After 92 reviews, the Chloe Zhao directorial Eternals has a score of 64 per cent, which is lower than Thor: Dark World, the movie which previously held the record for the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for an MCU movie.Marvel Studios’ Eternals is now the worst-reviewed film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as per review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. After 92 reviews, this Chloe Zhao directorial has a score of 64 per cent, which is lower than Thor: Dark World, the movie which previously held the record for the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for an MCU movie.Of course, the score can change significantly in either direction once the film is out in theatres and more critics get to see it. But one thing is certain, the film has divided critics like no other MCU film.The critical consensus reads, “An ambitious superhero epic that soars more often than it strains, Eternals takes the MCU in intriguing — and occasionally confounding — new directions.”Written by Zhao, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo, Eternals introduces a new group of superheroes, the titular Eternals, who have lived in secret on earth for 7000 years. Created by entities called Celestials, they were tasked with protecting the earth from the Deviants, their misshapen and evil counterparts.The film has been praised for its visuals and scale, but being criticised for being overstuffed and full of expository dialogue, among other things.The film stars Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Gil Birmingham, Harish Patel, and Kit Harington.Meanwhile, the film had its UK premiere on Wednesday. Nearly the entire main cast of the film, including Chan, Madden, Keoghan, Nanjiani, Jolie, Hayek, Ridloff, and director Zhao made an appearance.
 |
source : Indian Express 
'I'm not sure what that says about me': Angelina Jolie says her six children think she's just like her warrior character Thena in The Eternals
- Details
- Published on Friday, 29 October 2021 05:34
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie stars as Thena - the leader of an Earth-based race of immortal beings with superhuman powers - in the new Marvel movie Eternals. And on Thursday, the 46-year-old actress revealed that her six children see a lot of similarities between Thena and their movie star mom. 'They said they liked her because she felt like me,' Angelina told PEOPLE with a laugh.She continued, 'Now, they haven't seen many of my films, but I thought that was really interesting. But then thinking of all the different things of her I'm not sure what that says about how my children see me.' The Academy Award winner shares Maddox, 20, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15 and 13-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox, with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, 57. In the film, the A-lister's character, whose powers include superhuman strength and speed, is battling the Eternals' version of dementia known as Mahd Wy'Ry.In an interview with Screen Rant, Marvel Studios VP of Production & Development Nate Moore elaborated on the struggles that Angelina's character faces in the film. He said, 'She has a tragic story in our film in that she comes down with something called Mahd Wy'ry. If you guys are fans of comics Mahd Wy'ry is something that can beset an Eternal.'It's a version of dementia. Because of the amount of memories they have, they become unstuck in their own mind, so she starts to forget exactly when she is, so through the course of the movie, Gilgamesh (Don Lee) becomes her protector.And when we find them in the modern day, they're living off the grid in a cabin in Australia because she's too dangerous to have around humans, so it's a fun arc for Angelina to play.' Meanwhile, the film's director Chloe Zhao told People, 'Angie is the reason why Thena exists. It was really important for Angie to bring femininity to Thena's character. 'She talked a lot about creating a woman who was graceful, feminine and strong at the same time. A woman strong enough not to be afraid to lean on the shoulder of a strong man.' Angelina told People that being asked to portray a superhero at the age of 45 'actually meant a great deal to me. I didn't think I'd pick up a weapon again. I didn't think I'd be in fight scenes to this extent again. And I certainly never thought I'd be in Marvel universe as a great fighter.'However, she went on to explain, 'That's not why I love to play Thena.' The Salt star said, 'I'm very interested in the other side of her that is struggling.'Chloe said, 'It was so fortunate that Angie came in and was very excited to work the way I've been working — to find the human part in the actor and actresses and what they really go through in their personal life and create a space for them to express that. 'And Angie has lived a life. And for her to be willing to be vulnerable enough to allow the camera into her inner struggle and to give that to the character of Thena so the audiences can relate to her is a brave and giving thing for an actor to do.' The Oscar winner said that Angelina's past experience as a director enabled her to bring a greater understanding to the set.'When you shoot a film like this, you're asking 700 people to wait from 12 o'clock to 5:30 p.m. so you can get your scene with two takes,' she said. 'You require an understanding from the cast. 