As a longtime Marvel fan, this was such a refreshing watch. After a number of movies that have felt increasingly formulaic and by the numbers, it was very exciting to see a movie that takes narrative risks and has it’s own identity. Chloé Zhao’s distinct imprint is definitely here, and the director’s impact is felt the most here than any Marvel movie in years. This features some of the best, if not the best, cinematography of any Marvel movie.

Onto the story, I have to say I really enjoyed this. While the initial establishment of the Eternals backstories is a necessary but slow start, the rest of the film blew by after. It was great to see more mature themes present here, and I hope we see similar things from future movies. While I do think this would’ve benefitted from either more screentime or being a miniseries, it was incredibly enjoyable. There were clearly some concepts/plotlines that were cut for time, but the movie still works. Complex relationships and higher concept questions are handled well here and it was nice to see a Marvel movie with a more mature tone. I also thought this was the most natural humor has felt in a recent Marvel movie. I found myself laughing at almost every joke, and Kumail Nanjiana’s Kingo was responsible for most. Overall this was an incredible experience and has me even more excited for what the future of the MCU may hold.