Eternals is a movie full of potential that is overstuffed with plot and characters that drags the over two and one-half hour running time to a snail’s pace.
The Production: 2.5/5
A team of immortal beings, each with their own superpower, were dispatched to Earth in 5000 BC to protect the planet from Deviants (alien beings bent on the destruction of the planet), but forbidden to become involved in historical matters (such as World War II or the Thanos snap). As the centuries drag on and the Deviants appear to have been defeated, some of the Eternals become conflicted with that rule as they begin to witness genocide, and the leader, Ajak (Salma Hayak), decides it is best for them to go their separate ways. Fast forward several centuries to the present, and the Deviants suddenly begin to reappear in London to Sersi (Gemma Chan), Sprite (Lia McHugh), and Sersi’s human boyfriend Dane (Kit Harrington), only to be saved by Ikaris (Richard Madden). The three Eternals then travel to America to find that Ajak has already been killed by a Deviant, and begin a journey around the world to reunite the rest of the team – Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) masquerading as a big Bollywood star, Thena (Angelina Jolie) and Gilgamesh (Ma Dong-seok) hiding in the Outback of Australia, Druig (Barry Keoghan) in the Amazon, Phastos in suburban Chicago with a family, and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) in Iraq. But Sersi has a vision, a conversation with their creator Arishem (voiced by David Kaye), who explains to her what their true purpose is: to prepare the Earth for the Emergence of the Celestial Tiamut, resulting in the planet’s destruction. The teams must make a choice once they stop the Deviant leader Kro (Bill Skarsgård): allow the Emergence to continue, or save the planet.
Co-writer and director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) takes her time introducing the characters and their journey of reunification, not to mention the constant timeline shifts as each character is re-introduced. The action sequences are few and far between, the storytelling often tedious and cold, the characters uninteresting, and the movie as a whole rather forgettable.
Video: 4/5
3D Rating: NA
Eternals was captured at 4.5k resolution on Arri Alexa LF IMAX and Mini LF IMAX cameras (with some sequences shot on 16mm film), and completed as a 4K digital intermediate in 1.90:1 and 1.43:1 aspect ratios for its IMAX theatrical presentations (as well as Disney+ IMAX-Enhanced) and 2.39:1 for traditional theatrical screenings, with Dolby Vision high dynamic range in premium theatrical venues. Disney’s physical media release retains the 2.39:1 aspect ratio for its entire running time, with HDR10 high dynamic range included on the UHD disc. For perspective, I reviewed this disc on a Sony UBP-X800M2 UHD Blu-ray player on a 2021 LG 55” C1 OLED display set to customized Filmmaker Mode. Overall, this is one of the darkest UHD discs with HDR that I have watched since the format was born (the Dolby Vision streaming versions on Vudu, Apple TV, and even Disney+ do not fare that much better). Even in a completely darkened room, the cave and ship interiors are difficult to make out, as are nighttime exteriors. Even some daytime exteriors appear too dark, as if shot under overcast skies and no light reflectors available on set. There are sequences that appear just fine, though, such as the scenes in the Australian Outback or the desert of Iraq. Otherwise, there is a nice uptick in fine detail, such as facial features, costume textures, wood grain, etc. Colors, while not always as vibrant as on the Blu-ray, do have a wider gradient.
Audio: 4/5
Like Encanto, the default Dolby Atmos track on Disney’s UHD disc is a bit underwhelming. Surround activity is more than adequate, with battle sequences benefitting from the 360 degree listening environment as sounds are placed with pinpoint precision and flow seamlessly. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout. Where the track misses the mark somewhat is in its use of LFE, which is present but does not add quite the impact one typically expects from a mix for a film like this.
Special Features: 3/5
As usual, there are no special features on the UHD disc, but those can be found on the included Blu-ray edition of the movie.
Immortalized (1080p; 10:45): A look at the mythology from the comic books and launching the next phase of the MCU.
Walks of Life (1080p; 5:01): A look at the cast of characters.
Gag Reel (1080p; 2:29)
Deleted Scenes (1080p; 5:49): Four scenes are included – Gravity, Nostalgia, Movies and Small Talk.
Audio Commentary: Co-writer and director Chloé Zhao along with Visual Effects Supervisors Stephane Ceretti and Mårten Larsson discuss the technical merits of the film’s production.
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy on Movies Anywhere.
Overall: 3/5
With Marvel’s excellent track record, it was inevitable that eventually the studio would fumble on a film, and Eternals appears to be that first real stumble. The movie had a lot of potential, and it does set up future movies in the MCU, particularly through its mid and post credit sequences, but it is a long road to those sequences. The UHD presentation suffers from some heavy handed HDR (both on physical media and digital streaming).
Eternals [4K UHD]
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Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.
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