By Luca Newton
I make it no mistake how much I was looking forward to Eternals and it's now been a couple days since I finally got to see it, and I really need to talk about it..
This review includes major spoilers..
Half a year ago or so, something weird happened. I had a weird burst of interest in an upcoming MCU movie that I had never really cared for before; Eternals. It is odd particularly because in 2018, I believe rumours for this film arose, and I remember being insanely indifferent to it. I didn't understand the concept or know what exactly it would be. Furthermore, as the cast was announced and the D23 panel was on going over details about the film, my indifference stayed firm. I think my interest first peaked around the Oscars scene, where Chloe Zhao was up for Oscars for her movie Nomadland. When it registered that an Oscar-winning director was making an MCU movie, I think I was a little more interested by the concept. I looked up videos from New Rockstars and saw a plethora of theories and speculation about the film. This got me excited due to the ambition and high concept that felt like it could reach the highest highs of Marvel. Conveniently timed, I had gained interest in the film and the teaser was mere weeks away. The teaser solidified that excitement for me. One of my first blogs was based on that alone, and despite others being bored by it, I was really excited. Only strengthened by the "final trailer", that released in August, and really gave me more to go off and obsess over.
Over the months leading up to the release, lots of people kept on hating on the movie based on the trailers, and when the premiere reactions came out and the review embargo went up, Eternals became insanely divisive, and actually became the lowest rated MCU movie, with an actually negative review score on Rotten Tomatoes. My excitement, however, was not gonna falter by these reviews, due to the people I trust giving positive reactions in response to this film, but it was certainly intriguing to say the least. The film was so different and unique, it divided people, and that certainly increased my interest in the movie when it was already at its peak for me.
So, I watched Eternals opening day, and then again twice in a row yesterday and the day before, and so I think my opinion here is very fair and fully formed. This review includes spoilers so beware of that.
Why Eternals is TRULY Incredible
Eternals are a group of aliens who were sent down to Earth, by the Celestial Arishem, to protect humanity from the Deviants, and help humanity develop and grow. These 10 Eternals have been living on Earth for 7000 years; Prime Eternal Ajak, Ikaris, Sersi, Sprite, Thena, Phastos, Kingo, Gilgamesh, Druig and Makkari. They are split between the thinkers and the warriors who do different things for the development of humanity. Thinkers such as Phastos are responsible directly for a lot of development in humanity for the better and for the worse. Eternals starts at the point of Earth where humanity is believed to have started and grown out. The Eternals fight off the deviants from the beach, and Sersi hands over an altered knife to a little boy. We are then taken to London in present day, as that knife is seen as an artefact that shaped humanity, and Sersi takes a picture of it on a phone. It instantly adds to the extreme scale of the film. Later that evening, a deviant appears in London, which leads to Ikaris' reappearance. Sersi, Ikaris and Sprite choose to go find Ajak to figure out what to do next. Tragically, she is found dead at her house, and Sersi is given the spiritual connection to Arishem, and is implied the next Prime Eternal. Sersi, Ikaris and Sprite need to form the Eternals again to kill the rest of the deviants. However, after Sersi learns the true purpose of their mission, the plans change and divide the Eternals.
Simultaneously human and cosmologically huge in scale and scope
What struck me the most about Eternals was the deep mythology and world-building that laced the movie over the 7,000 years that they've been on Earth. Zhao brings a certain level of scale to the MCU and I absolutely adored. The added scale to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is monumental. I absolutely adored that. Zhao structured this film in such a fascinating and non-linear way that is a reason that many are divided on it, but for me it was very effective and made the film really feel set over the course of history. While the chunk of the film is set in present day, there is a variety of flashbacks scattered through the film that really show the insane span of history these Eternals have lived through and influenced. One really effective one is the Mahd Wy'ry flashback that not only introduces us to Thena's core struggle, but also the conflict that leads to the Eternals splitting up and spreading all over the Earth, and it's from the Amazon Forest in the Aztec Empire, but when go there in the present, you can tell the difference due to time, it's fascinating.
The integration of the Celestials, specifically Arishem, really changes the MCU forever in such a fascinating way. We find out that the actual purpose of the Eternals is to help humanity increase the number of living creatures on Earth to facilitate the birth of a Celestial buried in the Earth's core - Tiamut. This retroactively makes you question if Thanos, an Eternal with a deviant gene, would have known about this emergence, and thought removing half of all life would delay the emergence. It poses tons of questions and adds so much lore and world-building to the universe through huge and daunting bits of mythology that resurfaces in modern day, completely changing the average citizen's outview on life and creation.
