A childhood dream realized at last!
By Tim Estiloz
Full disclosure, “Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the movie I’ve been waiting for, ever since my early teenage years.
“Huh?…What?”
Now you’re likely reading that bold statement and thinking, “Really Tim… Really?”
Of all the great movies made over the past decades of your life, of all the spectacular Oscar winning / Oscar worthy movies you’ve seen, enjoyed and reviewed over the years; the film you’ve been waiting for all this time is… The Fantastic Four?”
While you’re likely questioning my rational judgement and serious credibility as a film critic; let me answer your incredulous query with a resounding, passionate and heartfelt answer of “Yes!”
But you have to understand the deeper significant backstory that co-mingles my young adolescent days as not only a comic book fan in my youth; but also, my budding talent and future professional aspirations as an artist and illustrator. Please patiently allow me the courtesy to digress a teeny bit before reviewing this new film and explain why I so profoundly love it.
Within my wildest of youthful dreams existed my goal to be a Marvel comic book artist. Those budding dreams and my nascent creative talent found fertile ground within the multiple crisp, colorful pages of the “Fantastic Four” Marvel comic book.
The Fantastic Four was Marvel Comics’ first major new leap back into the superhero genre in 1963, pre-dating current popularity juggernaut Spider-Man. Taking place just one year after the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the true brink of nuclear Armageddon and the genuine near annihilation of civilization; the tale of four individuals ambitiously flying into space evoked an uplifting American optimism sorely needed for young kids, while their parents and teachers were daily admonishing them to “duck and cover” under their desks in case of a nuclear attack.
The tale of brilliant scientist Reed Richards, his loyal wife Sue Storm, Sue’s girl-crazy immature teenage brother Johnny and Ben Grimm, Reed’s best friend and ace test-pilot, blasting into the unknown of space, when much of the NASA space program was mostly in its drawing board infancy, was the stuff of adventure to young kids of the day. When the quartet’s rocket crash landed back on Earth after being bombarded with other worldly radiation in space; each of the four were shocked to discover their bodies had miraculously changed.
Reed Richards had the ability to stretch his limbs and body to extreme limits and shapes. Sue Storm gained the power of invisibility and the ability to create powerful force fields. Johnny found he could literally become aflame, as hot-headed as his adolescent personality. Poor Ben Grimm seemed to get the short end of the stick. He became a super-strong individual housed within a mammoth, rock like, orange hued body. Unlike his three friends, Ben could not revert back to his human form… eventually given the insensitive nickname by others as “The Thing”.
A decade later, like millions of other kids, my youthful self discovered the “Fantastic Four” comic book. I was not only enraptured with the tales of this now world-protecting foursome fighting such diabolical bad guys as Dr. Doom, the space-god Galactus, The Silver Surfer, The Sub-Mariner and more; but also, the young artist in me was riveted to the spectacular artwork, action and imaginative worlds created the legendary comic artist Jack Kirby.
Kirby’s unparalleled and astonishing artistic creations were enhanced even more by the skill of legendary Marvel inker Joe Sinnott. The stellar art team of Kirby and Sinnott combined; and later John Buscema or George Perez – again inked by the amazing Joe Sinnott were my first introduction, my first serious training as an illustrator many years before I would enter art school.
The stories, the characters, the artwork created by these men within “The Fantastic Four” comic were not just entertainment for this young kid. Without their knowing it, they were encouraging faraway mentors to the dreams of a 12-year-old child who wanted to be an artist one day. I spent hours upon hours practicing to draw like them, drawing in pencil the characters of the F4 and picking up a brush and ink to emulate as precisely as I could the style of Joe Sinnott.
That’s the legacy of these creators, their legacy of The Fantastic Four for me… culminating decades later and meeting my creative idol Joe Sinnott and becoming friends with him and his family. I even fulfilled my dream of working on several comic books as an inker… including assisting my mentor Joe on a published Spider-Man newspaper strip we inked together.
So, being a movie fan as well, it seemed only natural for me to eagerly anticipate one day seeing these larger-than-life comic book heroes brought to life on a huge movie screen. Alas, the history of the Fantastic Four on film has neither fared as well, nor as heroically, as these heroes have on the comic book printed page. There’s been an ironic FOUR prior attempts to tell their story on the big screen.
Legendary B-movie director Roger Corman directed a version in the mid 90’s to help a friend keep the licensing rights to the characters. Much to the chagrin of the actors hired, that version never saw the light of day save for bootleg copies and random appearances of the film on You Tube. The early 2000’s brought two versions of the comic book characters fronted by Jessica Alba as Sue Storm. While not as horrid in my opinion as some might think, those versions were also underwhelming and bombed at the box office. In 2015, someone thought it was a good idea to hire director Josh Trank, actors Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan in a god-forsaken, abysmal and Millennial-focused reboot barely resembling the comic book, except in name only.
