Eternals: A Better Justice League(SPOILERS!!)

X-Men. Daredevil. Captain America.  These are Marvel characters I keep up, and read, on a monthly basis. Like a lover of any form of media I can't consume it all.  But, when a new film is announced based on a comic book I don't know very well, I at least seek it out to try.  Guardians of the Galaxy was a title I knew, but never read.  But when Marvel Studios decided to make a film about these obscure characters in Phase 2 of their plans I went and read a few issues; and I loved it!  Shang-Chi and Eternals fell into the other category.  I knew of the characters, and their basic origins, but when I went to dive into their worlds I was disenchanted by what I read, which in turn didn't get me excited for either of their upcoming films.  

I sat down to watch Eternals not really knowing what to expect.  I knew the reigning defending Best Director, Chloe Zhao, was the film's director, but to be honest I turned off Nomadland an hour in because I thought it was boring.  I also knew that the Critic Score for Eternals was the lowest score ever given to a Marvel Studio film, and hanged just on the other side of "Fresh".  As the film progressed I became more and more intrigued with these Gods trying to act human.  And after the film was done, my friend and I agreed, this was a better Justice League film than anything we got from Warner Bros.

Eternals is about a group of superpowered beings who land on Earth thousands of years ago.  Their escapades are passed down through time to become myths.  They live among the humans, and find out their mission on this planet, and their own existence, is not what they thought. Now they must stop the world they love from being destroyed by the birth of a new god.  One of them can fly and has heat vision. One is super fast.  One is a warrior woman.  One is good with technology.  They didn't have a fish guy though. 

I'll admit the film starts slow with setting up the characters and their origins, and honestly I was finding some of the performances stoic.  But as the film progressed so did their relationships, and when the world was in peril you saw what each of them was fighting for.  Gemma Chan and James Madden led this ensemble as Sersi and Icarus.  Two beings whose love stretches across hundreds of generations.  And this I felt was the crutch of the film.  Cersi loved the humans, which was represented by her relationship with the other Stark brother, Dane Whitman(more on him later).  And as the strongest Eternal(allegedly), Icarus knew what their true purpose was and was willing to carry it out to the end.  But like Sersi, who clung to her connection to the humans, it was Icarus's connection to Sersi that did not allow him to stop her from saving the world.

SIDE NOTE:  Why was the love scene in the film?  I mean I get it, we know they probably bumped uglies, but in a Marvel film we've never seen sex; only insinuated it after or before.  I felt like Icarus and Sersi's sunset kiss was good enough to show the audience their feelings for one another.  We didn't need 10 seconds of them naked on the dirt from the shoulders up.  And since I came to the theater with two 8 year-olds, I felt it was unnecessary.  

The rest of the cast did a find job in sharing their characters with us.  Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo gave us some comic relief; along with his assistant Karun.  We felt the sorrow of Sprite as she longed to look older, and wondered why she was made to look young. Thena sought revenge on the Deviant who killed the person who never gave up on her.  And Phastos had a family, and tried to live a good life, to try and make penance for the sins of his past. Each one, I could feel their point of view, even Druig, who I felt like may become the villain of the film after the first hour.  

Marvel isn't really known for strong villains, but in this film I felt like it didn't matter.  We believe at first the Deviants are the villains; killing the Eternals and stealing their powers.  But once the bigger picture is revealed it seems like the Deviants no longer matter, and there are bigger fish to fry.  Thena still gets her revenge in the end, and I understood the Deviant's role.  They're the Manhunters to the Eternal's Green Lanterns.(look it up).  So, the so-called "weak villain" troupe didn't bother me.

As it seems with every MCU film these days, the mid-credit scene sets up the film's possible sequel, while the post-credit scene sets-up what is to come in the greater MCU.  In the mid-credit scene Thena and the other voyaging Eternals learn the fate of their comrades courtesy of Pip and Eros.  In the comics, Eros is technically an Eternal along with his brother; Thanos.  So as much as I hate to admit it, this does give us the possibility of a Thanos resurrection. 

