Going into “Eternals” I did not know much about them as individuals and their purpose in the Marvel Universe. The Eternals storyline, created by Jack Kirby, follows a group of individuals gifted with superhuman abilities who protect planets from the Deviants, creatures that hunt and kill lives. It was an interesting and unique movie compared to the other Marvel films due to its different type of filmmaking from director Chloé Zhao, but “Eternals” fell a little short. Marvel Studios newest film “Eternals” had a lot of pros to it like the representation of the celestials, the action, and the connection between the Eternals; however, it lacks in many other sections throughout the film, especially when the Eternals are trying to find each other again after being a part for centuries. 

The plot was a simple, dragged-out story. Many scenes felt too long, while others felt like they should have been longer, so the connection with a character could be stronger. A problem was the number of characters they had as well. In the case of  the Avenger films, we have been with the crew for many years. Each character has their own solo movies, so the viewer is familiar with them. With “Eternals,” there is an entirely new cast of characters, making it hard for the film to give depth to every member of the team. Many scenes were boring due to the outright lack of the consequences and struggle the characters were facing. For example, the hunt for the remaining Deviants felt like a chore compared to a quest to save Earth. The Deviants as the villains did not work as well as they should have. It felt like an excuse for the Eternals to still be on Earth. Their presence was illogical, especially in the second half of the film. It made no sense having such characters in the plot especially when the Eternals discover the truth of what their mission on Earth truly was. The Deviants weren’t implemented as strongly as they should have been. Also, some characters had more screen time than others- which was expected- but the more intriguing ones were those not focused on as much, such as Phastos, portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani, and Gilgamesh, played by Don Lee. Characters like them shined on-screen with the fun, personal acting they brought to the screen. 

Many aspects of “Eternals” were not great, making it one of the more Marvel movies that I do not want to rewatch as much. Compared to Marvel Studios’ last film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Eternals” does not match up to the storytelling and world-building within these characters’ worlds. “Eternals” is not one of the better films, with a personal rating of six out of 10. The story was not the worst but could have been better represented. Chloé Zhao does have a unique form of storytelling, but it did not match as well as I expected it to when watching the film. “Eternals” brought a handful of new characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; however, its story does not make it as impactful as other comic book films.