Eternals: The Apostasy Edit

Another great edit of what I thought was an unsalvageable movie! As many have said the chronological reorder does a ton to make the story and themes so much clearer. I remember Ikaris's arc especially being so confusing and motivation-less, and this time I understood all of it, and even found myself getting emotional by the end. I also remember the pacing of the original being an endless repeat of "find an Eternal, do a flashback, fight the deviants" for 2.5 hours; in this edit, it's a nice 3-act structure of the past 7000 years, the team getting back together, and saving the world, which really works.

All the problems I have with this come from the original (the grey color palette, the lackluster/one-note characterization for most of the Eternals (Phastos still bothers me so much as a character why is he like that), the superdeviant that is never really explained, the typical MCU CGI final battle with endless punching) but god this is so much more enjoyable to watch. I think there was maybe one too many title cards and needle drops (using Time was excellent) and I think there's maybe 15 more minutes that could be cut, but overall really well done! This is now a movie worth watching.

This was an eye-opening experience. Making the theatrical cut leaner and more focused, with fewer moments of offhand humour at times where it would otherwise step on the drama. I loved the MCU throughout the Infinity Saga, and since Endgame I have been feeling uneasy, and the need to go back and re-examine each release to zero in on what feels different. What WakeupKeo has done here makes the story clearer, Reordering events to be almost entirely chronological declutters the murder mystery plot and gives us more prominent arcs for the Eternals themselves. Once again, seamless integration of pop and rock music with some very well-chosen pieces that feel of a kind with the movie rather than just Super Mario needle-drops. Dividing it into thematic chapters also gives it the structure it needed (there were always going to be Kirby-links to the Justice League movie, but this one commonality now strengthens this unloved super-team). The colours were balanced and the exhausting and repetitive battles with the Deviants are given their own identity with new music, which reduces the load on the viewer. This cut was inspiring on a creative level.

This is an extremely professional edit. I was completely unable to tell what things were added and removed. The story is tighter, the title cards are INCREDIBLE, and the cuts made are seamless. It felt like this was the way the movie was supposed to be.

I think it could have done with maybe another 10 minutes removed, but as it is it felt cohesive and confident in its delivery. It's pretty crazy what can be done with clever editing and a plan. Great work!!

Edit: holy cow I just read through your list of changes. The amount of work you put into this is enormous and it really shows. The added effects, the tightened dialogue, the extraneous shots removed, it all adds up to a very enjoyable movie.

I'm not a big fan of non-chronlogical storytelling, and having not grown up reading the Eternals comics, the original movie had two big things going against it. It was serviceable, as most MCU movies are, but nothing that stood out. Keo's edit was a vast improvement, his trims and the reordering of scenes allowing a better and more natural flow. The chapter cards were a neat inclusion that helped set it apart from other MCU films, and while there was some audio issues, I preferred Keo's choice of music over the original songs.

This edit will definitely be my go-to version of "The Eternals" for future viewings. Highly recommended!

I wonder if there is any edit left from Wakeupkeo that I haven't seen...
Just trying to say to say that I'm a big fan! What Keo has done for the super hero genre in this community is incredible!

When Eternals came out, although I was hyped, I did not like it. It wasn't a movie I wanted to see ever again. It wasn't Thor 4 level bad by any means, but I just didn't like it. When the first fanedits came out, I saw that most of them were focusing on making the story flow chronologically. I thought to myself, was that really the issue? I tried watching the most popular edit and I simply checked out after half an hour or so, it simply did not work for me at all. And then I read what Keo did with his edit and I'm like, huh, this actually makes a lot of sense. And after watching it, I can confirm that it did indeed!

To take the usual staff out of the way, technical wise is almost flawless. The narrative is levels above the original and all the cuts were seamless, you don't miss a thing and nothing feels off or something. There are some small issues with the volume of the songs, as someone else mentioned in his review. Other than that, as always, excellent work!

Story wise, the apostles theme clicked for me instantly. Seeing the movie from that perspective in combination with all the changes that Keo did, elevated the movie to a whole other level. Suddenly everything made more sense, you could see the purpose behind all the characters and the plot was evolving naturally. Be that as it may, unfortunately, this edit did not salvage the movie for me. It is not the editor's fault however, it just seems that nothing can be done for me to really like this film. I did enjoy this edit to a degree, but that's it.

Also, there was another big problem for me and it is something that most reviewers praise. The music..With the exception of some chant like themes (don't know if they are Keo's choice though or from the original), I was annoyed by the music. It was too loud, too on the nose and too often used, it really took me out of the moment.

Other than that, I can't recommend it enough! If you found the original film at least ok or fine and you don't mind the choice of music in this edit, I guarantee you it will be your go-to version of the movie from now on! For me, I'm just done with Eternals..

Thank you Wakeupkeo for all your hard work and thanks to anyone who read my review!