I also love how how this monumental event has this certain weight to it that is unmatched in any MCU film I find. It simultaneously is the largest scale stakes, and the most human. The main goal of the film to prevent Tiamut to destroy Earth as it is birthed, which are monumental, mind-bending stakes, but manages to feel very personal as the Eternals themselves are very human and have different views which reflects on their side in the ethical dilemma on whether to save one Earth in place of an entirely new galaxy of many planets. Is it worth it to save one planet for many many more planets to be made, and that core conflict splits the Eternals, and despite them literally being robots, the film really makes them feel the most human and complex in their motives than many other MCU movies, I really appreciated it. I think the core of it comes down to Sersi, Kingo and Ikaris and how they differ in their role in the final act of the film.
Sersi is presented as the empath and as someone who is very for humanity. In all her time on Earth, she only sees the good in humanity and absolutely adores this planet, and so the prospect of it being destroyed is something she can't let happen, or at least with the people who inhabit it. Alternatively, Ikaris doesn't care about humanity, he only cares about Sersi, and wants to facilitate the emergence in his duty to Arishem. He firmly believes that he is right and even when Ajak when shows resistance against the idea of following Arishem, he kills her. Sure, he is the villain, and he isn't right, but his perspective isn't evil, and that's what I like about him. The way he goes about it is wrong, but the fundamental thought that following Arishem and allowing one planet to be destroyed for many more. Sersi represents humanity and Ikaris represents the Celestials. Kingo, however, lands somewhere in the middle where he clearly agrees with Ikaris but doesn't want to fight for his opinion, he wants to sit this out as he doesn't want to stop the emergence and doesn't want to fight the other Eternals for it. I think it was smart to have point of view. I think what really sells this rift is at the end when Ikaris is going to kill Sersi, but physically can't, and so chooses love or law. He joins the uni-mind and then flies into the sun to reconsile, and also because he was always on the side of law and now he's went against his own views for one person he love. His internal conflict and character arc are just so compelling.
It's not just them though, I thought they did a great job at fleshing out the other characters. Sprite had this core arc of being really envious of Sersi, and just not wanting to be like a child anymore, that envy leads to siding with Ikaris. Phastos loses faith in humanity due to Hiroshima, but finds a family and changes his views, and has something to fight for and something he has to keep on THIS earth which is what he's fighting for. Thena's Mahd Wy'ry which means she has to be constantly supervised, but also prevents her from preventing Gilgamesh's death is so heartbreaking, and Gilgamesh's core selfless sacrificial ideology that he is willing to look over and protect Thena over having his own life. His words, "When you love something, you protect it" echoed by Thena are just so profound and make that relationship so strong. Additionally, all the relationships in Eternals land for me. Be it Thena and Gilgamesh, Ikaris and Sersi tragic romance, Kingo and Sprite's old friendship, Druig and Makkari's love for each other, Phastos and his family. Even Kingo and his valet Karun. All the relationships work and intertwine, these characters all feel like a true family in a way that not many teams can say. This is furthered by those scenes with everyone around a table. Even Salma Hayek's scenes in flashbacks really make her feel motherly and kind, and you can tell humanity has changed her despite going through with many emergences.
These dynamics really tap into the emotional core that was all so present for me. I felt so compelled with all these characters, and so when they were fighting Ikaris at the end, I was both scared for them, and so sad to see that happening. But also the death of Gilgamesh in the middle of the film really struck me, and got me. Zhao managed to build 10 characters and make me care about them, and I really attribute it to how Chloe Zhao wanted a little of each these actors within their performances, to make it natural and authentic for each of these Eternals blended in humanity.
Eternals is truly a love letter to humanity in that way. Despite the core Eternals technically being inhuman, the humanity is at core of this core no thanks to Chloe Zhao's distinctive vision and style.
Chloe Zhao's masterstroke of her personal style
My respect for Chloe Zhao is absolutely paramount, and her style really is the thing that injected Eternals with true resonance and its thought-provoking nature. The ambition of her vision is absolutely seen within the film. What Zhao did here was completely reinvent and recontextualise the entire MCU as we know to build on the future of the franchise, but to also hone into a family drama about the meaning of humanity; both the good and the bad. She got one of the most diverse casts I've ever seen, and got everything she pitched with full control, and made her passion project about the beauty of life. I think it's really inspiring.
