The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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Multiverse Saga

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The Fantastic Four, a classic Marvel property, has always had trouble getting off the ground as a motion picture. For crying out loud, there was a '94 version that never got released because it was so bad, yet it was supposedly the most faithful to the source material. From that, one must wonder how it could ever be anything very successful. These characters are among the most delicate to work around in filmmaking because, at their core, they're downright cheesy and straight out of the '60s.

Much like 'Superman,' these heroes need to be of the more light and colourful variety instead of dark and brooding, which has its place in things like 'Batman' or 'Venom,' but not 'Fantastic Four,' as the 2015 film so brutally illustrated. I always thought the 2005 film was not quite as bad as people let on, but its sequel, 'Rise of the Silver Surfer' dropped the ball entirely with their horrendous take on Galactus. Most critics have the opposite view, but that's just another example of me "going against the grain."

All in all, however, 'Fantastic Four' seems to be one of those things destined to fail, unless someone can get the right formula down; enter the MCU's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' which I think is probably our best 'F4' movie to date because they finally found some filmmakers who thought outside of the box and bring baby Franklin (Ada Scott) into the mix. I'm not gonna get into detail about how that can change everything as we know it in the MCU, but he's a big deal.

This story takes place on Earth 828, where the 60s are a little more advanced in technology, and things look like what a 60s-based future may look like to us. However, here, it's around 1964, and The Fantastic Four, consisting of genius scientist Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), his wife, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), best friend and pilot, Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and brother-in-law, Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) are a well-established Avengers-like group for this particular Earth.

It's soon revealed that Sue is pregnant. Before we know it, the Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), the Herald for Galactus (Ralph Ineson), shows up, and warns Earth that they've been targeted for extermination. Galactus is a powerful cosmic entity with an insatiable hunger for other planets, chosen by the Surfer. As Earth's protectors, the Fantastic Four head into space to make contact with Galactus and negotiate for the safety of their planet. However, Galactus asks for too high a cost; their son, Franklin, whom Galactus has his reasons for wanting, without giving too much away.

What I appreciate about this chapter of the MCU is that nothing gets complicated, and it feels like the film brings things somewhat back to basics. This didn't require any prior TV or film viewings to work. It feels like a good beginning to the end of the Multiverse Saga, introducing us to a whole new yet classic team that we're bound to see fighting alongside our favourite MCU characters in the upcoming 'Avengers' back-to-back. All in all, this was a solid superhero movie, and it finally felt right when it comes to bringing Fantastic Four to the screen, namely with that '60s aesthetic.

I enjoyed this for its incredible visual effects, which provided a lot of badass scenes, like, for example, the Silver Surfer riding on a wave of Johnny Storm's fire during a chase sequence. It combined that '60s feel with a powerful cosmic feel incredibly well. As far as the heroes go, they all showcase their abilities quite well, thanks to montages that don't require an extensive origin story. I will say this, however. I went in overhyped, imagining various possibilities and potential outcomes, but didn't quite get what I wanted. But that doesn't mean the film isn't a solid addition to the MCU's recent history.

4/5

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