Third time’s a (fantastic) charm!
It’s the third (released) attempt at a Fantastic Four movie, and after two truly embarrassing attempts, this time Marvel Studios got it right. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the best Marvel feature film since Avengers: Endgame. The Fantastic Four could have been an interesting and worthwhile introduction to a new phase of the MCU, in its aesthetic, tone, and multiversal angle, had it been released following Endgame. Unfortunately, here we are, with a decade-long experience of watching Marvel cinematic fodder, constantly lowering expectations, and suffering from superhero fatigue. Luckily, Fantastic Four: First Steps pushes through any worry and/or fatigue with a fun, concise (don’t think about the plot too much!), and beautifully constructed story setting with the best character chemistry since the first Avengers film.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place on Earth-828 (an alternate timeline to the main MCU timeline on Earth-616… more on that in a bit). The superhero foursome consists of husband and wife scientists Reed Richards a.k.a. “Mister Fantastic” (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm a.k.a. “The Invisible Woman” (Vanessa Kirby), Sue’s brother Johnny Storm a.k.a. “The Human Torch” (Joseph Quinn), and Reed’s pal Ben Grimm a.k.a. “The Thing” (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). On the fourth anniversary of the space crew becoming the Fantastic Four, a mysterious alien herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), arrives on Earth and warns humans that they’ll be destroyed soon by a planet-eating space god, Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The stakes are big, yet somehow feel small, in a good way. Despite the usual warning sign of having three screenwriters, Fantastic Four: First Steps feels cohesive and straightforward– the superhero family’s formation is shown via footage on a televised anniversary special, unintrusive subplots add emotional depth to the main characters, and the story has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, even at only one hour and 50 minutes (not including end credits).
Credit should go to director Matt Shakman: A television journeyman for the past two decades, he knows how to execute precise, time-constrained storytelling. His crew of editors, cinematographers, digital artists, and especially production designer Kasra Farahani (Loki) has crafted a stunning 1960s retrofuturistic New York City, filled with blues, whites, yellows, silvers, and cozy-looking sweater vests. Every scene is full of detail and design, and the result looks wholly considered, neat, and inviting. These wise aesthetic choices counter what we’ve seen from the MCU up until now. Earth-828’s design is all part of Fantastic Four: First Steps’ mostly self-contained story that requires little homework. We need to understand the narrative conceit that the story takes place on an alternate Earth, and be okay that most of the action occurs within a ten-block radius of New York City. So, why don’t other countries help out more? Does the rest of the world not care about their fate as much as New Yorkers? Well, that could be true, but again, don’t think about it too much! Fantastic Four provides all you need to know about each character and story arc. When the film ends, there’s an actual satisfying conclusion, whether or not a billion sequels can (and will) be stretched out of it.
At the heart of Fantastic Four is a tight family dynamic. It sounds sappy and sincere, but when Fantastic Four tugs at the heartstrings, it tugs hard. The film wears its emotions on its soft-woven sleeves, whether portraying parents’ uncompromising love for their child, a hopeless romantic’s yearning to be normal, or a monolithic being reckoning with past decisions. Pascal and Kirby have amazing romantic chemistry, and Quinn and Moss-Bachrach add charm and loyal familial bonds. The “importance of family” messaging of many superhero films feels tiresome and overused, but Fantastic Four manages to hit the same emotional beats without clubbing us over the head with Hallmark Channel speeches (fine, maybe one). The scenario this summer in which Fantastic Four, in all its colorful sincerity, is going head-to-head against Superman, with all its similar colorful sincerity, is an exciting launching point for the new phase of DC vs. MCU cinematic universes, and maybe just the jolt of comic caffeine that our superhero fatigue needs.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens today in theaters.
