Fantastic Four: First Steps
My assorted thoughts on the Marvel First Family's latest blockbuster
Went to see Fantastic Four with my nephew yesterday, and since I don’t like to trim my thoughts down into little Bluesky/Twitter-sized bites, I thought I'd give my thoughts on the film here.
First off, I feel like the writer and director were trying to show us stuff that we haven't seen in previous Fantastic Four movies (namely the 1994 and 2005 ones), and I really appreciated that. Scenes like the team going into space after their origin, HERBIE, the family dealing with the addition of Franklin, the Mole Man, the public turning on the Four and confronting them with their initial failure, brief glimpses of Ben's faith and connection to Yancy Street, and of course, Galactus being an actual character really gave the movie an identity (The Super Apes were also a nice touch, even if John Malkovich’s Red Ghost was ultimately cut from the film, but I feel like his inclusion could very well have distracted from the plot). So while some people might dislike this film for not including some of the stuff from previous entries, I like that it was willing to break new ground for the fans. I hope that we’ll get a proper sequel after whatever Doomsday and Secret Wars wind up being.
The atmosphere of this world (Earth 828) is really nice, and I like the soothing mixture of cool colors, metal, plastic, and wood paneling that we see throughout the Baxter Building. The technology that we see in Reed’s lab and the spaceship gave me a real Star Wars ‘77 vibes- it looks completely different from the stuff we have today, but familiar and practical… which contrasts sharply with Galactus’ worldship, which has glowing red lights, lava flowing through it, and a more modern style of CGI technology that wouldn’t look out of place in a Transformers movie (Bayverse or otherwise). The world of Earth 828 feels vast and lived-in, and since there’s a clear progression of time in the film, I’d love to see it revisited in future installments of the MCU (and not just destroyed for cheap pathos- I’m still sorta mad that the techno-magical world of Asgard bit the dust).
I also liked that the humor in this movie was more low-key instead of constant sarcastic quipping that the MCU and the Russos popularized until it got stale. Some people think that this makes the movie feel boring, or that the director doesn’t understand how to direct comedy, but that isn’t the case at all. Because the funny parts of in this movie DO land. It's just that most of them are low-key jokes that provide levity in dark situations or add character to the cast- kind of like the earlier installments from Phase 1. It's not outrageously funny or bombastic like some of the parts in the 2005 duology (which I loved), but I really do get the vibe that these are smart, but flawed people with senses of humor that've been living together for a while. “Flame Off” comes to mind particularly because I remember both me and my nephew laughing about it- as well as Ben lifting a car for some kids and faking them out briefly.
(LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD)
As for the cast, I really liked Pedro Pascal's portrayal of Reed Richards. He feels like a distracted genius that loves his wife and family, but he's trying his best to deal with the ethical dilemma he's been given. The way he talks and acts gives me Jeffrey Combs vibes- in all the good ways. A little Weyoun here, a little Doctor Mordrid or Herbert West there… which makes him sound very smart, but also a little disconnected from the cast, even if he’s trying not to be. He clearly cares about his wife and the team, especially his son, but the responsibility of being the smartest man in the room sometimes puts an emotional burden on him- which comes to the front in a couple of really powerful moments.
Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm has a LOT to do in this movie as well, and really came off as the emotional core of the group. She and Reed have a lot of good chemistry together, even if there are some conflicts and debates, and you get the feeling that she’s part of the reason why the Four are as beloved as they are. There’s kind of an Eleanor Roosevelt vibe with how she and the Future Foundation have ushered in a new era of diplomacy for Earth 828’s version of the ‘60s.
Joseph Quinn was a good Johnny Storm, even if he’s not as much of a wisecracking jackass like some of his more famous incarnations (he gets in a few barbs here and there, but winds up being the butt of the jokes more than the jokester). His FX were really good, and I liked the more serious, introspective version of him… but I do kind of miss the Johnny that got on everyone’s nerves. I felt like Quinn’s Johnny was less girl-crazy and more fascinated with space and willing to go out on a limb to get the job done- which is why his scenes with the Silver Surfer and attempts to connect with her were a good change for the character. He was willing to sacrifice his life throughout the film to find a lever that would fix the situation, and I honestly think that’s noble.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Thing is a great realization of the character as well. I was disappointed at first that he didn’t have the gruff voice or attitude of Michael Chiklis’ Ben Grimm (who set the gold standard as far as I’m concerned), but his version really grew on me- especially with the clothes he wears and how he interacted with the people of Yancy Street. This is a Ben who’s mostly come to terms with his monstrous form, has settled into the family, and appreciates the good things in life… though there’s a hint or two of regret. Some people don’t like that we only get a few shots of his classic look in the trunks with the bare chest- I say that after four years of being a celebrity, he probably WOULD have a whole wardrobe tailored to him by now.
