Eternals Review
Reviewed by McNeill Mullikin
When Eternals was announced a few years ago, I was not super excited for it because I was completely unfamiliar with the characters. But as more and more formulaic MCU content was cranked out, the unfamiliarity of Eternals began to intrigue me. Then, when the film was released and it instantly became the most divisive MCU film yet due to the polarization amongst both the critics and audiences, I became fairly excited for this film. As time went by, I never expected to dislike this film, but I also did not expect to love it.
I was absolutely blown away by Eternals and was hooked from beginning to end because of how it establishes itself as a different film for the MCU. From the very beginning, the mythology is so captivating, and the way details are revealed about the lore is gripping because of how unique it is from anything else we have seen previously from this franchise. From the opening crawl, Eternals builds a story with a massive scale and existential themes that make it not just the most thought-provoking MCU film to date, but one of the most thought-provoking comic-book movies of all time.
Not to mention every character is awesome, the representation amongst the cast is fantastic, and every actor gave remarkable performances. The cast has wonderful chemistry and there are interesting dynamics between certain characters. Personally, I thought the characters individually were developed very well because of the flashbacks in history and the moral dilemma at the focus of the narrative. The flashbacks provided information about characters given in the present day in a timely manner, and I do not think this story would have worked as well had it been told chronologically. The complex and philosophical themes brought-up by the moral dilemma between the Eternals themselves is incredibly fascinating and created for satisfying arcs for each character and the team collectively.
Another amazing aspect of Eternals is the cinematography, as it is truly the MCU’s most visually stunning film thus far. The practical sets and real locations bring this story to life, and there are stunning scenic shots of breathtaking places from across the globe. While there certainly is usage of CGI in Eternals, the sweeping cinematography and use of practicality could hopefully land cinematographer, Ben Davis, a nomination at the Oscars (but that is just me being optimistic).
Despite how much I loved Eternals, I do not think it is a perfect movie. Like every MCU film, I do not believe every joke lands. While some jokes are timed perfectly, some of the humor cuts tension in very dramatic scenes. Additionally, I think we could have seen just a glimpse more interaction between the Eternals and the humans since humanity is the main focus of the moral dilemma, but this isn’t a deal-breaker; after all, the Eternals are the focus of the story. Neither of these issues took me out of the film, but they are worth mentioning.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I fell in love with the world building, characters, and story of Eternals. Chloé Zhao did an amazing job with bringing such a grand story to the big screen and making it relatable for audiences members, and I cannot wait to see what she does next with her career as a director. Eternals truly stands out amongst the rest of the MCU because of how it breaks the formula and has its own distinctive voice. As somebody who was beginning to become burned out by the MCU this year, this was a breath of fresh air. Eternals is a beautiful film with awesome characters, a sprawling story, and a powerful and hopeful message about humanity.
