Monday Movie Mania - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

As much as I loved the 2005 film and disliked the 2015 film, this version does the best job of capturing the family feel of the comic books it is based on.

Not to mention this is the first premiere night I've attended since the start of the pandemic.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) Director Mark Shakman and the writer brought back the adult family feel to the team by not rehashing their origin story--again. One of my major gripes is filmmakers keep rehasing the beginning of a superhero or team's journey when most of them are in the collective pop culture consciousness. This is a mature family unit, and I love it!

2) They toned down Johnny's womanizing. As adorable as Chris Evans' portrayal was in the 2005 film, that wouldn't have flown in today's post-#MeToo environment. Even better Joseph Quinn made sure to addres it with the powers-that-be at Marvel when he accepted the role. That led to...

3) Making Shalla-Bal the movie's Silver Surfer. (She was Norrin Radd's girlfriend in the comics books and had his powers as the Silver Surfer.) Johnny gets his girl crush and some insight into getting the Silver Surfert to side with the FF against Galactus.

4) The 2005 film did things right by showing Sue as intellectual. This film went one step further by showing Johnny as intellectual in his own right while keeping his sense of humor.

5) Speaking of Sue (Vanessa Kirby), I love seeing her as the team leader and the powerhouse. Nothing against Ben, but FORCEFIELDS FOR THE WIN!

6) I love the fact that Pedro Pascal didn't try to bulk up muscle or slim down for this movie. For once, Reed has a fucking dad bod as a man obssesed with his job should, and I LOVE IT!

7) H.E.R.B.I.E.! (Hey, I was a kid of the '70's. It was awesome to see H.E.R.B.I.E. worked into the story!)

8) Ben, as always, is the real heart of the team. Ebon-Moss Bachrach made him sweet and caring without spending the entire fucking film wallowing in self-pity.

9) FRANKLIN!

10) The retro-futuristc style gave me the FF I read as a child. Especially, the Fantasticar!

11) The special nod to Jack Kirby by making this Earth 828, i.e. Jack's birthday.


CONS
1) I can't think of a damn one.


Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is another fun, feel-good superhero flick you can take your kids to this simmer. Which I will when my son comes home from deployment next week. I give it a straight-up 3000 out of 10 stars.