'And someone like Angie, who's been a director and a producer, who traveled far into the middle of nowhere to make her films, she looked around and she said, "Oh yeah, we wait. I know what she's doing." She understands the bigger picture. That was crucial on this film.' Angelina recently discussed parenting, saying that she suffers from mom guilt and can be 'pretty tough' on herself when it comes to how she raises her six children. While making a rare comment about her family, she admitted to regularly questioning her parenting decisions as a single mother since her split from ex-husband Pitt back in September 2016.'I'm not a perfect parent by any means,' the Maleficent star told People. 'Every day I feel like I'm more aware of everything I don't do right.'She continued: 'I'm pretty tough on myself, because I feel often, 'Am I doing the right thing? Did I says the right thing?'Despite doubting herself from time to time, Jolie gushed: 'My children's kindness has been very healing to me.' Speaking of her tribe, the Golden Globe winner called them all 'pretty great people.''Because there's so many of them, I think they've had a very significant effect on each other. It's not like I'm the head of anything,' she explained. Jolie added: 'I'm very honest with my kids. And I'm very human with my kids.' The Know Your Rights and Claim author also noted she is 'curious about all the different aspects of who they are' and is passionate about helping them develop 'all the different aspects of who they are.''I have six very individual human beings in my home. I am so excited about all the different stages and feelings and curiosities that they go through,' Jolie told the outlet. As a mother, she feels it is her job to 'help them figure out who they are' but says that's impossible if you don't 'don't enthusiastically develop with them.'
|
source : Daily mail
Angelina Jolie says she took a 'leap of faith' joining Eternals cast because Marvel NEVER let actors see the script and reveals she's been asked to direct a film in the Cinematic Universe
- Details
- Published on Friday, 29 October 2021 05:06
- Written by Daily mail
She stars as Thena - leader of the Earth-based Eternals - in the latest Marvel movie.Yet Angelina Jolie has now revealed she took a 'leap of faith' by joining the Cinematic Universe because she wasn't allowed to read the film's script before signing up for the film, which premiere in London on Wednesday evening.Speaking on Thursday's Lorraine alongside her co-star Lauren Ridloff, Angelina, 46, revealed that actors are never allowed to read the script of a Marvel film before agreeing to be cast in the part - likely due to the top secret nature of the franchise. She told host Lorraine Kelly: 'It was a great deal of fun but I did it because The Eternal family would be diverse and inclusive. When you accept a marvel movie you don't see the script so you have to take a leap of faith.'We look and feel different than a superhero group but my character struggles with mental health. We are the most human. We represent the world we live in, we're a global family.' After starring in the film - which follows a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years - Angelina also revealed she has been asked to direct a Marvel project.'I was asked if I would consider directing a Marvel movie and I said yes but I don't know if I'd be very good at it. It brings a smile to my face though.' The mother of six went on to discuss how she doesn't think the entertainment business should be considered 'real life' She said: 'I grew up around this business and I don't think it is real life. It shouldn't be taken too seriously. A lot of families are having conversations about sustainability so we like to upcycle and recycle what we already have.' Meanwhile, Lauren, 43, spoke about how it was long 'overdue' to have a team of superheros who are more relatable as people. She said: 'I was so thrilled to have this opportunity to play Makari. It was so overdue and timely to make superheroes seem more like people and that brings the idea of what a superhero is. With pride I can play Makari.'Lauren, who is deaf, said that filming didn't come without its hurdles as she couldn't hear the directors instructions - however Angelina offered her a solution. She said: 'I knew that there would be a lot of problem solving and opportunities on set and sometimes I didn't know when to turn because I couldn't hear the director shout, 'Action.' 'Angelina said to use a laser pen and now I incorporate this into my other work.'Lauren, who has two sons who are also deaf, went on to say that she is glad they will now have a relatable superhero growing up. She said: 'My boys were a tough audience so they weren't impressed at first until I brought home lego figures. 'Theyre both deaf so im so glad they're going to have a deaf superhero growing up.'Eternals is a 2021 Marvel film based on the fictional race of humanoids of the same name which appears in the American comic books.The film sees the Eternals, an immortal alien race, come out of hiding for thousands of years to protect Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.The movie, which premiered in Los Angeles earlier this month, also stars Gemma Chan as the character Sersi. The cast includes MCU's first openly gay superhero (Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos) who shares the franchise's first onscreen same-sex kiss with Haaz Sleiman, who plays his husband.
