the Eternals - MCU Movie

[fac]

I would expect D+ views to be negatively correlated with box-office to some extent. Eternals, for whatever reason, didn't interest me enough to draw me to the theater, but I did go see Shang-Chi after it was out a few weeks. So I didn't watch Shang-Chi the first few days it debuted on D+, but I did for Eternals. The article references that scenario.

I think the biggest issue Eternals has as a property for Marvel Studios going forward is not so much that it was disliked by some but that it generated apathy for many.

[KnightDamien]

I would expect D+ views to be negatively correlated with box-office to some extent.

I don't think they really see it that way anymore anyway. Like how WWE slowly stopped caring about PPV buy rates once their shows were all available for free on their own network. The success of the network slowly starts to matter more because it represents continued/regular engagement from the target audience and blah blah.. it's a whole thing.

And you have to, of course, add onto that the fact that they need to adjust for a world with Covid where they have to -expect- that a LOT of people just aren't going to risk going to the theater (at all in some cases, or in others for anything less than REALLY important/highly anticipated films).

[fac]

I think you are saying the same thing I was, that maybe a higher percentage of the folks who were interested in Eternals were less likely to head out to see it and waited for D+, so in that case when the box office may be lower than expected, the D+ premiere week views increase to be higher than normal - so box office and D+ may be slightly negatively correlated. And ultimately Disney doesn't care all that much where you watch it anymore.

[KnightDamien]

I think you are saying the same thing I was, that maybe a higher percentage of the folks who were interested in Eternals were less likely to head out to see it and waited for D+, so in that case when the box office may be lower than expected, the D+ premiere week views increase to be higher than normal - so box office and D+ may be slightly negatively correlated. And ultimately Disney doesn't care all that much where you watch it anymore.

Yeah - I think we're saying much the same thing. My fault as I slightly misconstrued what you were saying at first!

[SalemCrow]

Not sure I see the connection between Black Knight and Blade, and it seems like a big leap to have just gone with Mahershala’s voice considering he’s not appeared on screen.

Seems a pretty easy interpretation to connect the Ebony blade to vampirism.

It's... it's really not, though? Unless I've missed or forgotten something key - which hey.. I'm getting old.
Even the darker revamps they've done with the Ebony Blade hasn't really done anything to link it to vampirism anymore than virtually any other cursed or semi-cursed sword in the realm of fiction.

Spoiler! :

Apparently Blade, Black Knight and Captain Britain were all on a team together; MI13. That could be what they're setting up with the after credit bit.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/MI13_(Earth-616)

[Capman]

Seems a pretty easy interpretation to connect the Ebony blade to vampirism.

It's... it's really not, though? Unless I've missed or forgotten something key - which hey.. I'm getting old.
Even the darker revamps they've done with the Ebony Blade hasn't really done anything to link it to vampirism anymore than virtually any other cursed or semi-cursed sword in the realm of fiction.

Spoiler! :

Apparently Blade, Black Knight and Captain Britain were all on a team together; MI13. That could be what they're setting up with the after credit bit.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/MI13_(Earth-616)

Spoiler! :

I was thinking either MI:13 or Midnight Sons since Moon Knight is coming out on D+, Dane was introduced, and Blade was teased.

[AdrienVeidt]

Seems a pretty easy interpretation to connect the Ebony blade to vampirism.

It's... it's really not, though? Unless I've missed or forgotten something key - which hey.. I'm getting old.
Even the darker revamps they've done with the Ebony Blade hasn't really done anything to link it to vampirism anymore than virtually any other cursed or semi-cursed sword in the realm of fiction.

Spoiler! :

Apparently Blade, Black Knight and Captain Britain were all on a team together; MI13. That could be what they're setting up with the after credit bit.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/MI13_(Earth-616)

That scene did happen in London after all, right?

[PantherCult]

Why was it so [email protected]#$ DARK?! I'm at the point where I'm just going to turn off the next film where they insist I strain my goddamn eyes just trying to see what's going on. Like.. not even the night-time stuff. The DAY TIME scenes were so dimly lit I briefly thought my television was dying. [email protected]#$ you whoever pulls this bullshit and [email protected]#$ every single person involved in a film's development that doesn't put a stop to it.

