Introducing ten new characters to a cinematic universe as big as Marvel is not an easy feat, but “Eternals” manages to develop an interesting storyline while developing each character. Marvel’s “Eternals” released on Nov. 5, and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike.
“Eternals” follows the story of ten new heroes sent to Earth to keep humans safe from deviants (a monster/alien). Ajak (Salma Hayek) is the leader of the eternals, and she is the only one who is able to speak to Arishem, a celestial. Because of this, Ajak is put into a difficult decision when she finds out that they are keeping Earth safe in order to allow for its future destruction. After being guided through much of the eternals’ history on Earth, the movie moves forward to present day. It is here that Sersi (Gemma Chan) is selected as the new leader of the Eternals when deviants come back and kill Ajak. From this point on, Sersi focuses on getting the rest of the heroes back together to find out what is happening, and when they reunite they work together to stop the world from ending.
This movie should not be compared to past Marvel films. It includes many of the same comic book movie elements that so many enjoy, but it is meant to move past that in order to better understand the characters. While it may be frustrating to some to not have a direct connection to any other movies or characters within the MCU, the film still contains plenty of action while bringing in other storylines.
If “Eternals” proves one thing, it is that everybody in Hollywood wants into the MCU. At first, this seems like it may be a little distracting as many of the actors have already had iconic roles in movies and tv shows. However, the cast does an incredible job of showing who the characters are, and it is clear that a strong connection holds the characters together.
One downfall of “Eternals” is the time jumps throughout the movie. They are all clearly labeled, but after the first introduction it isn’t really necessary to continually go back and forth. The movie runs for a little over two and a half hours, and most of it is entertaining to watch; however, the timeline causes some of it to become dull. While most characters are developed during the modern day period, Richard Madden’s character Ikaris benefitted the most from these time jumps, as it helps to bring his characters’ struggle into view. This helps to show why he makes the decisions he makes throughout the film building some sympathy for him.
The director of “Eternals,” academy award winner Chloe Zao, brought her own spin to the Marvel Universe and the film was made better because of it. It is important to see representation in movies, and the film provides that for so many people.
“Eternals” provides just the right amount of action, romance, comedy, and adventure to create a Marvel film like no other. It is well rounded and includes Harry Styles making it enjoyable to just about everyone.
Rating: A-
