Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

When my editor asked me if I wanted to attend an advance screening of Marvel Studio's "Eternals", I immediately said yes.

Because of one reason and one reason only—Richard Madden (the handsome main actor from Netflix hit show "Bodyguard").

Okay I’m joking. Sort of.

Celebrity crushes aside, I’ve always been invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and I’ve been eagerly anticipating MCU’s Phase 4 following "Avengers: Endgame".

What is "Eternals" all about?

"Eternals" is about a team of 10 immortal superheroes known as — well — the Eternals.

Created by the Celestials, they were sent to Earth to protect humans from monstrous creatures known as the Deviants.

The Eternals have been living on Earth since the dawn of man, but were instructed not to interfere with human issues and conflicts.

So they blended in and kept their existence unknown all these years.

In this film, the superheroes, all of whom had parted ways centuries ago, are forced to reunite to protect humanity once again.

A different kind of Marvel movie

Right off the bat, I can safely say that this movie is not your typical Marvel movie.

Just take one look at the main cast and you’d understand.

This is MCU’s biggest ensemble of new characters to date in one film.

The group is made up of an equal number of men and women.

It is also the most international and diverse cast Marvel has ever had, which I truly appreciate.

It was genuinely refreshing to see the different faces and hear the different accents on the big screen.

Fun fact: All of the main actors kept their original accents in the film.

But here’s where it gets more interesting.

Ridloff, who plays Makkari, is a deaf actress. Throughout the film, she only communicates via sign language.

And McHugh, who plays Sprite, is only 14 years old.

Another unique choice Marvel made with "Eternals" was having Academy-Award winning director Chloe Zhao to lead the project.

Plot

Without giving too much away, all I can say is that the plot didn’t disappoint, but it wasn't exactly impressive either.

It was generally easy to follow and understand. There was also a slight twist near the end of the film which made the climax more tense and intriguing.

But there were some misses here and there.

As much as the film attempted to stray away from the usual Marvel formula, it’s still haunted by it.

I felt that the film could do without certain scenes, some of which were intended only for comic relief.

There were also a number of questions that weren’t addressed or dealt with deeper, such as why the Eternals couldn’t interfere with human conflicts.

Characters

The characters, however, were slightly more compelling.

What I particularly liked was that as the film progressed, each character started shifting towards a grey area.

No one was wholly good and no one was wholly bad.

Even if a character did something bad, it was portrayed in a very raw and human way, which gained my empathy.

It was also interesting to see the various dynamics and relationships between the characters.

However, I felt that more time could be spent to develop Sersi’s character. After all, it’s established that she’s the main protagonist in the film.

Her dialogue was generic and there wasn’t much depth or layers to her character.

Despite that, her relationship with Ikaris — the main romantic relationship in the film — was a redeeming factor.

Considering the fact that they’ve been together for centuries, the struggles that they go through in their relationship felt real and honest, which pleasantly surprised me.

So should you watch "Eternals"?

Ultimately, "Eternals" is still an epic action-packed Marvel movie featuring 10 different superheroes, all of whom have various superpowers.

It’s a unique film that offers a fresh take within the MCU, despite its imperfections.

I’m not sure about you, but that’s more than enough of a reason to buy a ticket and watch the movie in the cinema.

Or you could watch it for Richard Madden’s ridiculously defined jawline and irresistible Scottish accent. Whatever floats your boat.

"Eternals" will be out in Singapore cinemas on Nov. 4, 2021.

Follow and listen to our podcast here:

Top images courtesy of Marvel Studios.