So by now you’ve probably read a ton of reviews on The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and you know the outlines, if you haven’t already seen it.
To be honest, I don’t have a ton to add. It’s good. It’s above average. It certainly is the best Fantastic Four movie to date, but I don’t see it being a game-changer. That got me thinking. I ask you on Disqus, and be honest. If we got this movie back in 2005, would it be a classic?
I started to realize that it’s not just how good a movie is, but also when it’s released, that has a major impact.
There are movies that do well and have a major impact. They become classics and are loved no matter when they are seen. Then there are others that make a big splash at the time, but time is not kind to them. Would The Fantastic Four: First Steps have that same trajectory?
Certainly, time hasn’t been kind to Tim Burton’s Batman. Not derided by any means, but after decades of much better portrayals such as Batman: The Animated Series or The Dark Knight trilogy, I wouldn’t say that movie is nearly as beloved as it once was.
Christopher Reeve’s Superman seems to get more love, however, as time goes on. Subsequent Superman movies just can’t seem to crack the code the way Donner did.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has some great moments. The Thing is the most well-realized, comic-accurate to date. As a bonus, we don’t get depressed Thing either. “Oh I’m a monster, I’m so tortured” blah blah. Sure, that’s a major character point with him, I get it. But we have also seen it enough times.
Pedro “please put me in every movie or I’ll touch your women inappropriately” Pascal does an admittedly good job as Reed. Not the best as far as comics go, but the best so far. Vanessa Kirby is just about perfect as Sue Storm. Johnny is done good enough and I was happy.
This version of the Silver Surfer won me over. And damn, Galactus is terrifying. It’s unfortunate he became just a thing to overcome but he sure was realized well on-screen.
The story is straightforward enough and I believe this is the first time in a while that I wanted to see more. I was pretty aware there were clearly some scenes left on the cutting room floor.
So if I had seen this as my first Fantastic Four movie instead of my 4th, I probably would’ve been just ecstatic. It certainly had everything I could’ve asked for. The 60’s setting was the cherry on top.
But I wasn’t. And through no fault of the movie itself. Maybe this is the superhero fatigue they keep talking about? Or is it the cynicism I feel now for all the corporate crap that’s been dumped on us over and over again?
I feel like I should like this more. And don’t misunderstand, I liked it a lot. But I started to realize after I left that whatever big geek thrill and excitement I used to get for these just isn’t there.
And that’s what got me thinking, hence this odd review.
I can’t imagine in the 6 years since Endgame came out that my enthusiasm just dried up. I think it’s the hole Hollywood has dug itself into with the fans and the goodwill they’ve completely set on fire.
Anyhow. It’s a good movie. If you still have human emotions, you’ll love it.
