Eternals review: Marvel’s celestial ambition thuds back to Earth in formulaic blockbuster

A tale of cosmically conflicted beings who watch over the balance of life on Earth, Marvel's Eternals – directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao – arrives with an admirable degree of conceptual ambition, promising a grand meditation on the universe and a superhero cohort far removed from the tired archetypes of the form. Kumail Nanjiani told GQ: “If I'm playing the first South Asian superhero, I want to look like someone who can take on Thor or Captain America, or any of those people.” Soon enough, they learn that their role on Earth is not what it seems: rather than protecting humanity, they're preparing the planet for the birth of a new Celestial, a cosmic colossus that will regenerate life in the universe but wipe out humankind in the process. As usual, the acclaimed filmmaker hasn't met a magic hour she couldn't film a scene against – including a tacky visit to the still-smouldering ruins of Hiroshima – but without the space for her natural docu-fiction tendencies she seems adrift, wrong-footed by Marvel's routine, action-heavy narrative. The film wants its audience to regard the Celestials as cold, emotionless architects to be challenged, but their overarching plans seem closer to the natural ebb and flow of the universe than the Eternals' – and humanity's – self-absorbed instinct for survival.