Meanwhile, in the post-credit scene, we go back to Dane Whitman("later" is now) who is about to touch a magic sword when a voice behind him warns him of the consequences.  It was at this point that the two people next to me turned my way and asked what that was all about.  I get that a lot after Marvel post-credit scenes. And although I knew Kit Harrington is becoming the Black Knight, I don't know much about the future Avenger.  And as Chloe Zhao confirmed, the voice warning Dane of his actions was Mahershala Ali, who is set to playing Blade the vampire hunter in future MCU plans.  So after a little research on the Black Knight I find out that his Marvel origins are based in medieval magic, as his sword, the Ebony Sword, was forged by Merlin and he is a descendant of Sir Percival; a knight of Arthur's Round Table.  But the sword is said to corrupt those who wield it, including Dane's uncle.  So where does a vampire hunter fall into it?  I have no f#$king clue.  

Despite what some may say, I found Eternals to be a deeper film than most we have seen out of the MCU, and it's relationships and tipping of the cosmic scales is what I found most entertaining.  With most films I can usually see why people don't like them(ask my wife about The Last Jedi).  Films are art, and art is all subjective.  But with Eternals I don't see what all the bad press is about.  This is the first film in years I'm going to try and see again in theaters.  And while my intrigue won't be enough for me to give the comics another shot, you can be sure I am gonna find out more about the Black Knight.

My Top 5 Young Han Solo Casting Choices

Yesterday, a huge piece of Star Wars news broke as it was officially announced that Disney and Lucasfilm are indeed making a young Han Solo film that will be released in 2018 as part of their Star Wars Anthology series.  Disney also announced the directors of this film would be none other than the duo behind The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street; Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

While I would have preferred an announcement of a solo Obi-Wan film starring Ewan McGregor I am still excited about this news.  Lord and Miller have been on a hot streak ever since 21 Jump Street made me laugh so hard at Channing Tatum.  And it wasn't because of his bad acting for once, it was because he was actually funny.  With these two calling the shots you have to assume the film will have an element of comedy to it.  Han is known for is one liners so I can see this film being a bit light-hearted as Han makes his way in the galaxy with his charm and his smirk.

Not too long ago the debate went on about who would play the new Spider-Man.  Well now that bone has been picked dry and Hollywood has given us something new to chew on.  Who will play the young Han Solo?  I've got my choices narrowed down to five.

5) Richard Madden

Every time Rob Stark was on screen in the HBO series Game of Thrones Madden seemed to have an aura about him that commanded you're presence.  Rob wasn't one of my favorite characters but I thought Madden carried the character very well.  If he can bring that same aura to a Han Solo role I think he'll be well on his to play it the way Harrison Ford did.  On a side note, I also picked Madden to be the next Batman before Ben Affleck was cast. 

4) Ansel Elgort

Yes, I do admit that I watched The Fault In Our Stars because I always try to give each film and television show a fair shake before I dismiss it.  While the film was not good(liked I predicted) Elgort played the bad-boy-of-cancer very well.  He had a charm to him, and that's what we need in Han Solo.  We need an actor who can come off cocky and like him because of it.  That's what Ford did, and that's what I believe Elgort can do.

3) Taron Egerton

Having made a splash in this year's Kingsman: The Secret Service, Egerton has made his presence known in Hollywood and has proved he can carry an action film.  He's got the charm and the chops to pull off a scoundrel.

2) Penn Badgley

I first saw Badgely in the short-lived WB series, The Bedford Diaries, and he later found a home for several years on The CW series Gossip Girl while taking on several films like Easy A and John Tucker Must Die.  While I haven't always been a fan of his choices he has always seemed like a legit actor to me.  An actor who can carry a tough-guy vibe, but turn on some charm when needs be.  Sounds like Han Solo to me.

1) Garrett Hedlund

Once I had my list down I was concerned about several of their ages with them playing a "young" Han Solo.  I looked it up, and Harrison Ford was in his early 30's when started playing Han Solo and everyone on my list is 30 and below.   If Disney won't let Hedlund get another shot at Sam Flynn in a sequel to Tron: Legacy then they should let him play another wise-cracking hero with a chip on his shoulder.  Hedlund can do brooding so I don't see why he wouldn't nail this part.    

Cinderella Finally Turns Disney Animation Into Live-Action Magic

How do you get a guy like me to watch a movie like Cinderella?  Well, first, you get the director of Thor; Kenneth Branagh.  Then you fill the supporting cast with great actors like Cate Blanchett, Helen Bonham Carter, Stellan Skarsgard, and Game of Thrones star Richard Madden as the prince. Being a big GoT fan I couldn't help but rush at the chance to see Robb Stark at a party his entire family doesn't die at.

Lily James stars as Ella, a young woman who has lost both her parents to tragedy, and is then forced into servitude by her step-sisters and step-mother, played by Blanchett.  When Ella runs into a charming man named Kit she desires to go to the royal ball in hopes of seeing him again, but her step-mother will have none of it.  With some help from her fairy godmother Ella becomes the belle of the ball and meets Kit on the dance floor; still not knowing he is the prince.  However, Ella must depart from Kit at midnight leaving behind only a glass slipper. The prince must find his love before he is forced to marry someone else, but if it's up to Ella's step-mother that day will never come.

Well, now that I've just given you an overview of a story we all know let me try and tell you something new.  Cate Blanchett nails the part of the wicked step-mother.  It's no surprise given her talent, but he helps carry James through a few scenes that make their relationship work on-screen.  Not that Lily James wasn't a delight. She played the lead wonderfully, and seemed to have some actual chemistry with Madden.  The only other actors who I think made a difference in this film were the two girls that played Cinderella's step-sisters; Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger.  They were quite funny; just as their characters are supposed to be.

Kenneth Branagh has always been good at period pieces.  He has a way of making an unfamiliar time and place seem recognizable and comfortable.  However, I felt like the film could have used at least one decent action sequence, and chasing a stag nor fencing practice counts in my book.

The real surprise delight in this film was the music by Chris Doyle.  Doyle worked on Thor with Branagh and has also scored films like Brave and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  I think his music helped elevate the more memorable scenes like when Cinderella arrives at the ball and Ella and Kit meeting at the end of the film.

If I were to give this film any strikes it'd be the constant narrating by Helen Bonham Carter throughout the film.  After a while I just wanted her to shut it and let us see the events unfold without color commentary.  I didn't even mind the CGI mice that Cinderella seemed to communicate with.  If they were wearing clothes like in the 1950 animated film I might have taken issue with it though.

I also enjoyed how well Branagh and company stuck to the original source material.  Other classic Disney animated movies turned live-action like Alice in Wonderland or Maleficent tried to put a modern spin on their tales.  This film was a straight adaptation with a good message.  "Have courage, and be kind."

Overall, when the film was done, I felt like this was the best interpretation of the material I've ever seen.  I only wished my daughter was a little older as I saw girls in princess outfits dancing in the aisles after.  I will buy it when it comes to blu-ray so she can grow up watching it.  Though, for now, I'm sure she'll enjoy the Frozen Fever short more than the actual movie.  Then, one day, when she comes of age to watch Game of Thrones, she'll probably find it even more terrifying when Kit, his wife, his mother, and unborn child all die a horrible, bloody, death. 

RATING:  B

Casting Call: Justice League

Having been in theaters for three weeks now Man of Steel has made $500 million globally and in prime position to set up the DC movie universe.  Of course every fan boy is dying to see what happens with the Justice League movie.  The only thing we know for sure is that Henry Cavill will still be playing Superman in this JLA film, but all the other roles are up for grabs; even Batman since Christian Bale is done donning the cape and cowl. 

My idea for this film is to not go off the current Justice League team from DC’s New 52, but revert back to the Bruce Timm animated series.  Instead of Aquaman and Cyborg I would include Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl; for reasons I will state below.  Each one of these characters served a purpose in the animated series and I feel would serve a role in a Justice League movie.  I also thought there were several actors/actresses that could play each role, but I looked for younger thespians because they could potentially be doing six or more films.

HENRY CAVILL AS CLARK KENT/ SUPERMAN

From what I can speculate Cavill has signed on for multiple Superman films and probably multiple Justice League films.  Despite what I feel about Man of Steel as a movie I do like Cavill as the moral center, and heavy hitter, of the Justice League.  Now we just have to give him some morals because Zach Snyder seemed to miss that part of his origin story.

 RICHARD MADDEN AS BRUCE WAYNE/ BATMAN

Have you ever watched Game of Thrones?  This guy can brood with the best of them.  Yes, he is a British actor, but a good one at that.  GoT creators actually made more lines and scenes for Madden that weren't in the original source material just because he is so good.  And now that his character is dead I think he has some free time.  Madden has a commanding presence on camera that would be great for the Dark Knight in this film.  Superman is a Brit, why not have Batman be one too.

 JAIMIE ALEXANDER AS PRINCESS DIANA OF THEMYSCIRA/ WONDER WOMAN

This was the hardest part for me to cast.  Wonder woman is supposed to be 6 ft at least, but most women don’t come close to that.  But if Hugh Jackman(over 6 ft) can play Wolverine(who is supposed to be under 5’8) why can’t audiences accept it the other way around?  Alexander is only 5’9 but after I saw her play Lady Sif in Thor I knew she was the dark-haired bad ass that could bring Wonder Woman to the big screen.  Yes ,she is already in a Marvel franchise, but she may only be in one more Thor film and DC is just getting started.  Ryan Reynolds and Michael Duncan Clarke have played characters from the Marvel and DC universe as well so I think Alexander will be alright doing double duty.  The JLA film would be a great way to introduce Wonder Woman, but not give away her whole origin story till her own film.  Definitely a fish-out-of-water vibe though, who can kick ass!

 JUSTIN HARTLEY AS WALLY WEST/ THE FLASH

Hartley has played Aquaman and Green Arrow in his career so why not give him another JLA member to add to his resume.  In DC’s New 52, Barry Allen is the current Flash and it seems as though Wally West never existed if you started reading comics in 2010.  But I think Wally would be essential to this film.  If Man of Steel showed me anything it’s that this DC movie world is serious stuff.  After two hours Cavill barely cracked a smile so we need some comic relief for this film.  While Barry is a great Flash Wally was the funny one/prankster.  Some high level sh*t is going to probably be happening in this film and someone has to be there to break the tension.  Wally can just say that there were speedsters before him, but he’s the first to go public.  Hartley proved in Smallville that he has a charm about him that can make you hate what he just said but still like him at the same time, just like a young Wally West.

 COLUMBUS SHORT AS JOHN STEWART/ GREEN LANTERN

So why not Hal Jordan for this film?  Audiences already know Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, and that didn’t go so well at the box office.  Luckily for Warner Bros they can just assume a majority of their audience saw that film and know the GL universe and how it works.  John Stewart once took over as Green Lantern when Hal Jordan couldn’t do the job, and there is your loop hole right there!  And not to sound racist, but he does fill the racially-diverse role a Justice League movie would need.  Short has shown himself to be not only a good actor in films like The Losers and Stomp the Yard, but according to my wife he’s pretty easy on the eyes too.

 ZACHARY QUINTO AS J’ONN J’ONZZ/ MARTIAN MANHUNTER

For me this role is all about the voice.  Whomever plays J'onn will be covered in green make-up, or probably just CGI'd like the Hulk.  So the voice has to be right.  Star Trek and Heroes star has a gentle tone about him that I think would go great coming out of such a powerfully under-rated character.  In the Bruce Timm animated pilot J’onn comes to Earth to stop the same alien invasion that left him as the last remaining Martian in the universe.  He and Superman can share that bond, and the alien invasion sets-up the premise of the film; Win/Win.

 ADRIANNE PALACKI AS SHAYERA HOL/ HAWKGIRL

The biggest complaint I’ve heard about The Avengers, as if there should be any, is the lack of female characters. Sure you have Agent Hill played by Cobie Smulders, but the only actual female on the team was The Black Widow.  I think adding another girl to the Justice League film will give it a bigger female audience, especially if she’s played by Palacki.  Best known for her roles on Friday Night Lights and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Palacki also starred in a pilot for a Wonder Woman TV series in 2011 that never got picked-up.  Her height of 5’11 almost made me consider her for that role again for this film, but I think she’d make a much better Hawkgirl.  Shayera is also an alien who can’t seem to find her way home and is stuck on Earth.  In the animated series she has a bumpy relationship with John Stewart and she is torn between duty, destiny, and her role on the Justice League with her friends.   So there is lots of character development to work with there. 

 Ok, bring in Michael Bay and let’s get this movie rolling.  I can have an outline done in 3 days, just someone send me a check!