Review: ETERNALS Is Definitely a Different and Unique Kind of Marvel Movie

I had big hopes for Eternals, I had this epic story built up in my head of what an Eternals film could be. After all, we are dealing with the Eternals and the Celestials! I was hoping for a massive scale film, and a film that would have really dove into the crazy history of the Marvel universe. This movie had potential to deliver a story as epic as The Lord of the Rings!

That’s what I was expecting. What I got was a much smaller scale movie that told a very intimate story about a group of Eternals sent to earth to protect it from a race of deadly alien creatures known as the Deviants. And while we do get a history lesson of the Marvel universe and the Celestials role in it, it’s not really done in the most interesting or grand way that I imagined in my head.

Eternals felt like a big budget indie film that focused a lot on the characters, which was great. Eternals is definitely a different and unique kind of Marvel movie. I did like Eternals and the story that was told, but it’s not what I had built up in my head. When I think of Eternals and Celestials, I’m thinking HUGE epic scale Jack Kirby greatness. But all of that stuff was barely teased in the film. If was a little frustrating watching the film knowing what it could have been.

However, the character development of the Eternals characters was done extremely well! That’s where the strength in the film lies. That and the story is why I liked the film as much as I did. Director Chloé Zhao did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life and letting the audience get to know them. There are ten main characters in the movie that make up the Eternals, and Zhao managed to juggle their storylines in an impressive way. This is a group of great characters, each one with very different personalities and story arcs. All of the characters were well-rounded were perfectly utilized in the story. There are elements that I really liked about each one.

The cast and characters include Angelina Jolie as Thena, Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as cosmic-powered Kingo, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-soul Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Barry Keoghan as aloof loner Druig, Don Lee and Gilgamesh, with Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, and Salma Hayek as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak. My favorite characters were Thena, Makkari, and Kingo.

The story also offered some big unexpected twists and turns in the plot that I appreciated. There were a few things that happened in the story that I did not see coming. Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil them for you, but those aspects of the story certainly kept things interesting and they will keep audiences engaged.

While I did like the movie, there are plenty of things to nitpick at. I tend to pay attention to the little details when watching movies and I notice and think about things that some people might not really catch or even care about. For example, the Eternals are 7,000 years old, but they don’t really act like ancient beings that have grown over the course of 7,000 years. Then, in the scenes set in ancient times, they are using modern-day type mannerisms and humor. They also have a deaf character, who is a favorite character of mine, using modern day sign language in these ancient times. That kind of stuff didn’t make sense to me. I just like to see little details included that bring an authenticity to the story, and Eternals kinda dropped the ball on that.

Having seen the film, I understand why the movie is getting mixed reviews. The critics aren’t being kind to it, and I’ve seen some people say that it’s the worst Marvel movie. I don’t necessarily agree with that, though. This is not the worst movie Marvel has made. It just does something different, and I think that is jarring for some people. I actually think the film features some of the best character development in a Marvel movie, and I also enjoyed how the story ultimately played out.

As you can see, I’m conflicted because my expectations didn’t match what the movie ended up being. When you go and see this movie, just realize that it might not meet the expectations that you have built up. Go in with an open mind and just take in the story that is being told. Enjoy the characters that you’ll be introduced to, and by the end of the film, you might just like what you experienced.