The Silver Surfer was a very interesting take on the character that I was initially hesitant about (mainly because of the bad reactions a lot of casting decisions get), but Julia Garner was a really great mixture of intimidating with a soft center that’s hiding a lot of guilt. She really came off like a stoic alien herald with great reflective FX, and I loved that they kept the phasing ability that we saw in Rise of the Silver Surfer. Norrin Radd’s still my go-to, but Shalla Bal was a great curveball who got a lot of time to shine with Galactus and the cast (it’s not like they could top the Doug Jones/Lawrence Fishburne combo anyways). The fact that she got to be pursued AND the pursuer in this film showed off how fast and powerful the Surfer could be, almost like a slasher villainess.
Speaking of carnage, there’s the big G himself, played by Ralph Ineson and a whole heaping helping of computer power (which probably explains why his body is covered in greebles). I like that he’s an immensely powerful and threatening entity in this movie, but not a full-on malevolent force like Dormammu, Surtur, or the Celestials. He’s more like Thanos or the Snyder Cut’s Steppenwolf in that he’s strong and threatening, even capable of malice, but it’s clear from his statements and body language that his hunger is an immense burden that he longs to shed himself of. The action with him in New York was definitely the big highlight of the film, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how they use him in the future (especially if Secret Wars winds up going the Shooter route).
Some assorted stuff I LIKED:
The fact that the characters were operating in zero gravity during the space sequences instead of a Guardians of the Galaxy-esque “everyone stands on one plane” of ship. A nice little touch to differentiate Earth 828 from Earth-199999.
The public and their views of the FF are actually a factor in the plot and vibe of this movie! A lot of superhero movies relegate the rest of the world to set dressing, invisible casualties, or headlines rather than actually engaging with the in-universe public, so it was nice to see their reactions to the Four, as well as the team’s concerns for their safety.
HERBIE! Finally, we get a definitive version of the lil’ guy that isn’t divisive. Matthew Wood did a great job on the vocalizations, and the design/animation teams deserve props for how they brought him to life in this setting.
Mole Man being more heroic in this version. I like Harvey Elder as a character, and seeing his appearance in the opening get a payoff later was good.
If you ignore the mid-credits sequence, this film really does stand on its own as a superhero movie in a capsule.
Diablo, the Mad Thinker, and Red Ghost are relegated to caricatures in the in-universe cartoon. It gives the world some depth and implies there’s more going on than we see in this story, but also doesn’t take up any time away from the plot whatsoever (I’m sure Malkovich enjoyed his paycheck and time on set even if his scene was cut from the film).
Reed’s mustache. I don’t know why, but it gives him a lotta character.
The Jack Kirby tributes.
Some assorted stuff I DIDN’T LIKE
While the film is mostly a family drama and we do get some great bits of superpowers/power stunts in play, I feel like we could’ve seen some more flashy bits or low key power stunts snuck in.
Some of the stock footage during the montage sequences really stood out as jarring to me- mainly because the rest of the TV footage in this movie is much higher quality.
One line that Galactus says during the climax could’ve really benefitted from some voice modulation/deepening. It felt really jarring the way it was presented.
I wish we could’ve seen more Kirby Tech in the broad daylight, or a better design for the Taa II. It just looked like a big cylinder with a red eye in the center- which looked cool for the scene on Zen Laa, but kinda felt weird when it was used for an establishing shot.
The Thing’s beard is a nice little gag to show the passage of time, but doesn’t make sense to me. Are the rocks on his chin growing out like hairs? If so, what about the top of his head? Are those hairs too? Does he need to cut his hair with a file/sander too? How does he move his mouth if it’s covered with rocks? Can he actually break it off if he gives it a solid crunch with his fingers?
Those are my thoughts, but I’d love to hear your takes on the film as well! Did you like the movie, or did you think it could’ve used some more tweaks?
