If you were disappointed by the previous outings of the Fantastic Four, then Matt Shakman’s movie will be your ideal version of Marvel’s First Family. A lot of complaints were hurled at the movie’s 60s futuristic aesthetic or even the casting of Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer. However, the setting is just a backdrop, and so much of the story could just as easily be set in the current MCU. None of the characters behave like characters from “Leave it to Beaver.” And for those doubting the inclusion of Shalla-Bal, the surfer has never looked cooler onscreen.
The people of earth 828 love The Fantastic Four, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) are expecting, and Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are concerned that the new member of the family will put an end to the team’s adventures. Enter Shalla-Bal, the Herald of Galactus with an apocalyptic message for Earth. The Fantastic Four have never done battle on this scale, and time is against them.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a well-paced movie that drops audiences right in the middle of the team’s career recapping their origin with a highlight reel.
This movie does a brilliant job showcasing every character minus Reed. Pascal is fine in the role but aside from a couple quiet moments and his argument with Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser) he never leaves his mark on the role.
H.E.R.B.I.E.’s frequent presence cements his place in the family and will be sure to make him an instant fan favorite amongst kids and adults.
Quinn as Johnny is an interesting case. He’s charismatic, but it takes a bit of the movie (the first battle with the Surfer) before Quinn locks into place. We finally have a movie that takes advantage of making Johnny useful rather than being the vain one as he works to decipher the various space messages Reed has recorded. It’s Ben and Johnny’s rapport that’s scene stealing when the two argue about who will check to see if Sue and Reed are done fighting, which I wish was more present in this movie.
But it’s Kirby’s performance as Sue that is the show stopper. She delivers an inspirational and emotionally stirring speech in the face of a mob when they demand she give up her child to save Earth. Kirby gives it her all, acting her heart out during the battle with Galactus (Ralph Ineson). We have never seen this display of Sue’s powers on-screen before and it is a sight to behold.
All three of the CGI characters: Ben, Shalla-Bal, and Galactus are also nothing short of out of this world. Ben’s design is spot on and Moss-Bachrach was inspired by casting. His vulnerability translates perfectly to the character.
Behind-the-scene photos have circulated of Ineson in a practical Galactus suit, and the final product is breathtaking. The suit, while comic accurate, has a toned down color palette. The dark blues, purples, and blacks give the appearance of the cosmos with specks of light resembling the stars. The cinematography brilliantly brought the proper scope and scale to Galactus. Ineson’s voice has some modulation, but it is every bit as menacing as you’d want the Devourer of Worlds to sound like.
Garner’s Shalla-Bal doesn’t have a whole lot to do in the way of dialogue. She delivers the Herald’s message and has a great scene with Johnny that humanizes the character. However her origin story is the weakest looking moment of the movie. The scene takes place on the beach of some distant world, but the bare backgrounds make the sequence look like a last minute addition. That said, all the scenes of the Surfer riding on various elements such as magma, a wormhole, and space debris were jaw-dropping.
This movie has so many moving parts, and it’s astonishing that it never loses focus on its story. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has it all: a fun adventure, arresting visuals, and a great score by Michael Giacchino that matches the movie’s energy and tone. I’ve been fighting the urge to say it throughout this review, but “First Steps” is truly fantastic. ‘Nuff said!
Rating: 4.5/5.
The writer of this piece is: Laurence Almalvez
Laurence tweets from @IL1511
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