 |
source : Daily mail
The fab five! Angelina Jolie is supported by children Maddox, 20, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 13, as the family attend UK gala screening of Eternals... but 'shy' Pax, 17, misses red carpet event
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 28 October 2021 05:57
- Written by Daily mail
Angelia Jolie cut a glamorous figure as she lead the stars attending the Eternals premiere at the BFI IMAX Waterloo in London on Wednesday.The actress, 46, was joined by her children, Shiloh, 15, Zahara, 16, Vivienne, 13, Maddox, 20, and Knox, 13, with her son Pax, 17, being her only child not in attendance.The film star, who plays Thena in the Marvel film, looked incredible in a black blazer which she paired with a flowing skirt and white shirt. The Oscar-winning actresses' garment featured a pleated detail while she completed her outfit with a wristwatch.Angelina looked nothing short of sensational as she let her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders while posing for the camera.Angelina was in high demand at the screening as she stopped to pose for pictured with fans who lined the carpet. The actress was clearly in good spirits as she was seen laughing and joking with her children as they posed for photographers. Also in attendance was Angelina's co-star Gemma Chan who looked incredible in a black long-sleeved crop top with a silver bejewelled embellishmet.The actress, 38, who plays Sersi in the film, also donned a matching black skirt with aa sheer detail while she cinched her waist with a black belt.The Crazy Rich Asians star added to her look with a dark hood while she let her raven locks fall loose down her shoulders. Fellow co-star Salma Hayek, 55, ensured all eyes were on her as she arrived to the event in a red off the shoulder long-sleeved gown.The stunning garment featured a striped pattern and a shimmering detail while Salma styled her tresses into loose waves. Meanwhile, Kit Harington cut a dapper figure in a black pinstripe blazer and matching trousers along with a black shirt.The actor, who stars as Gemma's love interest Dane Whitman in the film, was all smiles as he reunited with his co-stars. Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Kingo, attended the premiere alongside his wife Emily V. Gordon, with the couple looking sensational on the red carpet. The comedian sported a teal blazer which he wore with a matching shirt and trousers and dark brown boots. Meanwhile, Richard Madden cut a dapper figure as he made his way to the gala screening.The actor, 35, who plays Ikaris in the Marvel film, looked suave for the star-studded event in a black blazer and matching trousers and a crisp white shirt.The film star was spotted leaving his hotel in the capital alongside co-star Kumail and Eternals director Chloe Zhao.Co-star Barry Keoghan made his first public appearance alongside new girlfriend Alyson Sandro at the screening. The pair, who are thought to have been dating since at least February, put on a loved-up display as they held hands on the purple carpet.The actor sported a dark brown suit and matching shoes while his partner wore a multi-coloured mini dress with a tassel detail. Alyson looked incredible in a multi-coloured mini dress with a tassel detail which she paired with red heels. Eternals is a 2021 Marvel film based on the fictional race of humanoids of the same name which appears in the American comic books.The film sees the Eternals, an immortal alien race, come out of hiding for thousands of years to protect Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.The movie, which premiered in Los Angeles earlier this month, stars Angelina as elite warrior Thena and Gemma as the character Sersi. The cast includes MCU's first deaf superhero (Lauren Ridloff as Makkari) and its first openly gay superhero (Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos) who shares the franchise's first onscreen same-sex kiss with Haaz Sleiman, who plays his husband.In ELLE's 2021 Women In Hollywood issue, Angelina - who is an advocate for refugees - discusses her upcoming movie and praises The