The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn
Directed by Matt Shakman

The Fantastic Four was Marvel's first family, created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in 1961, and focuses on Reed Richards, his wife Sue Storm, her brother Johnny Storm and Reed's best friend Ben Grimm, who, after going into space, come across cosmic rays that turn them into superheroes: Reed becomes Mr. Fantastic with the ability to stretch his body; Sue becomes The Invisible Woman with the ability to become invisible and generate force fields; Johnny turns into the Human Torch as he literally turns his body to fire and can fly; Ben transforms into The Thing, a rock-like creature with superhuman strength. They've been a staple in comics for decades, but the big screen hasn't been so welcoming - a Roger Corman 1994-directed film has all the earmarks of the cheap feel Corman was famous for; the 2005 and 2007 sequel were decent enough but nowhere near its caliber; the 2015 reboot shouldn't exist in polite company. So when Disney and Marvel acquired the rights and finally brought the Fantastic Four into the MCU proper, hopes were high that the result would be something better than the other iterations. That desire was like placing a limbo stick on the ground and expecting you to jump over it, and not only did "First Steps" jump, it leapt over it to become the best "Fantastic Four" movie, but also a fantastic (I'm going to be using that word a lot) addition to the post-"Endgame" MCU funk.

In a retro futuristic 1960s Earth -828, the Fantastic Four - Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have been saving the world for four years against generalized foes that don't seem to be too difficult to take down, but their familial connection brings them together in ways other groups couldn't. Sue finally becomes pregnant to the shock and happiness of the family - and the world at large - and it seems things are looking up. Then everyone looks up to see a mysterious silver-clad surfer woman (Julia Garner) give a warning: she's a herald for the world-devourer Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and tells the people of Earth that Galactus will soon arrive to devour the planet. 

Reed, known as the most intelligent man in the world, struggles with a way to stop Galactus as the family heads into space to try to reason with him, but once they discover it's true nature, they realize negotiation is futile. The only thing Galactus wants is Sue's unborn son, whom he feels will be powerful enough to take over his insatiable hunger, and the team refuses. Sue gives birth, and the world is angry that she wouldn't give up her child, thus endangering the world. Together, the family comes up with a plan to stop Galactus - or their failure will result in the end of the world.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is a unique superhero action movie in several aspects, thanks in large part to "Wandavision" director Matt Shakman, cinematographer Jess Hall, co-writers Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, Josh Friedman and Kat Wood, production designer Kasra Farahani, and the stars of the show. More than just a mindless action superhero movie with characters who match quips but have little depth, "First Steps" shows superheroes as a family, and their dynamic with one another is something magical and unique in its own way. You feel like these people have been together for years, and its this unity that is the heart of the movie.

Set in a futuristic 1960s world, production designer Kasra Farahani immerses herself into the culture of America in the 1960s mixed with "The Jetsons" feel as the Baxter Building is equipped with all the futuristic tech Reed Richards could create (done with items that look like they came from the 1980s). It's a bit jarring in the best way to see a supersonic space ship sitting in the New York harbor with classic cars driving around with old television sets, but it works on every level. It's full of color and vibrancy, like you're seeing something through a Technicolor lens. Each scene is like a living work of art, and a welcome addition to the MCU canon, especially since it takes place in a different universe where we don't need the knowledge of every MCU movie and show beforehand.

Yet the set dressings would be nothing without a great cast, and the MCU is known for casting the best of the best. Pedro Pascal might be oversaturated, but he continually produces results with his lovable, slightly aloof characters he plays. Reed Richards isn't an easy man to portray on screen - he's analytical, methodical, and lacking the charm and playboy style Tony Stark is known for. Yet he gives real depth to Reed's character, and his relationship with Sue is as believable as they come, almost like they did the dream casting of John Krasinski and Emily Blunt: you feel their love, and it seems like they cast a real-life married couple to play the co-leaders of the F4. 

Vanessa Kirby is the standout as Sue Storm, who mixes motherly instinct with compassion as she balances having a child and having to defend the child from not just an unruly mob, but an intergalactic, centuries-old world eater who wants to turn him into his new successor. She's fierce when need be (in a surprising moment, she tells Johnny to actually kill the Silver Surfer because she's trying to take his nephew, and that's something you don't normally hear from a superhero), but her relationship with Reed is once again front and center. They have joyful banter like an old married couple, and almost always sees eye-to-eye on everything.

Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm is more intelligent and capable than Chris Evans' portrayal, turning from a ladies man with a small brain to someone who's constantly looked down upon but uses his own brain to figure out some important issues. Ebon Moss-Bacharach's The Thing is the most underutilized, not given a lot to work with other than being a helpmate to the family, his quips with Johnny, and attraction to Rachel Rozman (played by Natasha Lyonne). It's not a bad thing, as other iterations showcase Ben's struggles with being someone other than human, and it's something we've seen before - I just wish there was more to his character (hopefully we'll see some banter between him and Hulk in future Avengers-led movies).

The villains of this movie are as intense as they come, and perfectly comically accurate. Julia Garner plays the Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal (who's played the Silver Surfer role in comic iterations, as some people were upset that the Surfer wasn't played by male Norrin Radd), the Herald of Galactus infused with the power cosmic who chooses which planets to devour. Yet the main big bad - and emphasis on big - is Ralph Ineson's Galactus himself. In "Fantastic Four & the Silver Surfer," Galactus was seen as some sort of cloud, but this iteration is perfectly comically accurate. Galactus is a being of pure power and destruction, a gigantic menacing figure who looms over everything in existence, and is truly a terrifying figure.

The story about how the Fantastic Four have to try to stop Galactus is an intriguing one, because no other superhero movie has combated such a villain who doesn't want to take over the world - he wants to eat it into annihilation. It seems impossible that four humans could come against the will of a being that's existed even before the universe began, and seeing the always-capable Reed Richards literally throwing ideas at the wall is fascinating (the most jarring moment in the movie is when a reporter asks if they're safe, to which Reed replies, "I don't know"). Can they even win? Or are they doomed for destruction no matter what they come up with? Again, it's fantastic to see it all come together, and the final fight sequence is equally fantastic and insane to behold.

The fourth time's the charm with the Fantastic Four, as "First Steps" is a huge step in the right direction, and it'll be exciting to see how they're integrated into the MCU as a whole in the future.

The Score: A