QS stands for “Quickshot”, a series of short form review/preview/opinion articles.
Being the huge MCU fan that I am, I obviously went to see Fantastic Four: First Steps last weekend. And while ‘fantastic‘ might be a touch too high-praise, it was definitely a really good film! I enjoyed it quite a lot, and it’s got a bit of a different feel from the majority of other Marvel movies that I’ve watched.
For being a movie that is ultimately about Marvel’s First Family trying to stop the cosmic threat of Galactus, it ends up feeling like a relatively low-stakes movie, and I mean that in a good way. The film has a bit of that MCU Phase One energy that we haven’t felt in quite a while, where there’s a small cast, a straightforward premise, and about two-hours of runtime to handle things (though, much like my KPop Demon Hunters review from the other week, I do think the movie could’ve benefitted from 10-15 more minutes to flesh out the ending).
It’s a shockingly wholesome and positive movie, that just might be the most ‘family-friendly‘ superhero movie the MCU has ever done. I think there’s only a single swear word usage, there’s no blood and guts, there’s really only about two-ish action scenes in the entire movie, and it’s a lot more ‘slice-of-life‘ than I would’ve anticipated. And none of this is a bad thing, of course. These aspects are what make the film so stylistically unique.
Speaking of ‘style‘, the film has it in spades. In-universe, there’s a really neat blue-colored 60s aesthetic going on that feels pretty on-brand for the era in which the Fantastic Four classically debuted. It makes for a very nice presentation seeing all the cool sets and costumes. But also speaking from a cinematography perspective, the film does a lot of really cool stuff. Some of the cuts, transitions, and editing feel ripped straight from comic book panels, which is a whole lot of fun.
A lot of other reviewers have praised the soundtrack, and it’s definitely pretty excellent. The central leitmotif for the Fantastic Four is incredible, and I loved every time it popped up throughout the film (especially the credits rendition). A lot of other songs are really good too, including the track that plays during the Act One climax.
The acting is great across the board. Everyone puts in a really solid performance that ends up feeling quite natural (which is also a credit to the script). At points it feels a little less like a movie, and a little more like we’re just watching this family hang out.
Despite there really only being two action scenes (as I mentioned earlier), they both deserve special note too. I thought the dramatic stakes of the final showdown were quite good, especially the last few minutes. And much more than that, there’s a prolonged (shockingly prolonged, I might add, which is totally fine because I love lengthy action scenes) chase scene to cap off Act One that had me grinning with excitement as it just kept going, and more complex layers were added in.
I also have to give a special note to the Silver Surfer. I was worried she’d be an afterthought compared to Galactus, but she was honestly the highlight of the movie to me. I thought she was in it the perfect amount, her design is really cool to see in action, and her bond with Johnny was super interesting. Her character arc might’ve been predictable, but I still enjoyed seeing it unfold.
Is the movie flawless? No, but it is really good! The cast is maybe a little too small, which in turn makes the world feel a little small. Ben (The Thing) isn’t given a lot to do plot-wise, and none of the main characters undergo dramatic arcs or massive character growth by the time the film ends. Also, as I mentioned way earlier, the movie could’ve used about 10 more minutes to flesh out the ending and establish a bit more of the plot threads as the movie wrapped up.
(And Valeria wasn’t in the movie! Did I expect to see her? No, but it would’ve been cool anyway.)
Regardless, fun movie! The MCU is certainly on an upswing (even if I never thought they fell as low as naysayers claimed, it’s still nice to see public reception more generally positive these days in the wake of Thunderbolts*)! Go and see it!
9/10
The Contrarian Corner 