Honestly, I had no idea who or what to expect with “Eternals” aside from the more diverse cast and a vague introduction to yet another Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) storyline.
Sure, it’s been part of the comic books since the late 1970s, but, that was before my time.
Outside of that, it was interesting to see how the Eternals themselves lined up with similar characters from myths and legends of the past.
Plus, the visual effects were stunning and definitely had a similar feel to September’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” if you were paying attention to that film closely.
Eternals is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name.
Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 26th film in the MCU.
The film was directed by Chloé Zhao, who wrote the screenplay with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo.
It stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie.
The film clocks in at 157 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, some language, and brief sexuality.
In 5000 BC, 10 superpowered Eternals—Ajak (Hayek), Sersi Chan), Ikaris (Madden), Kingo (Nanjiana), Sprite (McHugh), Phastos (Henry), Makkari (Ridloff), Druig (Keoghan), Gilgamesh (Lee), and Thena (Jolie) - are sent by the Celestial Arishem to Earth to fight the invasive Deviants.
Over the millennia, they protect humanity from the Deviants, but are not allowed to interfere in human affairs like wars.
They kill the last of the Deviants in the 1500s, and the group’s opinions differ about their continued responsibilities and their relationship with humankind.
They spend the next five hundred years mostly separated from each other, waiting for Arishem to send them home.
In the present day, Sersi and Sprite live together in London.
After Sersi was left by her partner Ikaris over five hundred years earlier, she now has a relationship with human Dane Whitman (Harington), who works at the Natural History Museum.
The trio is suddenly attacked by the Deviant Kro, with Ikaris arriving and chasing the creature away.
Realizing the Deviants have returned, they prepare to reunite with the remaining Eternals.
They travel to South Dakota only to find that Ajak, their leader, had been killed by Kro before he went to London, gaining her healing abilities as a result.
Sersi is posthumously chosen by Ajak as her successor, granting her the ability to communicate with Arishem, who reveals that the mission of the Eternals was not to fight the Deviants but to prepare Earth for the “Emergence.”
As Arishem explains what an “Emergence” is and how it happens, it definitely paints the Celestials in a different light and things go from bad to worse – especially if you’re a human.
Don’t take my word for it, go check it out in all its splendor on the big screen.
Also, don’t forget to stick around for scenes in the middle and at the end of the credits.
