A Reel Review: ETERNALS

One of the most common, and perhaps unfair criticisms of the now 13-year, 26-film long Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series is that the bulk of the films follow a very specific formula or structure. Formulas always work, but the reliance on them can lead to predictability. This year, the MCU steps into a brave new universe with ETERNALS. 

 

Thousands of years ago, ten superpowered Eternals (Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie), are sent to Earth by the space-god Celestial Arishem to Earth for the strict purpose of protecting mankind against animal-like creatures called Deviants. Once the last Deviant was destroyed, the Eternals went into quiet hiding, waiting for their call to return to their home planet for another thousand years…

 

Directed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao (NOMADLAND), ETERNALS sets itself up as a story we’ve seen before, with a group of disbanded superpowered beings getting back together when Deviants suddenly appear on Earth again. It initially feels like familiar territory, but a mid-film surprise turns the entire story upside-down; changing what the Eternals thought their purpose on Earth was and what their own existence was for. It’s a stunning twist that is huge for the story and for the overall MCU. 

 

The structure of ETERNALS takes place over thousands of years, and the film moves back and forth from different points in time and locations all over the planet in near dizzying fashion. The Eternals have been here a long time; protecting ancient civilizations and guiding them to survival; teaching them how to do simple things like plow fields and provide irrigation. The overall scale is massive and it takes a lot of thought to wrap our heads around. The film has several information-dumps to fill in the gaps and let us know what’s happening, and between the many talkie-scenes and the large canvas, it feels unlike any MCU film we’ve seen so far. 

 

Director Chloe Zhao brings us what feels like an arthouse film in many places, which is a welcome change of pace for a Marvel film. Natural, and quite beautiful outdoor locations are used; gone are the artificial environments (although there are some), and enter lush forests, endless beaches, and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. There are large set-pieces here with characters scaled down to ant-size which demand to be seen on a big screen. Action sequences are handled well, and the quiet moments between characters provide depth. The hokey jokes and one-liners we’re used to in these movies are gone, although the bits of humor we do get are very well timed. Ramin Djawadi’s score is excellent. 

 

Also excellent is the large ensemble cast. Richard Madden takes a huge step up from a TV guy to movie star, and he is matched very well with Gemma Chan. Angelina Jolie makes for the most interesting character in the group, with her mind slowly going fragile due to the overload of thousands of years of memories. 

 

The third act contains yet another surprise leading to the final showdown which is a mind-bender, and the very end, along with two whopper mid-credits scenes, may send long-time Marvel fans over the edge of the planet. ETERNALS is epic, different, and a breath of fresh air in the MCU’s 26-film series. Formulas always work, but some deviation is always good. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it