Movie Review: Fantastic Four: First Steps

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

Marvel fans rejoice on the fourth try, the Fantastic Four finally receive a great movie. 

With a few exceptions, the best MCU movies can be watched as a stand-alone movie (for instance the first Iron Man and the first Guardians of the Galaxy). This movie can perfectly be viewed as just that. No knowledge about other MCU films or streaming shows is necessary here and the ending feels conclusive for this particular story (while still leaving the door open for more stories of course). Marvel geeks may be aware of ways that this might be leading to future events in the MCU, but being aware of such things is not essential to your enjoyment of the film. 

One way this film stands out from previous Fantastic Four movies is that the focus is completely on the family dynamic. This has always been what has made the Fantastic Four stand out from other superhero teams in the comics. The are not a strategic strike team like the Avengers nor the close friends or colleagues of the Justice League. They are very literally a family and function exactly like one. This is unfortunately what all the previous movies starring the superhero team missed. Helping out on this front is the humor is completely character based rather than the type of smart aleck humor that has been in a lot of recent comic movies (it worked in some of those films, but I don't think it would have for the Fantastic Four). Most of comedic moments aren't just there for comedy but also to help us have a greater grasp of these characters. The great chemistry between Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn goes a long way as well (once again casting director Sarah Halley Finn proves herself to be the true hero of the MCU). 

 This movie is actually rather light on action with only a couple of real action scenes. These action scenes however are quite exciting and fun. The film also benefits from a great look that is completely new for the MCU. The look is a mixture of a 60's aesthetic and some futuristic sci-fi elements. This works so well it is hard to believe that this is the only the second feature film from director Matt Shakman, who has mostly worked in TV (it is not his first MCU project though as he directed the streaming mini-series WandaVision). 

This is exactly what I wanted from a Fantastic Four movie.