The Fantastic Four: First Steps has finally arrived in theaters, giving us our first look at the new superheroes in the Disney Marvel Universe.
True to its title, the film serves as an introduction to the characters, their backgrounds, their world, and their origin story. Unfortunately, it seemed that most of the film consisted of just that: information. They also spend a lot of time problem-solving how to defeat the new villains that have come in to threaten their world, but the time they spend in battle with them is minimal. The film fell a little flat for me in that sense, but the ending did pick up the pace.
The cast was great, however, and their performances reflected the personalities of the characters as I know them to be from previous films. I really liked Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards or Mister Fantastic, and I dare say, he has been my favorite actor in that role so far. Pascal’s Reed Richards is deeper and more complex than previous portrayals of him. That deeper take on the characters also extended to the other characters as well. Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, or Invisible Woman, delivered some of the most heartfelt moments in the movie when defending and protecting her baby. Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, or Human Torch, is still the showoff of the group, but he is also more thoughtful and mature in this film. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, or Thing, is the glue that keeps the family together and seems softer than I remember from other films, which was a nice touch. Julia Garner, as Shalla-Bal, or Silver Surfer, was great, too. I liked that the film dedicated some scenes to telling us her story, which makes us understand her more. Although Ralph Ineson as Galactus doesn’t have as much screentime, he was still fun to watch.
One thing I did love was the world they live in. The Fantastic Four live in New York City on Earth-828, which differs from our Earth-616, where the other Marvel films are set. Theirs is a chic and retro 1960s futuristic-like world, very much like The Jetsons. I love the costumes, hair, makeup, and the retro-looking flying cars and architecture. I’m going to miss seeing that world when the Fantastic Four jump to the main timeline on Earth-616, which is expected to happen for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie.
Overall, the film was okay, and it serves its purpose as an introduction and as a stepping stone, building up to the next Avengers film, due out next year.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters.