Eternals' director, Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao for her choice of casting.'A lot of times as an actress, you're that individual strong woman, or you have one sister; you don't often have this family where you really get to know women and see all the different strengths,' Angelina explained. Praising her co-stars, she continued: 'Gemma's grace and elegance and the way she walks through the world. Salma's motherhood and power, and Lauren's connection and intelligence. Everybody came as themselves.'Maybe there's something to that, that the characters weren't as far off [from ourselves]. I think there's a secret that we don't know that our director knows, because if you look at her films, she casts a lot of real people as their roles and it shapes her films.' She reveals in the issue that when she was first contacted about the movie, she thought it was going to play a 'grandmother' type role.'I never thought I was going to be one of the Eternals. It doesn't happen. It's never happened to me like that before without a fight and like, 'I can do this, please hire me!' When she told me I was one of them, I was like, ''Me, Mexican, Middle Eastern? Me, in my fifties? I'm going to be a superhero in a Marvel movie?'' Sometimes as a woman, as a woman of colour and with the age, you feel so overlooked,' she said.
Commending Zao for 'having balls', she championed the director for 'acknowledging' her within the industry.Ridloff, whose character Makkari is deaf like her and the first deaf superhero within the Marvel universe, reveals she jumped at the chance to 'show representation' on screen in a 'refreshing' way, while Chan praises Marvel for showing diversity on a global scale with its movies.Ahead of its release, Eternals has already been branded 'disappointing' and 'ultimately unmemorable' by critics in its first reviews.The superhero flick was lambasted by critics over its 'miserably undernourished' script, deluge of underdeveloped characters and 'overloaded' storyline. Critics were torn as the 'refreshingly diverse' cast of characters resulted in a group of 'navel-gazing superheroes' that signalled 'two steps forwards for representation but three steps backwards for dramatic ingenuity.' The Times critic Kevin Maher gave the film two stars and took aim at the 157-minute flick's script and its 'strange self-sabotaging energy.'He wrote: 'It is the characters, however, who represent the biggest shift away from the swaggering, mostly white, mostly male, mostly straight, mostly neurotypical and mostly hearing ensembles (think Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, etc) that have defined the Marvel brand thus far.'Adding the 'reinvented heroes work' he continued: 'But they are also, to paraphrase Pirandello, ten characters in search of a script. Because the one they have now, co-written by Chloé Zhao, the director (Nomadland), is derivative, messy and miserably undernourished.'Eternals is two steps forwards for representation but three steps backwards for dramatic ingenuity. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman branded the film a 'disappointment' over lacking the 'raw and real' signature quality Zhao has brought to her other films.He wrote: 'Yet as I approached Eternals, the question I was most curious about was whether Zhao, who in Nomadland and The Rider defined her filmmaking style in a unique poetic way, would carry any remnants of that mode over to the blockbuster universe... Eternals has none of that. It's clear that that's something of a disappointment.He added the film feels 'very standard' in comparison to 'top-tier' team superhero films (the first Guardians of the Galaxy, Zack Snyder's Justice League, and 'Avengers: Infinity War) and that the film 'never transcends its conventionality'.He did however laud the diversity of the cast, writing: 'Four of the Eternals are white, three are Asian, two are Black, and one is Latina. One is gay, one is deaf, and one is an androgynous tween who never grows up. 'Any troll who surveys this lively medley of backgrounds and temperaments only to gripe that the movie is too 'woke' might have lodged the same complaint about Star Trek 55 years ago.'
