Hollywood has finally realised the formula for adapting Fantastic Four to the big screen is to take copious notes from The Incredibles, and it only took 20 years.
Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t quite the perfect movie Pixar’s 2004 superhero family drama is, but what it is is an absolute blast that had me grinning from ear to ear for its entire runtime.
In the same way James Gunn’s Superman gave us a Man Of Steel that gleefully embraced its campiest comic book origins, director Matt Shakman has injected First Steps with a particularly pulpy pep, a playful fizz that helps Marvel’s first family to truly stand apart from the (relatively) more grounded MCU we’re familiar with.
A delightful opening sequence gives us a quick rundown of the basics. The Fantastic Four are the sole protectors of Earth 828, an alternate universe drenched in gorgeous 60’s retrofuturism.
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Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon-Moss Bachrach) are intrepid astronauts who returned to Earth forever changed after exposure to cosmic rays. A fun montage of some classic villains shows us they’ve been operating as The Fantastic Four for the last few years, and are absolutely beloved around the world.
The MCU, for all its faults, has always excelled at casting, and every single member of the quartet nails it. Both individually and as a family unit, these heroes are a joy to watch. One scene, later on in the movie, is literally just the men attempting to assemble an infant’s car-seat while Sue watches on, bemused. It is an absolute highlight.
If that sounds to you like I’m damning with faint praise, I promise you I’m not. It’s these quieter, family driven moments where First Steps truly shines. The playful banter between Ben and Johnny over dinner, the frantic efforts to baby-proof their home by Reed, Sue’s quiet exhaustion over her new-found motherhood.
As brilliant as all four leads are, though, it’s Vanessa Kirby who really walks away as the MVP. It’s incredibly refreshing, after multiple live-action iterations that have never quite known what to do with the character. Sue is a devoted mother and the glue that holds the entire family together, yes, but she’s also a brilliant diplomat and global leader. A sequence in which she negotiates with Mole Man (a scene-stealing Paul Walter Hauser) while the rest of the team lose their cool at his snarky microaggressions is a brilliant summation of everything that makes Sue Storm the icon she has always been: calm, cool, and compassionate.
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First Steps also embraces the fact Sue is, and always has been, the most powerful member of The Fantastic Four. To go into more detail would be too spoilery, but I can tell you she gets to cut loose in spectacular fashion.
I do also have to give Pedro Pascal his flowers, though. Reed Richards is a multifaceted character who is capable of genuine atrocities, and while Pascal’s take on the stretchy genius is ostensibly a gentle nerd, there are flashes of something darker under the surface. This is a man who will make terrible sacrifices if logic dictates it, and I’m keen to see if this aspect of Reed comes into play when Avengers: Doomsday releases.
Of course, plenty of you are probably headed to the cinema on the promise of seeing Galactus, finally realised in all his glory. I can say you won’t be disappointed. The devourer of worlds is really, properly terrifying here — the sheer scale and cosmic horror of the character done justice like never before. Ralph Ineson’s gravelly pipes only add to the terror, and when he finally touches down in New York, you’ll know it’s squeaky bum time.
It’s not all perfect. There are some spectacular action sequences (an escape from a black hole is really something), but the movie is largely surprisingly light on the team showcasing their powers. Ebon-Moss Bachrach is also underserved as The Thing, as is Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer. Oh, and there’s the typical shonky MCU CGI at various points, with The Thing looking a little rough in some places, and a fake baby that could give the nightmare toddler from Twilight a run for its money.
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Minor issues aside, Fantastic Four: First Steps is near-enough everything I’ve ever wanted from a Fantastic Four movie. It’s a big, epic, heartfelt adventure driven by four stars at the top of their game. I can’t wait till the next time we all get to hang out.