Marvel’s Phase Four hits its stride with “Eternals,” and the result is a movie that wants to do everything at once: introduce a new cast, expand the cosmic mythology, and make a statement about family and legacy. It mostly succeeds on the first two counts and stumbles badly on the third. The film is ambitious, but ambition alone does not save it from being uneven and occasionally exhausting.
Director Chloé Zhao, who made “Nomadland” and brought a quiet, character-driven sensibility to Marvel, tries to apply that same approach to a sprawling ensemble epic. That tension between intimacy and spectacle is the central problem. The film’s best moments come when it slows down and lets its characters breathe. Its worst moments come when it speeds up and loses focus.
Trailer, via Marvel Entertainment.
Sersi and Ikaris Carry the Early Hours
Kumail Nanjiani plays Kingo, a Bollywood-style action star who channels energy blasts through his hands. Richard Madden plays Ikaris, a warrior who can fly and shoot energy bolts. Both actors are having fun, and their scenes together crackle with chemistry. Ikaris gets a solo montage set to a pop song that lands better than it should, thanks to Madden’s commitment.
Salma Hayek plays Ajak, the leader of the Eternals, and she carries the weight of exposition without collapsing under it. She explains the Celestials, the Deviants, and the Eternals’ thousand-year mission with a warmth that makes the sci-fi machinery feel human. Her performance is the glue holding the first act together.
But the film’s real heart belongs to Gemma Chan’s Sersi. She plays a kind-hearted Eternal who can transform objects into living beings, and her arc centers on her desire to experience love and loss like a mortal. Chan gives a tender, restrained performance that anchors the quieter stretches of the film. Her scenes with Don Lee’s Gilgamesh, a hulking warrior who speaks in monosyllables, are unexpectedly moving.
The Eternals and Their Thousand-Year Mission
The Eternals are ancient beings created by the Celestials, a race of cosmic entities that seeded life across the galaxy. They were sent to Earth to protect humanity from the Deviants, a malevolent species that feeds on human suffering. The film spends its first hour establishing this backstory, and Zhao handles it with a patient, observational eye. We see the Eternals as children, as young adults, as middle-aged people, and as elderly individuals. The passage of time is rendered with care.
The film also introduces a new villain in the form of Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harrington. He is a human who discovers a sword connected to the Eternals’ history, and he becomes a threat to their mission. His arc is the weakest in the film. Harrington is a capable actor, but the script gives him little to work with beyond brooding and fighting. His motivations remain opaque, and his presence feels like a placeholder until the real villain arrives.
That villain is Thena, played by Angelina Jolie. She is an Eternal who has spent centuries hiding from her past, and she emerges as a force of chaos that threatens the entire planet. Jolie brings intensity to the role, but the film’s handling of her character is inconsistent. One moment she is a tragic figure, the next she is a cartoonish action villain. The shift in tone is jarring, and it undermines the emotional stakes that the earlier scenes tried to build.
The Film’s Longest Stretch
The middle third of the film drags. The Eternals split up, each going their own way, and the story fragments into several smaller narratives. Zhao’s directorial style, which favors long takes and naturalistic performances, works best in intimate settings. It does not scale up well to a global conflict involving dozens of characters. The pacing suffers, and the film loses momentum.
There are exceptions. The scene where Sersi transforms a homeless man into a living statue is touching. The scene where Ikaris and Kingo bond over a shared love of action cinema is genuinely funny. These moments are scattered, and they do not add up to a coherent narrative. The film is at its best when it focuses on a single relationship or a single idea. It is at its worst when it tries to do too much at once.
The film’s climax, involving a Deviant invasion of New York City, is visually impressive. The special effects are top-tier, and the action sequences are kinetic. But the emotional payoff feels hollow. The Eternals sacrifice themselves to save humanity, but the film does not give us enough time to care about their individual fates. We know they are powerful beings, but we do not know what makes them tick.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The film’s strengths are its performances and its visual style. Zhao’s direction is confident, and she knows how to frame a shot. The film looks beautiful, with sweeping landscapes and atmospheric cityscapes. The costume design is imaginative, and the makeup effects are seamless. On a technical level, “Eternals” is a polished product.
The weaknesses are structural. The film is bloated, running nearly three hours, and it could easily lose forty minutes without losing anything essential. The plot is convoluted, and the film assumes the audience has a working knowledge of the comics. For viewers who are not familiar with the source material, large chunks of the story will be confusing. The film also leans heavily on voiceover narration to explain its mythology, which is a lazy storytelling choice.
The film’s message is that family is not something you are born into, but something you choose. That is a noble sentiment, but it is delivered through a series of events that feel arbitrary. The Eternals’ decision to leave Earth is sudden and poorly explained. The film sets up a conflict about whether to intervene in human affairs, but it never fully commits to a position. The resolution feels rushed, and the emotional release feels premature.
The Music and the Sound
The score, composed by Ludwig Göransson, is a mix of orchestral sweep and electronic pulse. It fits the film’s cosmic scope, but it does not always serve the quieter scenes. The film’s soundtrack includes a pop song performed by a returning artist, and it is used to great effect in a montage sequence. The music is a highlight, even if the scenes around it are not.
The sound design is immersive. The Deviant attacks are loud and visceral, and the energy blasts are satisfying. The film’s sound is a strength, and it helps sell the fantasy. But sound is not enough to carry a flawed narrative.
A Mixed Legacy
“Eternals” is a mixed bag. It is a film with a clear vision and a shaky execution. It is a film with strong performances and a weak script. It is a film with beautiful visuals and a murky plot. It is a film that is worth seeing for its craft, but it is a film that leaves you wanting more.
The film’s biggest failure is its inability to balance its many elements. It is too long, too dense, and too unfocused. It is a film that is trying to be everything to everyone, and it ends up pleasing nobody. The film’s message about family is a good one, but it is buried under a pile of exposition and action.
The Numbers
- Runtime: nearly three hours
- Score: 5.2 out of 10
- Director: Chloé Zhao
- Lead actors: Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Don Lee, Kit Harrington, Angelina Jolie
The film’s score reflects its mixed reception. Audiences who are fans of the actors may find much to enjoy. Audiences who are looking for a tight, focused story may find much to criticize. The film is a step forward for Marvel’s storytelling, but it is a stumble along the way.
“Eternals” is a film that is trying to do something different, and it mostly succeeds. But it is a film that is trying to do too much, and it mostly fails. It is a film that deserves credit for its ambition, and it is a film that deserves criticism for its excess. It is a film that is worth seeing, but it is a film that is not worth recommending.
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