The Mosley Review: Eternals

Here's something that may come as a hot take, I think the Marvel films have become too formulaic and have started to become a little stale. I do love them and the cinematic universe that they have created but sometime after Avengers: Endgame, they haven't really been able to get out of their own style of storytelling. The same tropes of humor over dramatic impact had become tiresome even though they somehow still continue to be a fun and comfortable watch. This entry into the MCU has finally done something that we saw the beginnings of sprinkled across the films and it finally sticks the landing. This film didn't feature the same wash and repeat Marvel style, but instead told a completely fresh and engaging story that I couldn't keep my eyes off of. Other none MCU Marvel films like Logan, have achieved the ability to let you truly sink your teeth into the film and be swept away by its rich mythology, heartwrenching story and fully developed characters. This film was truly a surprise as I found myself leaning in and holding on to every word spoken by each magnificent character. The amount of relevant and relatable themes about evolution, spirituality and the human condition were wonderfully rampant throughout the film. I didn't feel as if I was being spoken down to but rather taken on a journey.

The cast in this film is truly diverse in every way and it was breathtaking and important to witness. Selma Hayek was heavenly as Ajak. She may have been the leader for a time, but she had such a motherly feel to her as the spiritual center of the team. Gemma Chan was fantastic as the innocent and caring Sersi. I loved her connection to the human race and how she empathizes with us. Richard Madden was strong and every bit the leading man as Ikaris. There is a sort of robotic edge to him but when he is with Sersi, his very human heart starts to show. Lia McHugh was excellent and bratty as Sprite. She isn't able to age which makes her experience on Earth all the more tormented. Lauren Ridloff as Makkari was truly magnificent and I loved seeing her face light up each scene with her humor and kind heart. It’s so great to see more deaf actresses like her in blockbuster films. Barry Keoghan as Druig was a cool character and I liked that he had qualms about humans and our insatiable nature to destroy ourselves. His character shows the repercussions of trying to control everything without freedom to grow. Angelina Jolie was magnificent as the elite warrior Thena and her character has so much depth. There is a form what can be described as alzheimer's she has and it was truly heartbreaking. Don Lee was great as Gilgamesh and he forms a powerful bond with Thena and it was truly astounding. Brian Tyree Henry delivers a truly engaging and fun performance as Phastos and I loved his every tinkering mind. Kit Harrington was fun as Dane Whitman and I liked that he wasn't too involved with the action. He was the straight man of the film and I believe we're gonna see alot more of him in the future. Kumail Nanjiani steals the film as Kingo. His comedic timing was amazing and perfectly balanced with his dramatic abilities. I gravitated to him to most and you feel his heartbreak the most when a reveal happens in the story. His talent manager Karun was played lovingly by Harish Patel. In many scenes he can come off as the plucky side kick but through him, you get the human perspective and it was an excellent point of view to have amongst the Eternals.

The score by one of my favorite composers, Ramin Djawadi was absolutely epic, fantastical, ethereal and emotionally charged. I truly do love the Eternals theme and how majestic it feels as we deal with the more cosmic moments of the story. I truly loved the time hopping and history driven story that has so many elements of morality, mortality and family. The cinematography still has that Marvel sheen, but something about this film made it feel new and unseen. Its been a long time, but Marvel has taken a big swing by letting a massive story that many like myself don't know anything about and let it flow over us. There are 2 credit scenes that spark conversation and introduce a few characters we don't know and 1 that I love and I can't wait to see return. Director Chloe Zhao has not made a "comic book movie" in this established universe, she has made a film out of a comic book. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!