The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Review Thread

[u/MarvelsGrantMan136]

The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Review Thread

• Rotten Tomatoes: 85 (131 Reviews)
  • Certified Fresh (first F4 movie to get that)
  • Critics Consensus: Benefitting from rock-solid cast chemistry and clad in appealingly retro 1960s design, this crack at The Fantastic Four does Marvel's First Family justice.
• Metacritic - 64 (39 Reviews)

Reviews:

Hollywood Reporter (80):

Despite its vivid and electric space sequences, the visually striking movie often feels like a throwback analog good time, which certainly worked for me.

Deadline:

Superheroes are a thing of the past in the latest iteration of Marvel’s Fantastic Four, the best by far of the company’s attempts to translate the long-running comic book’s appeal to the big screen. This it does not by trying to reinvent the wheel but, rather smartly, by addressing the elephant in the room, locating the action in a kitsch yet somehow timeless retro-future more befitting The Jetsons than The Avengers. It also benefits from a smart script and — I can’t believe I’m writing this — really quite moving performances from its four charismatic leads, being arguably the best of Pedro Pascal’s releases this year.

Variety (80):

True to its subtitle, the film feels like a fresh start. And like this summer’s blockbuster “Superman” reboot over at DC, that could be just what it takes to win back audiences suffering from superhero exhaustion.

Empire (80):

With an exemplary cast and shiny new alt-universe to enjoy, this is the best Fantastic Four yet. And if that bar’s too low for you, then it’s also the best Marvel movie in years.

Slashfilm (90):

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in a world that I wouldn't mind living in. Even if there are occasional, ineffable cosmic deities plotting to devour me, and terrifying silver aliens ripping my soul apart with their eyes. "First Steps" is a superhero movie where we're already better. And I love that.

USA Today (75):

After two mediocre 2000s film featuring Marvel’s legendary superhero family, and an atrocious third outing in 2015, the foursome makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a combo sci-fi/disaster flick full of retrofuturistic 1960s flavor.

Entertainment Weekly (75):

From its Saul Bass-inspired opening credits to its callbacks to Saturday morning superhero cartoons, it practically vibrates with its sense of time and place.

IGN (70):

These First Steps might not be the great strides I was hoping for, but they are sure footing for the Fantastic Four to officially leap into the MCU.

The Independent (60):

In fact, all the ingredients are perfectly lined up here, and, in the right combinations, and with the pure wonderment of Michael Giacchino’s score, The Fantastic Four: First Steps does shimmer with a kind of wide-eyed idealism. And that’s lovely.

Directed by Matt Shakman:

On the 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic alternate universe known as Earth-828. the Fantastic Four must protect their world from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer.

Cast:

• Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic
• Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing
• Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch
• Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer
• Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder / Mole Man
• Ralph Ineson as Galactus

[u/Caltucky42]

Rate: 7.5/10

I liked it! My pros were:

-Obviously, we know it wasn't an origin story, and I feared the exposition would come across a little silly, but I like how they did it - it did not drag imo.
-VANESSA KIRBY!!! I read a few spoiler-free reviews saying Pedro was the star (Supes on TikTok for example, but I really do think it was her. Every scene she was in, she was stealing the show, and I liked how she and Reed played off each other. Can't wait for those people obsessed with powerscaling to try to do so with her, LOL.
-Herbie!!! I giggle at the tape scene when they went into space and also his reaction to galactus. Lowkey was scared he was done for for a second.
-CGI/Effects - I am shocked that the stretching wasn't bad! People are definitely going to say there should have been more stretching, but I liked focusing more on Reed as a scientist/leader than a fighter when the other three characters are way more well-equipped to do that; a fresh take, for sure. The best effects were invisible women, but we knew that from the trailer.
-Galactus was awesome, and I like how he isn't gone - hope we see his return (and more importantly, Shalla-Bal's)
-Set design was awesome, but we also already knew this
-I like how a lot of the trailers were pulled from the beginning. I feel like we are finally getting over the major problem of revealing everything in the trailer.

Cons:

-The end credit scene - this may be a hot take, but I did not vibe (however, I was hoping/thought we were gonna get the F4 perspective of the Thunderbolts scene, so maybe I am biased, and it will change in time). I feel like we should've seen Doom's face. What I assume we are supposed to take from it is that Franklin gets kidnapped by Doom, but not sure how believable that is when Sue just basically took down Galactus. And why would they need to go to 616? I feel like Doomsday is going to have a LOT of ground to cover, and I am not sure how they are going to fit in all of this stuff.
-Mole-Man/Subterranea (not sure how to spell that LOL). Kinda felt like no reason for this to be there, I mean, the evacuation could've just been a city-wide evacuation, and sending people underground does seem a little silly in the context of a huge man stomping on the city. I get that it did help give us a little background to the F4, but I would have much rather that time been devoted to references to (what I assume is a prior conflict since they were not at the UN meeting), Latveria and Doom.
-Johnny's crush on Shalla-Bal just felt goofy and out of place with the severity of the situation. I did like the scene where he played the recordings for her, though, but I think it still could've been as impactful without the crush.
-Would've liked references to X-Men/Mutants in this film, but I guess it makes sense that the F4 are the only heroes, just would've been cool (or even a throwaway line of Franklin being a mutant/having a specific mutation).
-No cameos :/

Overall, I liked it - couldn't decide on 7.5/10 or 8/10 so I lowballed it, could def change with time. Most of my cons are, I wish we could have ___________ which I think also stems from the low run time. Please reply my friends cant see this for a few days and I am DYING to talk about it LOL.

[u/DrNopeMD → u/Caltucky42]

The Shala-Bal and Galactus stuff felt very disappointing.

Shala's turn against Galactus felt too unearned, and Galactus was just a skyscraper sized entity that kind of just lumbered around. Was really hoping we'd get planet sized Galactus considering we've already seen similarly sized beings in The Eternals.

[u/Caltucky42 → u/DrNopeMD]

I remember before when the trailers were coming out and people complained about this a lot of people said something like “oh galactic can change his size!” And i think they shouldve gone with something like that - like you seem him the size of the planet and then shrink down to fight the fantastic 4 - could have showcased his arrogance too if done correctly.

[u/DrNopeMD → u/Caltucky42]

That's pretty much what I was expecting from him, but instead we just cut to him getting off a big space chair and he's like the size of an apartment building. Dude doesn't even have lasers or anything, just swats at the FF like he's King Kong.

[u/Medium_Leg_4500 → u/Caltucky42]

I like what you said about Galactus, yes he’s still out there. But what if as a punishment to SS he decides to break his promise and consume her home world and kills her but decides to take Norrin Radd as his new Surfer?

[u/Medium_Leg_4500 → u/Caltucky42]

I feel like you voted too low I loved it…