Marvel’s beloved Fantastic Four has had a troubled cinematic history. In 1994, Roger Corman produced the first incarnation of the superhero quartet. The film was beset by behind the scenes controversy and never saw a theatrical release. Director Tim Story tried in 2005 (the first official F4 movie) and again with a forgettable 2007 sequel. Although somewhat financially successful, neither project worked. The 2015 Josh Trank reboot was such a disaster, it seemed as if audiences would never see the fantastic heroes properly represented on the big screen. Enter director Matt Shakman to prove the idiom, “third time’s a charm.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a big, colorful, blast of old fashioned comic book fun that breathes new life into the cookie cutter world of modern superhero movies.

Written by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer and Kat Wood, Shakman’s Fantastic Four works on every level. This one doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, nor does it want to. While comics have always been a source of entertainment, for the superheroes of Marvel and DC, there were always more serious arcs now and again. The popularity of graphic novels explored these dark themes even further, as the do-gooders we grew up reading about (or watching on Saturday morning cartoons) became more violent; their stories more tragic. When the superhero movie boom began (with 2009’s Iron Man) fun was still a big factor, but as time went on, darker tones creeped into the films. Marvel usually kept the balance of fun and seriousness, unlike DC, who seemed on a mission to ruin the legacy of many popular characters. Christopher Nolan’s excellent Dark Knight trilogy was more serious, brutal, and darker than many comic pictures, but it was purposeful due to the character’s lore. For some reason, the company decided to do the same for their Superman incarnation, completely botching the character and tarnishing his legacy, until James Gunn and David Corenswet set things right with this summer’s Superman. It seems fitting that Gunn and Shakman’s films are released in the same month and year, as both return a bit of the wonder and all of the joy to the comic book movie. 

As did James Gunn’s aforementioned Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t waste time with another retelling of their origin story and gets right to the fun.

The story is set on Earth-828, in an alternate universe. Everything is a blend of the 1960’s and the modernism of today. Production Designer Kasra Farahani, Set Decorator Jille Azis, and a team of Art Directors do excellent work regarding the film’s world-building. Every shot from cinematographer Jess Hall makes excellent use of the frame. There is always something within the frame that will catch your eye. 

When we meet The Fantastic Four, they are already heroes, existing as a family of scientists in the city that loves them. The married Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) just found out they are having a baby. Sue’s brother, Johnny Storm/ The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/ The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) live with them in their elaborately designed home/laboratory/headquarters. Reed is forever consumed with numbers and invention. Sue a mother figure for all. Johnny and Ben are upbeat and good spirited, while a running gag finds them even more giddy about the upcoming baby than even Reed and Sue.  

One of the biggest reasons this Fantastic Four recharge works so well is due to the impeccable casting. 

Pedro Pascal (a bit overexposed these days) fits nicely into Reed Richards. He plays the character as a steadfast worrywart who only wants the best for his family, but can’t find an even keel between the emotional and the logical. Kirby is perfect as Sue. She is the peacemaker; optimistic and more emotionally focused. Quinn continues his rise as a reliable character actor, giving Johnny the right balance of handsome, woman-loving, twenty-something and dedicated family member. Ebon Moss-Bachrach brings The Thing to life better than ever with a slyly funny and quite touching portrayal. There is good humor mined from Ben resisting being asked to say his famous, “It’s Clobberin’ Time!” catchphrase. In this incarnation of The Fantastic Four, the phrase comes from the cartoon show about the heroes, not something that Ben has coined, even though everyone on the street asks him to do it. 

With the help of their robot assistant H.E.R.B.I.E., The Four enjoy being who they are and the actors make the audience believe it. 

Enter Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal/ The Silver Surfer, who shows up as a harbinger of doom. The Surfer is there to announce the upcoming destruction of their planet at the hands of a 14-billion-year-old cosmic entity called Galactus (Ralph Ineson, perfectly cast and using his unmistakable voice to its fullest). Ineson has just enough scenes and the right amount of dialogue to establish the power of his character, whose look is marvelously rendered by the FX team. Garner proves to be the right choice and completely nails her role as the tragic Silver Surfer. Her entrance into the film and the first reveal of Galactus, make for some of the most visually powerful moments ever rendered in a Marvel film.

As our heroes launch into space to face their attacker head-on, the trip doesn’t go as planned and The Four return to Earth, down but not defeated. As Galactus lays down his law and gives unimaginable terms for allowing Earth to survive, The Fantastic Four is faced with an apocalyptic crisis; each one coming to terms with their plight in their own way. The sincerity of the screenplay and the dedication of the actors sell the seriousness of the situation while Shakman keeps the spirit of creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s fanciful comic world intact. 

That is what it’s all about. The Fantastic Four made their first appearance in Marvel Comics 1961 with The Fantastic Four #1. They were (and are) the First Family of superhero clans. It is an absolute pleasure to find director Shakman and his crew so dedicated to assuring their film is embodied with the essence of Lee and Kirby’s work.

With a good script, a great cast, a classically thunderous score from Michael Giacchino, and an unwavering respect for Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s original creation, director Matt Shankman and company help us remember why we fell in love with comic book movies. Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t just a creative revival for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is a full on resurrection. 

 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Written by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer and Kat Wood

Directed by Matt Shakman

Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson

PG-13, 115 Minutes, Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios