Film Review: Eternals
The Marvel Cinematic Universe tries something a little different with Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, injecting the filmmaker’s trademark humanist drama into cosmic-level superheroics. There are plenty of things to like with this new approach, but much of it fights tooth and nail with the dullest iteration of Marvel formula; Eternals’ weighty themes are lost in a story that is lopsided, overstuffed, and brutally overlong. Minor spoilers ahead…
Film Review: Raya and the Last Dragon
Gorgeously realized with Disney’s signature heart and warmth, Raya and the Last Dragon is another feather in the animation studio’s cap, even if its muddled representation and thin plotting occasionally get in the way of its emotional beats. An epic action-adventure with an all-Asian voice cast, Raya balances its huge stakes with human moments and particularly charismatic performances from Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, and Gemma Chan. Minor spoilers ahead…