Details from IMDB:
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
Initial Thoughts:
I’ll admit right off I’m not a big fan of the Fantastic Four comics, I’ve read maybe 12 of them so I made a point to read a couple more before the movie. I’ll will add, however, that I didn’t hate the Sony movies (that I saw) and this one got good reviews so I was sure to see it before it left IMAX here.
Main Points:
I was glad to see that Cineplex now has movies on the morning, I saw this at 1030am and it worked out great. I just got my snacks in time, walked in and I didn’t have to watch a single preview or ad as the movie was starting. Also great going in the morning was the fact that 3 other people were in the theatre and I didn’t have any problem plugging in my EV (we only have 7 plug-in spots at the mall). I like how Marvel is taking chances and doing different movies like this. I should say this will contain SPOILERS, you’ve been warned. I like how this started on Reed and Sue and you find out right away that she’s pregnant (unless you saw no trailers you knew this) and then we get into this 60s alternative future style (and a different universe, Earth 828) which reminds me of “The Jetsons” (but not as wildly sexist of course).
As my favorite movie critic, Rebecca Frost, said the film is better once they find out about Galactus and head into space. Don’t get me wrong, I really like how they quickly introduced the characters, gave you some backstory and even highlighted some of their adventures so far (including Mole Man!) but after 20 minutes or so it was time for something big to happen. Everyone does a great job here, I was skeptical of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards but he really nailed the character, as did Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn (from Stranger Things, though you’d barely recognize him). There was a fair bit of humor in here, which fits well, a lot of heart and some excellent action scenes. Fantastic Four are one of Marvel’s more light-hearted/campy comic books and I’m glad they show that here. I also quite liked how in this universe they are the only super-heroes (that we see anyway) as as such as huge celebrities that have to deal with the press/general public much more so that any other Marvel characters we’ve seen so far.
I was angry to just have Galactus as just a big cloud before, seeing him in all of his Jack Kirby glory as a guy with a huge helmet stomping through NYC was wonderful. I also have to say that I was impressed with Johnny Storm, they changed his character from the comics just a little and it makes him way more interesting and more likable. H.E.R.B.I.E. was a delight, though I wish I could understand more what he was saying. I do miss seeing Stan Lee do his cameos and I was curious if Willie Lumpkin would show up here but he doesn’t. I thought they do a great job of showing how the Fantastic Four is not just a super-hero team but a family and I think there are some really well-written interactions between them but when they are relaxing and when fighting for their life. I also loved how Sue Storm really gets to show how powerful she is towards the end and the lengths she will go to protect her child.
Final Thoughts:
Be sure to stay for a mid-credit and an end credit scene, the first one is the big tease for the next Marvel movie while the last one is just a fun bonus for sticking around. This is a best Fantastic Four movie, hands down, and I’m so glad Marvel got to give it the treatment it deserved. I’m really looking forward to see what they do next especially as we know they will move over to the 616 main Marvel universe (though perhaps only briefly). I give this a solid 8 out of 10 and would highly recommend it to any Marvel/comic book/sci-fi fan. Several scenes looked great in IMAX and you should really see it that way while you can, well worth the money. If I had to rank them I would put Thunderbolts as the best Marvel movie this year, with this as 2nd and Captain America: Brave New World last but overall I’d say Marvel is having a great year and I look forward to what comes next in this new phase. This movie does have some coarse language, some violence and some mature themes, so please don’t bring young kids, ages 13+.