Fantastic Four Is Fantastic
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is Fantastic!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps heralds the new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, kicking off Phase 6 of the MCU. The movie drops us right into the action on Earth-828. The Fantastic Four have been around for four years. Having encountered a space anomaly that altered their DNA, giving them fantastic powers. This is not an origin story, but the film pauses long enough to give us the backstory we need. But outside this pause, the film doesn’t really let up. Within a few minutes we find out Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) are going to parents (Yay!) and that their Earth has been marked for death by Galactus (bummer).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Fun!
Set in a retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a marvel to behold. Its retro aesthetic echoes the 60s when the Fantastic Four made their comic debut. But this isn’t our 60’s so there are also touches of futuristic technology, such as flying cars and H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot. The character designs, costumes, and ships all look cool as hell. The spectacular score adds adventure, excitement, and gravitas to the movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Fabulous!
Remember how Sue is pregnant and the Earth is doomed? Yea. After the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) lets them know Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is coming to eat their planet, our heroes go to negotiate with him. It…doesn’t go well.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Family!
At its core, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a family drama. Reed, Sue, baby Franklin along with brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and best friend Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are a family. They enjoy Sunday dinner together, and save the world together. When Galactus demands too high a price to spare Earth, the Four are forced to find a fantastic way to save the earth. While they are indeed saving earth they are saving baby Franklin. To the Fantastic Four, the scale is the same as an egg to a planet.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Far Fetched!
Sure. This is a superhero movie where a guy is a rock and a giant intergalactic super being devours planets in minutes but its most unrealistic notion is that the world comes together completely to save the world. But that’s what makes this movie special and what made me cry. This movie’s most fantastic aspect is hope. In our world, the idea of the entire planet coming together for anything even its own survival, seems far-fetched. We can’t even come together to save our own country. I loved having hope, especially in a hopeless world.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Fearless
After what many consider to be a shaky Phase 5, Marvel needed something bold to remind us why we go to the movies. This is a comic book movie through and through. It’s like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s imagination is being drawn onscreen in real time, portraying their world in ways unimaginable in 1961.
This movie gives me hope. If not enough for our future, enough for the MCUs. Four out of four stars.
