Cinderella (2015)

Is Eternals the best MCU movie ever? Do not trust Rotten Tomatoes. That is what I learned after watching Eternals. People predicted this movie would flop. Homophobic users review-bombed the movie prior to even watching it. And when the critic scores finally came out, expectations were at an all-time low. As of writing this, Eternals has a 48% rating from critics. But I thought Eternals was fantastic. It is not boring or dull or lacking in action. It’s an amazing character-focused Marvel movie with positive diverse representation. The audience score on RT seems to agree with me, currently at a solid 81% rating. 

Why did the critics rate Eternals so poorly? Brie Larson, our Captain Marvel, may have predicted this in her powerful speech at the Crystal + Lucy Awards in 2018 where she pointed out how most movie critics are white men. So, movies about underrepresented groups are more likely to get worse reviews because the critics are not their target audience. She called for more diversity and inclusion among movie critics. I suspect that may partially explain why Eternals received such poor reviews from critics. It also may have received bad reviews because it isn’t a “typical Marvel blockbuster”. Eternals has action and a compelling plot, but where it truly shines are its characters. Spoilers ahead.

Each Eternals character in this film has a clearly defined power set and personality. Despite the large cast, they’re all easy to follow. However, also because of the large cast, we don’t get to delve as deeply into each character as we should. Yet, each character is still likable and compelling. I would love for some of the Eternals to have their own Disney+ shows. This film also does a great job of exploring the relationships between them. They have what the Avengers always wanted: a family dynamic. 

The Cinderella fairytale has been adapted a million times over, with the latest Cinderella adaptation from Amazon sparking controversy over its girl boss agenda. Most stories keep some form of Cinderella’s backstory and the plot of falling for a “prince” after a ball, but what of the diversity? This article ranks some of the most popular Cinderella adaptations based on diverse representation. (Unfortunately, not every adaptation could make it onto this list since there are so many). Spoiler warning: They’re mostly white.

Incluvie score: 1.5/5

Movie score: 4.5/5

Ever After is possibly the best Cinderella adaptation. This story devotes more time to characterizing Danielle (Drew Barrymore) outside of the prince, and their love is something that blossoms over many meetings rather than after one night. Danielle is a perfect example of feminism done well. She helps the poor and is critical of the ignorant nobility and the social hierarchy they enforce. She is assertive and educates the prince on their society’s flaws. The prince then actually makes changes in the law. The pair have a wonderful back and forth, constantly challenging each other in arguably the most well-developed and dynamic relationship of these adaptations.