The Guardian critic Steve Rose scored the film two stars once again and likened it to a 'sophisticated PowerPoint presentation' due to its comprehensive mythological storyline. He wrote: 'There is also an epic mythology to get our heads around: even before a line of dialogue is spoken, three dense paragraphs of text explain how our 10 Eternals came to earth to protect it from the predatory Deviants (sort of skinless, sinewy beasts with prehensile tentacles) at the behest of Arishem, 'the Prime Celestial'. 'If you're lost already, bad luck: there's plenty more to come, which demands some planet-sized chunks of exposition. At times if feels like you are watching a very sophisticated PowerPoint presentation.' Adding the film was a 'gigantic exercise in un-realism', he praised Kumail Nanjiani's turn as Eternal-turned-Bollywood movie star Kingo, but said Angelina Jolie's Thena was 'unconvincing' portraying a personality disorder.He wrote: That's the problem: there's just too much going on: it's all headed towards yet another 'race against time to stop the really bad thing happening' climax. It's not exactly boring – there's always something new to behold – but nor it is particularly exciting, and it lacks the breezy wit of Marvel's best movies.' The Telegraph critic Robbie Collin again gave Eternals two stars, writing: 'The answer is the problem with Eternals in miniature: it's constantly engaged in a kind of grit-toothed authenticity theatre, going out of its way to show you it's doing all the things proper cinema does, even though none of them bring any discernible benefit whatsoever to the film at hand. 'The more muted tone rules out Marvel's fast and flippant house style: instead, Eternals opts for solemnity peppered with wackiness, which occasionally gives it the feel of a Japanese anime series.'He added that Jolie's character was 'like a parody', and wrote: 'Perhaps the hope was that Marvel's 26th film might rattle the franchise out of its comfort zone. But the franchise is nothing but comfort zone, which renders its latest entry an instant white elephant.' Empire critic John Nugent gave Eternals three stars, as it was 'unable to escape the clichés of superhero storytelling' but praised Zhao's 'assured and ambitious' MCU debut.He wrote: 'There's a fascinating tension in Eternals between the unstoppable force of the Marvel project and the immovable object of Zhao's artistic sensibilities. In many ways, this looks and feels nothing like any Chloé Zhao film we've seen before.'And yet in many ways, this film looks and feels nothing like any previous Marvel film. There are, for example, at least a couple of firsts: a genuine sex scene, and an onscreen gay kiss — unheard of in the normally rather chaste MCU. 'More frequently, though, it seems to fall into familiar traps about saving the world and learning to work together as a team; when a giant, CGI-heavy battle begins to thwart another potential apocalypse, you start to feel a formula being leaned on.'BBC Culture critic Nicholas Barber also gave 'ultimately unmemorable' Eternals three stars, and said 'it could be the most disappointing MCU film yet.' He wrote: 'Suffice it to say that the Eternals score highly in terms of gender, ethnic and sexual diversity, but lowly in terms of being memorable. They're a sketchily drawn and fundamentally drab bunch, so it can be tricky to remember which one is friendly with which. 'By rights, their super-soap opera should have had its own 20-part series on Disney+. In a film, the plot is so over-populated that one Eternal even announces, shortly before the climactic battle, that he doesn't want to be involved, and walks out, leaving us to wonder why exactly we've spent the last hour hanging out with him. Eternals is adapted from a series of far-out 1970s comics by the great Jack Kirby, and traces remain of his visionary design, but Zhao and her three co-writers have weighed it down with lots of rudimentary dialogue.' Evening Standard critic Charlotte O'Sullivan praised the film and gave it an impressive four stars, heaping praise on the cast, bar Gemma Chan's 'wooden' turn as Sersi.She wrote: 'We're used to top-notch bickering from Marvel but the self-aware, sibling-like rivalry here seems extra divine because it allows ideas explored in Nomadland to be revisited. Maybe we don't need a 'true home' in our lives. Or a 'boss'.'The whole cast are fabulous, with one exception. Chan's a bit wooden. As far as the script's concerned, she's the chosen one. But I wish Zhao hadn't chosen her. 'Anyway, the fights, especially in the film's last third, are astounding, beautifully paced and crammed with detail.'
