Marvel’s “Eternals” released this weekend to generally mixed reviews. The film was directed by Chloé Zhao, who recently won the Academy Award for Best Director with her latest film, “Nomadland.” This review will remain spoiler-free.

Critics have given the film mediocre reviews, calling the plot “messy” and “convoluted.” On the other hand, audiences are giving it mostly positive reviews, as this film seemed unique and different from everything that came before in the Marvel franchise.

After watching the film, I understood some of the critiques of the film, even if I do not fully agree with them. My biggest complaint with the film was the constant switch from flashbacks to present time. I feel as though some of these characters could have benefitted from showing most of the flashbacks first rather than the odd pacing that took place. It was because of this that I did not feel as attached to certain characters.

Other than that, I have nothing but praises for this film. Both the score and soundtrack were amazing. The cinematography and natural lighting were visually stunning and absolutely beautiful. The fact that more than ten characters were introduced in the film and each one had their own interesting story was a true accomplishment. There were definitely characters that had more screen time than others, but every character had their own moment to shine, which was definitely a strength of the film. Every actor brought something unique to their own characters, which added a fun dynamic to the cast.

I also really liked the biblical and mythological themes that this film had, such as creation of the universe, historical figures/heroes, etc. There were also deeper themes that touched on philosophy and purpose in the world. It was enough to make one have an existential crisis while eating popcorn in the theater. 

The ending and post-credits scenes teased an exciting future ahead for both the Eternals and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). 

I was very surprised by the addition of a couple of my favorite Marvel heroes. This film is definitely one of my favorites of the franchise, so far, but it is not without its flaws. 

Now, here is what other members of our staff thought about the movie:

Noah Domangue:

I really enjoyed this film, and I believe that it was the most visually appealing film in the history of the MCU. The nature shots were absolutely breathtaking, and I believe that the beautiful aura that surrounded the film based on gods and mythology was no coincidence.

My favorite part about the film was that it did not follow the normal Marvel Studios formula for films. It was littered with flashbacks, and I believe that this helped intensify the plot of the film. However, the flashbacks did make me feel a bit unattached to some of the major characters. It also has many philosophical questions, such as: “Is it moral to sacrifice the few for the many?” 

Overall, the film was quite different from that of older MCU films, but I do not believe that is necessarily a bad thing. It is nice to see the MCU begin to evolve and change as the Multi-Verse continues to grow. I especially cannot wait to see what the future holds for Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington), as I found his character to be extremely interesting and complex. 

Alexia Castellon:

“Eternals” is definitely a new take on Marvel’s phase four. It does a great job of introducing new characters to the MCU even though their stories remain somewhat vague. The constant back and forth switching between time periods shortens the opportunity for the characters to fully develop. 

Zhao has been previously recognized for intimate and emotionally complex films, yet “Eternals” is the complete opposite; relationships portrayed through the film are very poorly developed. 

Concentrating on the action scenes and moving away from the individual stories falls on-brand with the way Marvel has presented previous films with several characters in it. However, in this movie, that technique portrayed some of the characters as empty or unimportant. 

An admirable aspect of the film is the diversity of its cast. It includes splendid performances by Salma Hayek (Mexican-American) as Ajak,  Kumail Nanjiani (Pakistani-American) as Kingo, and Angelina Jolie as Thena. Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, is gay and is married to another man played by Haaz Sleiman who is Lebanese. Lauren Ridloff who is deaf plays Makkari, and this is highly recognized throughout the film. 

Raegan Chiasson: 

I personally had not seen any Marvel films prior to viewing “Eternals” and was concerned that I would be unable to follow along with the characters and plot line.  

However, the dialogue in this film does not require any prior knowledge of Marvel events; it has a storyline of its own. Although a part of the MCU, “Eternals” can be seen as a standalone film. The plot is easy to follow and interesting without any knowledge of the previous films. 

The film follows the lives of the ten Eternals: Ajak, Sersi, Ikaris, Sprite, Kingo, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Gilgamesh and Thena, as they are sent by Arishem to Earth to eliminate the Deviants, monstrous enemies of the Eternals.

One thing I did not expect from this movie was a love triangle, as Sersi’s love life is a story that I enjoyed following. During the entire film, my mind kept “switching sides” of who I wanted to root for in this quest for Sersi’s heart.

Although adventurous movies, which is what I would describe “Eternals” as, are usually not my favorite type of film, I thoroughly liked the plot. Throughout the film, something new and exciting was happening every minute, which kept me on the edge of my seat, therefore I was never disengaged.

I also have to commend all of the actors in this film. While some of them are well-known such as Angelina Jolie, this film was the first that I have seen from many of the actors. All the actors in this film were incredibly talented. Never did the acting sway my opinion negatively towards the film. Each actor exhibited every emotion perfectly throughout the film, making it even more enjoyable.

Overall, I enjoyed this film. It was thrilling, it had funny moments and it even had romantic relationships. I would recommend this movie to anyone, even those who have no knowledge of the MCU.