Eternals appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This turned into a very strong presentation.
In terms of sharpness, the image seemed solid. It displayed tight, accurate images from start to finish.
I witnessed no signs of jaggies or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. No source flaws marred the image either.
The film’s palette favored Hollywood standard teal and orange at times, but it also boasted broader tones, with a mix of reds and purples as well. The hues seemed full and well-rendered.
Blacks seemed deep and dense, and shadows offered nice clarity. This became a consistently fine image.
As for the DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack of Eternals, it satisfied just as much as the picture. As anticipated, the many action sequences offered the most engaging moments.
These used the various channels to create a good sense of place and action, with battle elements that zipped around the room. We found an engrossing soundscape from start to finish.
Audio quality was positive. Music showed good boldness and clarity, while speech appeared distinctive and concise.
Effects came across as accurate and dynamic, with nice low-end response. The soundtrack fit the material and added zing to the proceedings.
When we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from director Chloé Zhao, production visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti, and additional visual effects supervisor Mårten Larsson. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and performances, sets and production design, photography, various effects, and connected domains.
Given the participants, one should expect a fairly technical commentary, and that’s what we get. While those involved touch on story/characters/cast occasionally, they mostly stick with nuts and bolts.
While I’d like more about the creative domains, this nonetheless becomes a mostly satisfying discussion. We get a good investigation of various production challenges/choices in this largely engaging chat.
Two featurettes follow, and Immortalized runs 10 minutes, 45 seconds. It includes notes from Zhao, writers Kaz and Ryan Firpo, producers Nate Moore and Kevin Feige, production and development executive Zoie Nagelhout, production designer Eve Stewart, costume designer Sammy Sheldon Differ, costume FX supervisor Ivo Coveney, and actors Angelina Jolie, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Lia McHugh, Gemma Chan, Don Lee, Lauren Ridloff and Barry Keoghan.
This piece covers the source comics, story and characters, Zhao’s impact on the production, locations and design choices, costumes, and action. Some decent notes emerge but a lot of this feels like fluff.
Walks of Life goes for five minutes, one second and offers info from Zhao, Nanjiani, McHugh, Henry, Ridloff, Kaz and Ryan Firpo, Moore, Chan, Madden, Lee, Jolie, Hayek and Keoghan.
“Life” discusses the diversity of the cast. Expect more happy talk and not much substance.
A Gag Reel spans two minutes, 29 seconds and brings a standard compilation of silliness and mistakes. It lacks anything memorable but at least it’s brief.
Deleted Scenes occupy a total of five minutes, 49 seconds. We get “Gravity” (1:16), “Nostalgia” (1:06), “Movies” (0:42) and “Small Talk” (2:36).
All four provide fairly minor character embellishments. These seem enjoyable but not significant, so they don’t go missed in the final film.
Based on reviews, Eternals got the worst reception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies through the end of 2021. This makes no sense to me, as I think it brings a rich, engaging riff on the superhero genre. The Blu-ray boasts excellent picture and audio along with a small mix of bonus materials. Ignore the critical consensus and give this ambitious tale a look.