Hot off her Oscar win for Best Director for NOMADLAND, Chloe Zhao is returning this year with a much bigger film in the form of Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS, which adapts the Jack Kirby-created characters for the big screen. It’s an ambitious project with a grand scope, and quite a few introductions for a first movie. These characters include Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Barry Keoghan as Druig, and Salma Hayek as Ajak. While not in costume here, we’re also treated to GAME OF THRONES star Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, who in the comics eventually becomes The Black Knight, a horse-riding sword-wielding hero that at one point even led The Avengers. The story of The Eternals spans a LONG period of time, as they’ve existed in the Marvel Universe for 35,000 years, though the Cinematic Universe truncates that a bit to make it more historically-relevant and easy to relate to. We see some of those past time periods by way of flashback, and it really gives you an idea of just how unique these folks are. If this all seems weird to you, that’s to be expected, as these characters were always weird in the comics anyway.

The film opens with some hefty text on the screen explaining that the Eternals exist through time to serve Cosmic beings known as The Celestials (giant god-like beings who rule specific realms of space), and they must battle destructive creatures known as “Deviants” that prey upon those weaker that them. We learn that The Eternals have appeared on Earth over long stretches of time, sometimes affecting major cultures and even occasionally helping them become more advanced. But they face a conundrum, in that they are not meant to interfere with the natural course of life, no matter how chaotic or violent these civilizations may become. In the present, with the Deviants now all destroyed, The Eternals have disbanded and are spread across the planet trying to live as “normal” humans with mixed results. Sersei (Gemma Chan) is a peaceful woman with the ability to change matter with her touch, but now she works as a history teacher, casually flirting with her fellow educator Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington). Sersei keeps her powers secret, though Dane expects there’s more to her than what she presents. He also knows she’s getting over a previous relationship… what he doesn’t know is that previous relationship was with another Eternal, and spanned thousands of years. That other Eternal is Ikaris (Richard Madden), a sort of Superman archetype who sports powers so similar that at one point in the film a young boy actually calls him Superman. I wonder how DC Comics and Warner Bros. feel about that! This love triangle is one of the big plot points the film sets up, but is hardly the driving force of the story.

When the team’s leader Ajak (Salma Hayek), a magical healer, is taken down by Deviants who have mysteriously reappeared, The Eternals feel they must regroup to save the world, only some of them aren’t that eager to do so. Technical wizard Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) has started a family life and is content not trying to protect humans anymore… he sees the race as “not worth saving” after one particularly bad historical experience he feels personally responsible for. Strong man Gilgamesh (Don Lee) has kept quiet on a farm looking after warrior Thena (Angelina Jolie) after she has shown a sort of battle dementia that makes her dangerous around others, and he is the only one strong enough to protect himself should she have an episode. Druig (Barry Keoghan) was a mind control master, but now lives in a sort of antiquated commune away from technology and modern society. Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) has become a Bollywood star and is living the life of a celebrity. Some of these folks are hesitant to revisit their old ways, while others seem more than happy to do so. It’s kind of like a heist film where the old gang has to get back together, only here there’s no heist.

At first it seems like the story is just about The Eternals regrouping to fight these Deviants that have popped back up unexpectedly, but we eventually learn there’s a much bigger and much more devastating event that is soon to happen, unless they interfere with the desires of the very Celestials they were sworn to serve. It’s a conflict that will challenge their relationships and personal feelings, but one thing is sure… they can no longer hide and simply do nothing.

ETERNALS will undoubtedly be a divisive film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if for no other reason than it’s not at all like the standard superhero fare fans have grown accustomed to, but you could say the same thing about SHANG-CHI, and that film did remarkably well. Some of the advance reviews haven’t been kind, and I can’t help thinking that might be due to the reviewers not getting what they might have been expecting. As a fan of the Marvel Comics, and particularly their “Cosmic” storylines and the Eternals comics specifically, I was quite impressed with what the film delivered. Chloe Zhao was an inspired choice for directing this entry, and she definitely brings an elegance and visual brilliance to the presentation. There are moments in ETERNALS that really feel otherworldly and almost ethereal, and tiny details that make the production highly impressive. Yes, there are a lot of characters to meet and get to know here, but it’s handled well and never feels overbearing on the viewer. And sure, some of the characters come across better than others, but that’s to be expected of any big ensemble in a movie like this. Gemma Chan and Richard Madden get the bulk of the screen time, and their relationship is one of the more interesting of the film, but I appreciated how the story could throw a few curve balls in every now and then – certain characters having feelings for others, certain characters having ailments or weaknesses that show their more vulnerable side, and certain characters having secret motivations that don’t necessarily sync up with the others… all of those elements make for an engaging narrative.

I particularly enjoyed Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, an actress who is deaf in real life and as the character, but says so much for her passionate expressions and body language, and quickly becomes a fan-favorite. Brian Tyree Henry is one of the most human and genuine of the characters, and I loved seeing how his persona evolved and how he acclimated to human life. Kumail Nanjiani is great as the sort of comic relief of the story, playing a very flamboyant performer who has mastered making himself into a celebrity – there’s a fun moment where he explains how he’s been accomplishing this for a century without raising suspicion. There are a few missed opportunities to do more with certain characters, like Lia McHugh as “Sprite”, a young girl who has been around for thousands of years, but will always look like a young girl. She longs for an adult life and adult relationships, but her appearance means that’s not likely to ever happen. That’s a fascinating plot element, but not much is done with it in the end. And the relationship of Dan Lee’s Gilgamesh and Angelina Jolie’s Thena was all at once heartwarming and intensely tragic, but it only seems like we get a taste of what it could have been. In fact, Jolie has very little dialogue, and while she looks terrific in her various action sequences, you never get much sense of who her character was or is deep down.

One of the other weaker points of the film is The Deviants and their returned and evolved form. These characters are brought to life by way of chaotic CGI, and there’s a subplot involving one in particular becoming more intelligent and powerful, and sadly that doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. But none of that mattered to me, because seeing a giant Celestial in space talking to an Eternal that looked like an ant next to him was everything I’ve always wanted to see in a Marvel movie. And Jack Kirby’s brilliantly odd artwork definitely influenced the visuals here, and just seeing “Based on the Marvel Comics created by Jack Kirby” almost brought a tear to my eye. This is an epic movie and a visual feast that I found refreshing and daring. At two hours and 37 minutes, it does feel a bit longer than necessary at times, but had it been more heavily edited, I don’t think the chemistry between characters would have worked as well. The scope of this film is grand as well, and there are genuine stakes here that give the story and characters more weight that most Marvel films. Honestly, I loved it, but I can also understand how and why some folks might not take to it.

For those hating on it before they see it, or saying the trailers just look weird and awkward, let us all remember how bizarre we thought that first GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movie was going to be. While I love those movies now, I remember at the time thinking “I’m not sure this is going to work”, and I know I wasn’t alone with that. Give ETERNALS a chance, and go into it knowing this is not just another superhero movie… this is something different and daring, and if you have an open mind about it, you might just find it to be brilliant. And as with any Marvel movie, don’t go anywhere when the credits roll, as you’ll be treated to not one but TWO credit scenes, both of which show Marvel Studios has big plans for the future elements of the story established here.

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