DVD: Eternals (dir: Chloe Zhao, 2021)

"How long were you two together?"
"Five thousand years."
"I guess you could call that a long time."

One of the obvious reasons for the success of Marvel's Avengers films over DC's Justice League was Marvel's careful investment in the introduction of characters through their own films before the group outings, so it is a bold Phase Four move to showcase all of its next ensemble in one movie.  From the outset, Eternals looks and feels like a different kind of Marvel movie - well-placed between Shang-Chi and No Way Home - which brings together the mystical, mythological and technological elements of the MCU fused with director Zhao's particular cinematic style and sensitivities, but which still delivers very well on the action/FX superhero elements that we have come to expect.  The dynamic of this disparate and dysfunctional 'family' is interesting, the characters are sufficiently differentiated and introduced well - although inevitably some fare better in terms of screen/story time than others - and there is some thoughtful consideration of the weight of universal matters and responsibility on beings who have lived for millennia.  The first half jumps around time and place considerably, with copious flashbacks to fill in backstories, but it is controlled effectively.  Heavy themes of relationships, family and grief are here given a much less comic-book-style exploration than might be expected, and with the added weight of the fate of Earth and the human race, there is a lot of frowning and slow-paced walking to sit through, but Zhao's juxtaposition of the individual and huge landscapes (location shooting is an absolute bonus here) once again adds real resonance.  Of course there is a big old CG-laden punch-up at the end (and very effective it is too), but Eternals provides a very solid, considered and interesting introduction of this god-like gang of Celestials to the MCU - and if you are a fan of the Marvel franchise, do watch right through the end credits for two important scenes that set up the future of these Eternals and more...