 |
source : Daily mail
Angelina Jolie's daughter Shiloh, 15, continues her radical image change as she wears an elegant lace detailed dress to Eternals UK gala screening
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 28 October 2021 05:57
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie's daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt continued to move away from her 'dude' style as she arrived at the Eternals premiere at the BFI IMAX Waterloo in London with her famous mother and siblings on Wednesday evening.The superstar offspring, 15, whose father is Brad Pitt, wore an elegant cream dress with black lace detail as she posed on the red carpet.She could be seen smiling as she supported her mother Angelina, 46 - who appears in the film as as elite warrior Thena - with her siblings Zahara, 16, Vivienne, 13, Maddox, 20, and Knox, 13. The teen appears to have gone through a style transformation of late, opting for dresses on her mother's promo trail for Eternals. On Sunday, Shiloh looked super trendy at the Eternals Rome premiere, where she wore a black dress with a full skirt alongside neon trainers with an animal print while her hair was stacked into an elegant chignon and she wore hoop earrings. Last week's style and image over haul comes a year after Shiloh's father Brad was said to be 'so proud of Shiloh and who she had become' as he celebrated the teenager's 14th birthday.A source told Entertainment Tonight: 'Brad is so proud of Shiloh and who she has become, He loves that she always stays true to herself and is so good to her brothers and sisters.' Meanwhile, Angelina spoke out about Shiloh's androgynous dress sense, saying her daughter considered herself to be 'one of the brothers'.'She wants to be a boy,' she told Vanity Fair in 2011. 'So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys' everything. She thinks she's one of the brothers.'Apparently coining a new fashion term, she said: 'Shiloh, we feel, has Montenegro style. She dresses like a little dude. It's how people dress there. She likes tracksuits, she likes [regular] suits.' Back in 2008 it was revealed that Shiloh had requested she be addressed as John since the age of two.Brad told Oprah Winfrey: 'She only wants to be called John. John or Peter. So it’s a Peter Pan thing. So we’ve got to call her John. "Shi, do you want…" "John. I’m John." And then I’ll say, "John, would you like some orange juice?" And she goes, "No!"'So, you know, it’s just that kind of stuff that’s cute to parents and it’s probably really obnoxious to other people.' Addressing the name change at the time, Angelina said that there was no need to 'interpret' anything from the request.In an interview with The Daily Mail, Angelina said: 'I don’t think it’s for the world to interpret anything. She likes to dress like a boy and wants her hair cut like a boy and she wanted to be called John for a while.'Some kids wear capes and want to be Superman and she wants to be like her brothers. It’s who she is. It’s been a surprise to us and it’s really interesting, but she’s so much more than that – she’s funny and sweet and pretty. But she does love a tie…’
Eternals is a 2021 Marvel movie based on the fictional race of humanoids of the same name which appears in the American comic books.The flick sees the Eternals, an immortal alien race, come out of hiding for thousands of years to protect Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.The cast also includes MCU's first deaf superhero (Lauren Ridloff as Makkari) and its first openly gay superhero (Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos) who shares the franchise's first onscreen same-sex kiss with Haaz Sleiman, who plays his husband.In ELLE's 2021 Women In Hollywood issue, Angelina - who is an advocate for refugees - discusses her upcoming movie and praises The Eternals' director, Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao for her choice of casting.A lot of times as an actress, you're that individual strong woman, or you have one sister; you don't often have this family where you really get to know women and see all the different strengths,' she explained. Praising her co-stars, she continued: 'Gemma's grace and elegance and the way she walks through the world. Salma's motherhood and power, and Lauren's connection and intelligence. Everybody came as themselves.'Maybe there's something to that, that the characters weren't as far off [from ourselves]. I think there's a secret that we don't know that our director knows, because if you look at her films, she casts a lot of real people as their roles and it shapes her films.'
