The Eternals (MCU)

silverharp

worst reviewed MCU film to date

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118083744#Comment_118083744

It'll be interesting to see what that means - I'm not an MCU fan overall (I like a small handful of the films overall but am not really into the jam-tomorrow shared universe aspect, nor the templated nature of many of the films) so bad reviews, for me, could equally mean "it's a boring film" or "it diverges enough from the MCU standard that I may like it". Time will tell, I suppose - but Dune and The French Dispatch are much higher on my priority list, plus I make a point of not hitting MCU films in the first week.

The White Wolf

I've seen some criticism saying Marvel are trying to have it both ways here and it makes sense based on what I've seen so far; a prestige film but also one that is very bogged down in their formula.

I've seen enough of the characters to see that it's their usual roll call where you have the witty one, the overly sarcastic one, the jaded one, the by the book one, the one who cares too much etc....

When you are doing that but without the buffer of A List characters played by charismatic actors, it's going to be divisive to say the least.

orecir

Strange director for such a film. Also the eternals are very niche for comic lovers.

Have to say since endgame I like many I'm sure have lost interest in the mcu.

The TV series and films since endgame have been very much meh.

Hopefully spiderman can bring some life back into the mcu.

flazio

Personally, I'm starting to tune out when I hear the word "multiverse"

pixelburp

I was reading a blog and it spit-balled if maybe Disney+ (alongside CoVid) has been an accidental kick in the teeth for cinematic MCU as a going concern. Like anything else on the subject it's all conjecture and maybe bias too of course.

God knows the biggest strength of the MCU has been it operating as a TV show you saw in the cinema - it was rarely cinematic, by design. Functional, longform storytelling with minimal frills. During that era streaming and TV became more important... So with the success of Wandavision and Loki, suddenly the MCU doesn't seem so essential a movie experience as it once did. The blog was very speculative and made a huge presumption everyone had or wanted access to Disney+ but I took its point as an interesting one. That maybe the movie MCU pivot more towards streaming.

But then maybe The Eternals will make 100 million in its opening weekend and the whole topic will become irrelevant lol

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118099458#Comment_118099458

The big assumption with that is that Disney would be willing to not even try and get the cinema money from MCU films they have previously collected. Which, sure, maybe they look at the state of things post-Endgame and think that they can't keep that going and maintain audience numbers. But there was some speculation even last year about them buying a cinema chain (around the time that the conversation about the US scrapping the law that prevents studios owning cinema chains), and that would have been well past the point where Covid was a surprise for anyone, even if its exact impact might not yet have been fully grasped.

Time will tell, but I'd be surprised if Disney were willing to give up on cinemas and the bucketloads of cash they entail for Disney releases (not just MCU but also Pixar and Star Wars, along with anything they have which ties into any of the theme parks).

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118100114#Comment_118100114

The thinking wasn't so much abandoning cinemas, rather the MCU might pivot so that it becomes a Disney+ vehicle first, then Cinema is where the big team-up and "event" films appear. Obviously, nobody can know the headspace of Disney/Marvel execs but it is curious how the goodwill towards the MCU has been more with the Disney+ shows ATM than any of the films. Well, barring Shang-Chi, which did OK at the box-office and with critical reception - but compared with the navel-gazing going on with the films, the shows appear to be happily embraced.

Equally relevant to the topic too, The Eternals will join Shang-Chi in that neither have opened / will open in China. Chloe Zhao doesn't seem popular there for comments made about the government in the past (and I doubt we'll see any John Cena style fawning apology on social media); and while Shang-Chi did pretty well at the box office all told, that China is suddenly blocked to the MCU? That's gotta be a wart in the complexion of the great Phase 4 strategy.

Agent Coulson

Easy for Disney to throw them in the cinemas for a month to collect an easy $4/500m and then land them on Disney+ a month six weeks later.

Agent Coulson

The are looking at a $75m domestic opening weekend in the States I would Disney would be happy with that from a relatively unknown group to the general public.

Slydice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118114278#Comment_118114278

Ah is it? That'd be a decent chunk of change to bring in given all the dodgy reviews it's been getting.

A break-even if nothing else probably.

Need a Username

This may be the first MCU I miss at the cinema.

I work weekends and Saturday & Sunday are the only days the nearest cinema have this on early in the day.

Weekdays is only late afternoon which means I miss the last bus and a taxi is very very expensive. I’ve done it twice - for No Time to Die and Dune.

I can’t be doing that again. :(

might this still be at the cinema for Christmas?

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116223#Comment_118116223

Unlikely as Spider-man Far from Home is next.

silverharp

Midnight's Edge (mild spoiler) review , seems to heap a lot of blame on the wrong director being hired for not making more of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-nJj5uk5N4

Need a Username

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116271#Comment_118116271

I assume it won’t be on Disney+ until next year?

CastorTroy

They'll probably add it for Christmas.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118098222#Comment_118098222

Spiderman,Strange,Guardians of the Galaxy need to keep the MCU spinning until they start with introducing X-Men and all the mutants.

Need a Username

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119421#Comment_118119421

Isn’t SpiderMan done in the MCU with No Way Home?

pixelburp

Maybe the bad press will end up being like Joker, people turning up to see the fuss over this supposedly trashed MCU film 😆

That it's pushing Dune out of the big screens kinda peeves though.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119496#Comment_118119496

Now theres more reviews it seems the general concensus is that the VERY bad reviews are extremely exaggerated.

It moreso seems to just be "a movie" not many standout bad points but not much that could be classed as a standout good point either.

Keoghan and Ridloff do seem to be getting some positive recognition from it (along with Jolie being the star obviously).

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119474#Comment_118119474

It's the end of the current deal, no doubt there'll be a lengthy negotiation about the next stage.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119474#Comment_118119474

He'll be back. Ain't no way Marvel/Disney are loosing him.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119573#Comment_118119573

I wouldn't be surprised if Sony try to work one of "their" characters (Venom/Morbius) into an MCU movie cameo to boost up that characters draw.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119568#Comment_118119568

The considered reviews I've read seem be frustrated that it's the first MCU film in a while that's really struggling with the prescribed format; that Zhao made something interesting that was constantly at odds with the mandated set pieces and formula. You kinda saw it in the trailers, taking the thoughts as gospel.

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119603#Comment_118119603

One would hope that if it's successful she might be brought back with more freedom on the sequel. This film was always going to be a test for Marvel, unfortunately with cases increasing here and in the UK I think the box office will suffer, I know I'm more apprehensive about going to the cinema now than I was when I went to see Shang-Chi.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119603#Comment_118119603

That'd probably explain the apparently "neutral" final product. Zhao and the formula cancelled each other out leading to "MEH" at the end.

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119602#Comment_118119602

Or vice versa.

Need a Username

I saw several headlines about Eternals calling it things like “Marvel’s risky left turn” - I assumed it meant that Marvel was doing something experimental and the movie would be unusual.

is that not what has happened?

Need a Username

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119667#Comment_118119667

What do you mean?

marvel trying to get a boost from Sony?

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119883#Comment_118119883

No, sorry, I meant Sony trying to get MCU characters into their solo films.