Each year, there are plenty of people and films that are snubbed at the Oscars. This year, there are a lot of surprising names that have been left off the list of nominees. Despite receiving 10 Academy Award nominations,Dunedirector Denis Villeneuve was not nominated in the category for Best Director. Yet,Duneisn’t the only science fiction film that’s been snubbed in some fashion at the Oscars this year.
It’s no secret that superhero films have often been absent from the Academy Awards. Except forBlack Panther, superhero films have largely goneunrecognized at prestigious award ceremonies, despite the success they experience around the world. In 2021, Marvel released 4 films:Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,Eternals,andSpider-Man: No Way Home. At this year’s Academy Awards, two Marvel films have earned nominations for Best Visual Effects, but surprisingly,Eternalswas not one of them.
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This year,Dune, Free Guy, No Time to Die, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,andSpider-Man: No Way Homeare the nominees for Best Visual Effects. As exciting as it is to see two Marvel films on the list,Eternalsis notably absent. The film wassubjected to incredibly harsh reviewsprior to its November 2021 release but since debuting on Disney Plus, has found a large fanbase. Even thoughEternalswas on the receiving end of harsh criticism, critics of the film did find that its visuals were among its most redeemable qualities. Many critics cited the visuals as one of the few positive qualities thatEternalshad to offer.
With Chloé Zhao’s reputation as a prestigious director and the stacked members of the cast,Eternalsappeared to have all the makings to be a stellar addition to the Marvel film roster. Its rather lackluster reception from critics ledEternalsto becomethe lowest-rated Marvel film to date. It was heavily criticized for its attempts to alter the superhero film formula, as many regarded it as dull and incomplete. Others disagreed and remarked thatEternalswas a successful attempt at altering the Marvel formula and that the film accomplished a lot in its near three-hour runtime.Eternalsmanaged to establish 10 unique Celestials, their history, and a handful of other characters that may return to the MCU in the future.
Withinthe criticismEternalsreceived, the film was always highly praised for its visual effects. Dating back to 5000 BC, the multiple landscapes and historical eras found withinEternals,lent themselves to several scenic shots. Between their lives on Earth and the spatial terrains that are visible thanks to Arishem, it is impossible to find a scene inEternalsthat isn’t accompanied by a stunning background visual. Tiamut, the unborn Celestial that Sersi and most of the other Eternals kill,also receives a gorgeous shot, as he peaks well above the ocean’s surface. Tiamut’s head and hand are the only parts of him that are visible, but the immense size of him was crated incredibly well by the VFX team. Tiamut’s size and the threat he poses to Earth are one and the same: huge.
Shang-ChiandNo Way Homeare the first Marvel nominations at the Academy Awards sinceAvengers: Endgame’snomination in 2020. Of its 21 Oscar nominations, Marvel has only won 3, which were all earned byBlack Pantherat the 2019 ceremony. Nothing should be taken away from Marvel’s nominees, asShang-Chiincluded more than itsfair share of breathtaking visuals. From Xu Wenwu and Ying Li’s origin and their initial battle in the woods to the intense bus fight, and of course, the film’s final battle (that involves the Ten Rings and dragons), the VFX team did an incredible job.
No Way Homehas its own set of noteworthy visuals, especially in creating the looks for some villains in the film. Electro and Sandman are two of the villains that benefit from the VFX team most. Each of these villains requires not only the physical execution of their roles on set but the later addition of the full extent of their powers that makes them appear insanely intimidating. As impressive as these effects are, there are few shots ofNo Way Homethathave the same visual depthas any scene inEternals. Even though these Marvel films set out to accomplish two very different forms of storytelling,Eternalsis arguably a more viable candidate for the Academy Award nomination thanNo Way Home.
Eternals’visual effects team includes Matt Aitken, Daniele Bigi, Stephane Ceretti, and Neil Corbould. This group has received nominations for their effects at the Satellite Awards and the Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards. At both ceremonies, they faceAcademy Award nomineesDuneandShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The visual effects in addition to the cinematography withinEternalsare what makes it such a visually stunning film, even for those that didn’t care for the story. There is no doubt that all three of these Marvel films had wonderful VFX work, butEternalscertainly contains some of Marvel’s best VFX work.
Eternalsis now streaming on Disney Plus.
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