With a large and diverse cast and an interesting delve into the cosmic side of the Marvel universe, I can definitively speak to the unique tonal shift of Eternals that sets it apart from other Marvel films. In a sense, it’s what we’re used to in terms of it being an origin story for these relatively obscure characters, but this is the first time we are presented with a team from the very beginning, which presents an enormous obstacle for this movie. For some, the change of tone may be a bit jarring as most of the action takes a back seat to briefly explore the lives of these immortal beings who have been protecting Earth from Deviants since 5000 BC, but with ten new heroes and a smattering of side characters, I admit that this film does overextend itself. There is simply no way for it to cover that many characters on any meaningful level, so it would stand to reason that comic relief characters like Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo would make the biggest impression and have the other characters seem all the more flat by comparison. I found 2021’s Dune to have a similar problem with character building, but it’s possible that the more defined plot seems to be what held that film together, whereas this one jumps around far too much to develop any significant connections.

Audiences should note that this introductory movie to the eternals is going for a slower more reflective pace and a somber tone, making it fair to say that no one should be expecting audiences to easily buy into these strange cosmic beings after their initial film like they did after Guardians of the Galaxy. They should take into consideration that this is just the beginning for the eternals, as their film tries to tackle concepts like the price of immortality, the plight of humanity, sense of purpose, and accountability for the repercussions of one’s actions when choosing whether to interfere in mortal lives, which don’t provide many opportunities for the relatability factor. And unlike the original avengers, the eternals are a package deal and thus their individual stories are given less room to breathe as they have the same origin, and we need that extra room for exposition.

For all the criticism I have for Eternals, I still don’t feel like it’s Marvel’s worst film by any means and I really don’t understand the overwhelmingly negative critic reception. As of writing this, Captain Marvel has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 79 percent over Eternals’ 49 percent, and in my opinion Captain Marvel is by far a worse film with only one protagonist to make us like; and yet it managed to fail at that. Take RT scores for what you will, keeping in mind that that score could even out over the course of a few weeks, but it’s still quite a difference to make up. It would seem as though Marvel Studios is caught in a classic “damned if they do, damned if they don’t’ scenario where they are criticized for attempting to change the formula but on the other hand would most likely be criticized for sticking to it. I applaud the film and director Chloé Zhao for attempting something different, though admittedly the lack of character depth and slower pace is to its detriment. I found the performances to be very well done, and while of course some actors had more to do than others, I felt that each character had at least a small moment to shine just enough to care for them in the slightest by the final sequence. I thought the score and costumes were also well done, both facets being grand and presenting a regality to the events of the film. The visual effects were either amazing or painfully average depending on the scene that’s taking place, but at least the line work in their power designs is very distinctive to distinguish it from magic and other cosmic powers we’ve seen up to this point. The final action scene in particular was the highlight for me as it felt very personal to their story and therefore had some weight to it. Both visually stunning and thematically satisfying, it really opens up and changes the power structure of the MCU, however once again they felt the need to have a generic villain with no substance instead of placing that energy into the conflict between the eternals to learn more about these ten characters before they start dying. Ultimately, what we’re left with by the end are teasers that make us more excited for other movies than the average movie we just watched, but in some regard, I hope this film doesn’t completely bomb so that Marvel Studios can take away that it’s okay to stray from the formula in the future.