She reveals in the issue that when she was first contacted about the movie, she thought it was going to play a 'grandmother' type role.'I never thought I was going to be one of the Eternals. It doesn't happen. It's never happened to me like that before without a fight and like, 'I can do this, please hire me!' When she told me I was one of them, I was like, ''Me, Mexican, Middle Eastern? Me, in my fifties? I'm going to be a superhero in a Marvel movie?'' Sometimes as a woman, as a woman of colour and with the age, you feel so overlooked,' she said.Commending Zao for 'having balls', she championed the director for 'acknowledging' her within the industry.Ridloff, whose character Makkari is deaf like her and the first deaf superhero within the Marvel universe, reveals she jumped at the chance to 'show representation' on screen in a 'refreshing' way, while Chan praises Marvel for showing diversity on a global scale with its movies.Ahead of its release, Eternals has already been branded 'disappointing' and 'ultimately unmemorable' by critics in its first reviews.The superhero flick was lambasted by critics over its 'miserably undernourished' script, deluge of underdeveloped characters and 'overloaded' storyline. Critics were torn as the 'refreshingly diverse' cast of characters resulted in a group of 'navel-gazing superheroes' that signalled 'two steps forwards for representation but three steps backwards for dramatic ingenuity.'
The Times critic Kevin Maher gave the film two stars and took aim at the 157-minute flick's script and its 'strange self-sabotaging energy.' He wrote: 'It is the characters, however, who represent the biggest shift away from the swaggering, mostly white, mostly male, mostly straight, mostly neurotypical and mostly hearing ensembles (think Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, etc) that have defined the Marvel brand thus far.'Adding the 'reinvented heroes work' he continued: 'But they are also, to paraphrase Pirandello, ten characters in search of a script. Because the one they have now, co-written by Chloé Zhao, the director (Nomadland), is derivative, messy and miserably undernourished.'Eternals is two steps forwards for representation but three steps backwards for dramatic ingenuity. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman branded the film a 'disappointment' over lacking the 'raw and real' signature quality Zhao has brought to her other films. He wrote: 'Yet as I approached Eternals, the question I was most curious about was whether Zhao, who in Nomadland and The Rider defined her filmmaking style in a unique poetic way, would carry any remnants of that mode over to the blockbuster universe... Eternals has none of that. It's clear that that's something of a disappointment.He added the film feels 'very standard' in comparison to 'top-tier' team superhero films (the first Guardians of the Galaxy, Zack Snyder's Justice League, and 'Avengers: Infinity War) and that the film 'never transcends its conventionality'.He did however laud the diversity of the cast, writing: 'Four of the Eternals are white, three are Asian, two are Black, and one is Latina. One is gay, one is deaf, and one is an androgynous tween who never grows up. 'Any troll who surveys this lively medley of backgrounds and temperaments only to gripe that the movie is too 'woke' might have lodged the same complaint about Star Trek 55 years ago.' The Telegraph critic Robbie Collin again gave Eternals two stars, writing: 'The answer is the problem with Eternals in miniature: it's constantly engaged in a kind of grit-toothed authenticity theatre, going out of its way to show you it's doing all the things proper cinema does, even though none of them bring any discernible benefit whatsoever to the film at hand. 'The more muted tone rules out Marvel's fast and flippant house style: instead, Eternals opts for solemnity peppered with wackiness, which occasionally gives it the feel of a Japanese anime series.'Empire critic John Nugent gave Eternals three stars, as it was 'unable to escape the clichés of superhero storytelling' but praised Zhao's 'assured and ambitious' MCU debut.He wrote: 'There's a fascinating tension in Eternals between the unstoppable force of the Marvel project and the immovable object of Zhao's artistic sensibilities. In many ways, this looks and feels nothing like any Chloé Zhao film we've seen before.'And yet in many ways, this film looks and feels nothing like any previous Marvel film. There are, for example, at least a couple of firsts: a genuine sex scene, and an onscreen gay kiss — unheard of in the normally rather chaste MCU. 'More frequently, though, it seems to fall into familiar traps about saving the world and learning to work together as a team; when a giant, CGI-heavy battle begins to thwart another potential apocalypse, you start to feel a formula being leaned on.'
 |
source : Daily mail
Share