The less said about that abominable travesty, the better.
After four huge misfires, the hopes and chances of this seemingly cursed comic book franchise successfully getting the proper Hollywood treatment seemed as remote as Pia Zadora making an Oscar-winning, red-carpet comeback.
Who is Pia Zadora? … exactly.
So, preparing for yet another likely final, gut-wrenching disappointment; imagine my ecstatic glee when I watched “Fantastic Four: First Steps” and witnessed the faithful incarnation of this amazing super-powered quartet mostly as I remembered them as a kid.
No, this film isn’t as perfect as it could, perhaps should be. However, its storyline by Josh Friedman and direction by Matt Shakman is far closer to the unique spirit, heart and visual imagination of the original source material than all four of the previous films combined.
Director Shakman mostly avoids the common superhero film trap of, once again, retelling the origin story of the Fantastic Four that was thoroughly covered in previous films. Instead, Shakman begins the film “in media res”. ( That means Shakman begins the story in the middle of the plot without much exposition – for all you non-Literature / non-Film Study majors. Don’t feel bad, I had to Google what it means myself. )
The film opens into an alternate reality known as “Earth 828”; a groovy retro-futuristic world and New York that’s a funky hybrid of 1960’s analog and vacuum-tubed esthetics, pop-culture and naive optimism combined with stylized, space-age architecture, funky home furnishings and select technology straight out of “The Jetsons”. It’s as if artist Jack Kirby were still alive and was an active creative consultant on this film.
Within this world, The Fantastic Four are already established and beloved heroes and trusted protectors of this world. Unlike the others within the Marvel Universe, as well as in the current James Gunn “Superman” film, here it appears The Fantastic Four don’t have to share the heroic duties or celebrity spotlight with a cavalcade of other caped super-powered do-gooders.
On this world, The Fantastic Four are the only superheroes in town.
For the totally uninitiated to these characters, Shakman introduces us to the currently admired, celebrity status of these heroes, and a quick origin recap, by way of an Ed Sullivan-like variety show host ( Kids, Google him ) on ABC-TV who also recaps the team’s victories over various villains like The Red Ghost and The Mole Man ( Paul Walter Hauser ) much to the adulation of the approving public. Meanwhile, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben live together as an extended family unit within their futuristic ( and spacious, to avoid any creepy co-habitation vibe ) downtown Baxter Building apartment that’s decked out in kitschy 1960’s pop-modern style and hi-tech gadgetry.
Sue ( Vanessa Kirby ) discovers on-screen via a hi-tech home pregnancy test, that she and Reed ( Pedro Pascal ) are about to become parents after years of trying unsuccessfully. It’s probably the first time in any superhero film, Marvel or DC, that a key character is strongly implied visually to be sitting on the toilet.
She’s ecstatic about the news. However Reed, while guardedly happy, is also concerned and ambivalent about the news, worried how their radiation-altered super-powered bodies might affect or impact their unborn child. The couple’s interpersonal dynamic over this quandary is one of the aspects of this film that makes it a superior improvement over past incarnations. Vanessa Kirby and Pascal are a wonderfully believable married couple in this film; loving, angered, trusting, feeling betrayed, ultimately protective of one another and more. Their undeniable chemistry together as Reed and Sue is the character development and honest exploration that all prior versions were completely devoid of.
Ben ( Ebon Moss-Bachrach ) and Johnny ( Joseph Quinn ) are thrilled over the news that they are going to be new uncles to the baby. However, all the joy and concern soon take a backseat with the arrival of The Silver Surfer ( Julia Garner ), a glistening chromed female from space riding a cosmic surfboard, who lands in Times Square to announce to the world that its end is near. The Surfer is the advance herald of a gigantic, almost god-like being named Galactus who travels the galaxies absorbing the energy of entire planets and destroying their billions of inhabitants. She tells Earth’s population to draw close to their loved ones and to enjoy their final days because the end to their existence at hand.
Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben promise the world that they will protect them. However, when they rocket to intercept Galactus’ spaceship to try to negotiate, the gigantic being tells them he will only spare the Earth if Reed and Sue relinquish their child to him. It seems Galactus ( Ralph Ineson ) senses something powerful within the infant child that can free him from the nomadic hunger that compels him to travel the universe destroying worlds to satiate his needs.
Of course, the quartet refuses and they barely escape Galactus’s ship and being utterly destroyed by both he and the pursuing Surfer who nearly catches them in a wild space chase. Matters are complicated even further when Sue begins to give birth in zero gravity space with the Surfer hot on their tail, bent on their destruction. They narrowly escape back to Earth but are forced to confess they did not defeat Galactus who is still en route to the planet. Things turn ugly when the populace angrily learns from Reed that they refused to give up their child in order to save the Earth.