While making an action blockbuster for the MCU, she truly injected a lot of herself into it. While there are aspects that Chloe Zhao hadn't done in her other films. For example, her other films really don't have a plot really, none have action, and they're very character driven. But even then the characters are just authentic people. Her filmography almost feels like an insight on humanity through her own lens. For example, her film Nomadland is a very meditative experience, and very authentic, especially given that there are only 2 actors, and the others are actually nomads. Obviously Eternals is much more narrative driven and there is action and a lot of larger than life comic book terminology, but what makes it clearly hers is that attention to detail, that focus on the characters and their perspectives, and a view on humanity, and the questions of who we are, why we're here, what is our purpose?
It isn't just that, it's also the cinematography, I swear, Eternals is the most gorgeous film in the MCU, it is absolutely stunning thanks to Zhao's natural way of shooting films. It is as practical as possible, and so every part of the film feels real, and is beautiful. It is there to accentuate nature, and exemplify the beauty of Earth which is the case being brought forward to the film. Zhao's direction feels very apparent in the film, it is very well directed and really has her identity in it.
Alternatively, when we go to space and see Arishem, or see Tiamut emerging, there is this true sci-fi massive feel to it. Arishem is shown to be absolutely huge compared to the Eternals. We see a small part of Arishem's face which is absolutely astounding in IMAX, and Ajak and Sersi are absolute specs in comparison. It's scary, it's huge, it's existential. Chloe Zhao managing to bring the intimate human moments and the nature of Earth and combine with high concept, theological space Gods bigger than Earth itself is an attribute to Zhao's vision and direction.
One additional aspect is the action, which is something very alien to her is the direction of proper action scenes. While they aren't on the same level as Shang-Chi's action. However, I think many undersell how good it is here. Like in particular, the Amazon action scene was incredible. Not only that, but the Babylon fight with every warrior teaming up and working together to beat one deviant. My favourite action had to be the various Eternals vs Ikaris. Thena vs Ikaris was so badass, and was extremely powerful, while Makkari vs Ikaris was a surprise, but a welcome one, I adored how Makkari was used in action with proper speed in combat, vs Ikaris. I absolutely loved it.
Why is Eternals so DIVISIVE?
After a few times watching this film, you can tell I absolutely adored this film. There's nothing that actually got on my nerves or really took down the score for me. This film is probably my second favourite MCU film to date. Now I will admit that Kro wasn't the best, but even then I thought his role helped with Thena's arc, and services the overall idea of the purpose of the Eternals and the lies they were fed, although I'd be surprised if they wasted Bill Skarsgard only on this role - thankfully, they clearly can bring back actors if they're unrecognisable enough. But to its core, this film divided people. It absolutely divided critics. I can see where they're coming from in some ways. The way the film structures itself and paces itself and introduces high concept ideas all worked for me, but I can see how people would hate those aspects. It has such a focus on characters and plot and less focus on action and the Marvel "formula", and so it just isn't universally loved. This film is fundamentally so different to any other Marvel movies, and it truly resonated with me. All these aspects people have issues with, just boosted my love for the film. It is so unique and it impacted me in a way I can't explain. I went through so much emotion watching this film that first time, it's impossible to put into words. I can understand divisive, but Eternals is the lowest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes for the MCU, and is negatively reviewed.. and I've got to say that's just wrong,. It's not bad at all..
With the way that Eternals expands the MCU as we know it, the future of the MCU is so exciting and also scary, and big and I am desperate to see more of it. We are left with the biggest cliffhanger since Infinity War. The concept of Thena, Druig, Makkari, Eros and Pip searching for Sersi, Kingo and Phastos after being taken away by Arishem for judgement in a terrifying scene. Not only does the prospect of a sequel excite me, but the Black Knight being set up and all ready for a solo project, and the huge potential for a prequel series exploring more of each of their 5000 year estranged lives. Eternals feels so successful to me, because it feels so connected to the MCU, yet so far from the MCU and its own thing. It felt like it was opening an Eternals universe within the MCU and that is just so exciting and big.
I LOVED Eternals, but what did you think about it? Loved? Hated? Tell me. I think its strengths are in its characters and the way it has such a huge scale, yet such an intimate narrative, and a very human focus despite what the Eternals actually are.
Thanks for reading.
Great views. Definitely agree