I wonder if that's a function of initially being made to be seen in a movie theater vs at home. It's a poor excuse, regardless - but I will say this. I didn't notice it as a particularly dark or muddy presentation when I saw it at the theater. Watching at home on my TV screen it definitely felt murkier. But in the theater the auditorium is completely dark and the screen is the only source of light for the eyes - at home most of us don't watch TV in black out darkness - so things on screen stand out a little less.

I'm not advocating it - I freaking hate shows where so much is shot in murky low light to create atmosphere - but which only end up obscuring what I'm able to actually see.

I do feel like Eternals might have benefitted from being a Disney+ 10 episode series where we can focus more the characters, who they were, how they settled in to their modern lives, etc. I'm sure they couldn't have got Chloe Zhao to agree to that but would have added more depth to the characters and enhanced the story, I think.

Even so - I definitely enjoyed it more than you KD. My wife says its her favorite MCU film so *shrug*

[Bashbash99]

Chloe Zhao is known for making use of natural light in her films, particularly shooting during the "magic hours" (the last hour before sunset and the 1st hour after sunrise), maybe that contributed the the film looking not as bright as it would under studio lighting. tbh this is the 1st complaint i've heard about lighting in Eternals. sometimes it can be a theater issue in my experience, particularly with 3-D movies. I'll try and pay more attention to the lighting when i resume my attempt to rewatch the movie.

[Andron X]

I wonder how the Ebony blade is supposed to help Dane rescue his girlfriend from space god? What is the plan exactly? Is Blade gonna lend him a rocketship?

[Benedict]

That seemed to me to set up him appearing in the blade series, not a follow up to Eternals.

[Capman]

Probably just a regurgitation post, but I finally watched this in the past week. I’m with KD on the crappy writing.

(1) The logic behind the Eternals not fighting Thanos was absent, even if they explained what they did and tried to sell it as logic, especially with the movie’s main plot point that required a robust population on the host planet. How was Thanos not a threat to the Celestials?

(2) Nods to human history were fine, but wow - don’t change our history to be reliant on something outside of humanity.

(3) The Deviants really offer nothing to the movie or the MCU other than a means to get the gang together. Skarsgard was wasted on Kro. And why did the Eternals fail to finish them off to begin with? Oh, nothing to see here.

(4) Why bring DC references into a Marvel movie? To show appreciation for all comics? Felt forced, if anything.

I did appreciate Zhoe’s magic hour scenes, but they were pretty brief compared to the mess this movie was. Also, did Chloe list her name twice as a writer for this, or did that get cleaned up after initial promotion?

[docsilence]

Finally got around to watching this after a few failed starts due to technical issues (no sound at the theater!). It's definitely a weird movie, but I found myself profoundly sad through the entire viewing, so I feel like... maybe I didn't love it, but it moved me? Does that make any sense? A lot of the criticism I heard before watching feels spot on and yet I cared about these characters through the whole film and felt it in my heart and gut.

I did find myself comparing it to the Gillen comics run, which I preferred the overall premise of. And several of the universally wonderful performers felt underused. Several people have pointed out that if it had eight or 13 episodes it would have been better and I totally agree. I would have liked to see more than a passing exploration of what they all experienced over the millennia.

It was messy, but I'm glad it exists. I'm not sure I need to see a sequel, but I'd watch it if they made one. I'm more interested in what happens with Dane Whitman next than the Eternals themselves. That was a nice tease and Kit will be fun to watch in the future.

[JPC]

Watched this again and it does feel like one of the brighter Marvel movies, if only because it's always somehow sunset. And I am SO thankful that the movie was actually shot on location and not on greenscreens - at this stage so much of Marvel movies are completely fake this was a very nice refresher.

I actually think Sprite is the real problem with this movie. I just feel nothing for her and I don't know if it's a writing or performance problem. I don't think the actress is particularly strong, especially when she's always upset. I think her bad hair is terribly distracting - I really wish they'd just done a line about how after Sprite gave herself a haircut and it never grew back they all learned not to alter their appearance - and her arc as a traitor is half-baked. I don't think anything with Sprite worked except when she's telling stories and influencing people (ie, when she's happy and Sprite-like), and I think a sequel where she is a limited presence (if present at all) will help.

[CTVampSlayer]

(2) Nods to human history were fine, but wow - don’t change our history to be reliant on something outside of humanity.

Why not? Most of the history we're taught is lies anyway. Or, at least, incredibly whitewashed/sanitized.