Jim Arlington

I was relieved to read from one newspaper reviewer that I shouldn’t feel bad that I nodded off during Eternals, because I did several times. The movie was way too long for what it was trying to convey. The dialogue was awkward, contrived and at times cringeworthy. Eternals has intriguing ideas, but very poor execution. The notion of immortals exploring what it means to be alive without the fear of death is compelling but the dialogue is disappointing and the performances are mostly wooden, save for a few bright spots. Whenever the characters open their mouth, you’re either rolling your eyes or left wondering if the actors even watched their previous scene to make sure they maintained continuity of character. However, the special effects used by Chloe Zhao makes for one of the best-looking Marvel films. The most frustrating thing about Eternals is how close it comes to delivering something great. There are a few moments when its characters are enjoyable and go a long way to redeeming the film. While it’s a pity many of the characters weren’t better developed, the film’s representation is enough to warrant a watch on the big screen, at a discount.