And, Sue is horrified that Reed, ever so briefly, has considered the possibility of giving their newly named infant son, Franklin to Galactus to save the planet from certain destruction. Meanwhile, Galactus and the Silver Surfer continue inexorably towards Earth and The Fantastic Four are at a loss as to how to defeat such a formidable foe.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a faithful and spectacular film that is arguably Marvel’s best offering since its critically and universally lauded opus “Avengers: Endgame”. Since the premiere of that film, Marvel’s track record with its legion of subsequent film and TV projects has been lackluster and sporadic at best, leaving fans and general audiences wondering whether the studio had lost its mojo. Fans also openly wondered whether the studio was cranking out too many mediocre projects simply to introduce new characters and convoluted serialized storylines spread out over multiple films.
Thankfully, “F4: First Steps” is a self contained unit. This primary story focuses on one team facing one adversary with no confusing connective narrative to gin up interest in a future installment. ( Requisite end credits teaser not withstanding )
Vanessa Kirby is the MVP of this film. Her Sue Storm is spectacular as a loving, strong team partner and spouse with a bad-ass protective momma bear attitude. This actress, whose exceptional work in myriad films, most notably the recent installments of the Mission Impossible franchise, is just a joy to watch. Her deep blue expressive eyes convey a multitude of complex emotions finally giving Sue Storm some much needed depth. Kirby is simply a radiant delight whenever she is on the screen.
Pedro Pascal, who seems to be acting in everything these days, is also quite good as a thoughtful but complex man, often torn between being an effective and emotionally caring husband and friend; and his potentially cold, analytic scientific mind and perspective. The much debated and controversial mustache he sports as Reed Richards eventually grows on you, so to speak.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach gives a compelling performance as Ben Grimm / The Thing; juggling being loyal to the team and Reed, while internally wistful that his rock-like exterior may doom him to loneliness. Though a glimmer of relationship hope appears when Ben meets a Brooklyn-like teacher from his old neighborhood ( Natasha Lyonne ) who seems to taking a liking to him. Lyonne is delightful in this role making the best of a couple of brief appearances and making us want to see more of her.
Joseph Quinn as Johnny is no slouch in his portrayal. Sure, his character is supposed to be the cocky young upstart; but Quinn also has opportunities to give Johnny some subtle mature layering as well, especially via his interaction with the female Surfer.
The key dynamic that stands out among these four is the emphasis on them as an extended family. Occasionally that family concept is taken a bit too far, most notably when Sue with baby Franklin in her arms, faces a hostile mob of citizens who want them to give the child up to Galactus. The film has Sue calm the crowd and sways them to her side with some pablum about them all being part of one big family together against Galactus. In reality, the mob probably would’ve ripped the kid from her arms before she had a chance to utter one word. But, that may be nit-picking a bit.
One bit of wonderful casting in this film are the forgotten key “Fantastic Four” actors from the mothballed 1990’s Roger Corman movie. Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood and Michael Bailey Smith, the original film Fantastic Four are finally publicly recognized by Marvel giving them small parts in the new film. Hyde-White and Stabb play newscasters, while Underwood and Bailey Smith have cameos as bystanders in a factory rescued by Johnny.
The four original actors also received their long overdue moment in the spotlight on the celebrity carpet at the “First Steps” Hollywood premiere.
The special effects are great. All the fanboys who were clutching their pearls and getting their panties knotted in a wad over the casting of a female Silver Surfer should just chill. Garner is just fine as Galactus’ herald and, in reality, her true identity is someone they all know quite well from Marvel Silver Surfer canon.
Galactus is a visual treat to finally see in all his gigantic towering glory amid mid-town Manhattan’s skyscrapers casually kicking vehicles aside like so many Matchbox cars as he walks. Anything would have been a vast improvement over the abysmally disappointing cloud that was supposed to be the character in the 2007 film; but this impressive visual upgrade truly hits the mark.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a wonderfully welcome, perfectly crafted incarnation of Jack Kirby’s original vision of the comic book. It’s a truly successful reincarnation that should thoroughly please both fans and newcomers alike; as well as jump start the sagging momentum that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been suffering from in recent years. Looking forward to the soon return of this genuinely fantastic foursome.
My childhood self awaits their next adventure with great excitement.
Tim Estiloz is a double Emmy Award winning entertainment journalist and film critic with 20-years of professional experience. He is the entertainment reporter for the lifestyle / entertainment TV program, The Spiel. He is also the film critic for El Mundo Boston and a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Boston Society of Film Critics. He also is a regular contributor to this website, Kaleidoscope Reviews.