The Fantastic Four: First Steps
After astronauts Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his best friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, TV's 'The Bear'), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby, "Napoleon") and her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn, "A Quiet Place: Day One") traveled through a cosmic cloud, their DNA was irretrievably altered, giving them superpowers that gave them their alter egos of Mister Fantastic, The Thing, the Invisible Woman and the Human Torch. This close knit family founded the Future Foundation and have successfully protected Earth until the voracious space god Galactus (Ralph Ineson, "The Witch") threatens to consume it unless they make an impossible sacrifice in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
Laura's Review: B+
There have been many attempts to create a Fantastic Four movie, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Marvel 'First Family,' and finally it appears that director Matt Shakman (TV's 'Wandavision'), working with a screenplay from Josh Friedman ("Kingdom fo the Planet of the Apes"), Eric Pearson ("Thunderbolts*") and "The Last of the Great Romantics'" Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer and a great cast, has gotten it right. Set in the same time period as their 1961 comic book introduction, "The Fantastic Four" owes a lot to its production designer Kasra Farahani (TV's 'Loki') who has created a retro futuristic world that feels like visiting the 1964 World's Fair. The special effects team also excels here with everything from The Thing's appealing cragginess, Fantastic's incredibly natural looking elasticity and Silver Surfer's (Julia Garner, "Wolf Man") sleek sexiness.
While the filmmakers have leapfrogged over an origin story, they do segue to an origin montage framed, edited and narrated like an old-timey newsreel showing the new superheroes battling Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser, "I, Tonya") and Red Ghost's Super-Apes (John Malkovich's Red Ghost was reportedly cut from the film) and Sue founding the Future Federation where all of Earth's nations giving up their weapons. But the film's actual opening moments has Sue revealing a positive pregnancy test to Reed and although the two are overjoyed, they will wonder if their altered DNA will affect their child, one of many plot similarities with Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" which has long raised speculation that his animation was inspired by F4. Ben immediately guesses Sue is expecting and H.E.R.B.I.E. (voice of Matthew Wood), their adorable retro robot with eyes like a reel-to-reel tape deck, immediately sets to child proofing their penthouse.
Reed and Sue aren't the only romantically attached Fantastics as Ben, dressed in giant loafers, a trench and Fedora (costumes by "Doctor Strange's" Alexandra Byrne), likes to visit his old neighborhood, not only for a local bakery's black and white cookies, but to cross paths with teacher Rachel Rozman (Natasha Lyonne). Ladies' man Johnny's eye is caught by this film's re-gendered Silver Surfer and his determination to learn her language will become hugely significant in saving Earth.
"First Steps" doesn't follow the usual Marvel structure. While this group does engage in playful banter, their frequent conversation is muted, the film's atmosphere hushed. Pascal's analytical bent will cause friction with his wife's more emotional nature, not only within their marriage, but in their relationship with those they protect. Kirby's never been more appealing than she is here, her eyes shining with maternal love, although her speech in front of their foundation, meant to get a disgruntled populace back on their side, is less than convincing, an issue of writing over delivery. Although we don't see much of his face, Moss-Bachrach's Ben is the film's most endearing character, his shy wooing of Rachel reminiscent of Ernest Borgnine's "Marty." Garner creates a flesh and blood Shalla Bal beneath her silver sheen and Ineson combines composure with a booming voice befitting his gigantic stature, Galactus resembling a towering Asian warrior cast in stone. The film also stars Sarah Niles ("F1: The Movie") as Lynne Nichols, the Future Foundation's Chief of Staff and Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert, the host of a variety show which frequently features the Fantastic Four.
This is a movie that revels in the details, like the group's futuristic blue and white flying car with fins and city streets resembling a New York City of a bygone age, just as F4's apartment is a marvel of mid-century modern architecture. F4's retro rocket ship is sleek and conical on the outside, but features a roomy interior and fits into a triangular docking station which allows it to skip across space. The film's action is contained within two or three set pieces, its big climax less destructive and more emotional that the usual Marvel movie. Michael Giacchino's ("Up") score connects various dots without being particularly memorable.
Along with DC's "Superman," "Fantastic Four" may just rejuvenate a moribund genre. Super heroes are fun again and they've never looked better.
Disney/Marvel releases "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" in theaters on 7/25/25.
