Praise the moon and stars above, for the first time in a long time, we finally get a Marvel movie where we don’t have to slog through a dozen movies and TV shows to understand it. Even better, this Fantastic Four doesn’t spend an hour pounding its audience over the head with an overwritten origin story. Those two reasons are enough to bump this movie a full star higher. Yes, Fantastic does a lot of lore-dropping and world-building, but it also doesn’t dry-hump you with that stuff like a randy prom date. I know this moment is too good to last. But for these two hours, Marvel finally relaxes and gives us a self-contained spectacle to simply sit and enjoy. Bravo.
If the previous Fantastic piffle did anything–and it didn’t do much–you at least know how Marvel’s first family came into existence. Four brilliant astronauts were toiling in space when they were exposed to a cosmic blast that imbued them with extraordinary powers. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), already the smartest science brain on Earth, can stretch like the Rubberband Man. Sue (Vanessa Kirby), his wife, turns invisible and projects force fields. Sue’s brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) can burst into flames and fly. Finally, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bacharach) was transformed into The Thing, a burly brute with igneous skin.
This version of the Four whisks us back to 1960s, but in an alternate universe. In this realm, the world feels like a mashup of Mad Men aesthetics and retro-futuristic optimism. Every scene resembles something out of a World’s Fair exhibit, circa 1962. That means flying cars and intergalactic space travel–the logical conclusion of that era’s unbridled innovation.
As this film begins, the titular foursome have already become household names. Johnny pops up on magazine covers. Everybody loves the Thing’s action figure, which growls his signature line: “It’s clobberin’ time!” But the best news of all arrives in the opening sequence: Reed and Sue are having a baby! In addition to their anxiety on becoming parents, they also worry that their future son might also bear the blessing and curse of superpowers.
Of course, before the fantastic family can really process this news, a new threat arrives to annihilate the Earth. He is Galactus, a planet-devouring golem who roams the galaxy, destroying everything in his path. This cheerful news arrives via the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), a live-action hood ornament with a satin-smooth voice. She floats on a shiny surfboard and advises the frightened people of Earth to hug each other real close before they get, you know, eaten.
From that plot, we get a thoroughly adequate superhero epic. Director Matt Shakman and a platoon of screenwriters adhere to both the spirit and substance of the source material. All the usual character beats are here–Reed is brilliant but awkward, the Thing is grouchy but loveable, etc. Devotees of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s beloved original characters will not be disappointed.
This reverence is further enhanced by Marvel’s reliably sharp eye for casting. Pascal probably isn’t the obvious choice for Mr. Fantastic, but still clicks. He gives Reed a needed dose of clumsy humanity to balance with the Good Will Hunting brilliance. The result is a character who stays easy to like. Kirby’s Invisible Woman is the ballast to Reed’s aggressive overthinking. She’s intelligent, but also spiritually grounded and emotionally wise. A lazier film could simply deploy Sue Storm as a damsel in distress, but here she’s always a critical member of the team. I also enjoyed Garner as a gender-flipped Silver Surfer. Her character is basically a warm-up act for the main villain, and she brings a chilling cheerfulness to her hype act.
Unfortunately, the arrival of our big bad is a bit of a letdown. I know that Galactus is a big deal in the comics, but he makes a dull translation to the screen. As a character, Galactus lacks charisma and a compelling backstory. He just consumes everything in his path, like an oversized locust. The film does such a great job fleshing its heroes into rounded humans, it’s disappointing to see such a remote, boring villain.
But, you know what? I’ll put up with that to experience a Marvel movie without having to scroll through god damn Wikipedia the whole time. (“Wait–was that character in Endgame? Or Moon Knight?? Or Hawkeye? Ah, screw it…”) Also, big props to Shakman and company for creating such a fun look and feel. Merging the Jetsons with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater vibe was a bold move, and it pays off handsomely. All told, The Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t a perfect film, but it still succeeds on its own terms. For the MCU, this is what progress looks like.
114 min. PG-13. In theaters.
