Film Review: Fantastic Four - First Steps

 

Sexuality/Nudity Acceptable

Violence Acceptable

Vulgarity Acceptable

Anti-Catholic Philosophy No Objection

The Fantastic Four have long been a comic book property that has been difficult to crack in cinema.  Every ten years since 2005, the characters have been rebooted.  The first two original Fox movies are fine, but never quite made the upper echelon of the genre.  The 2015 movie is widely derided.  I will have to say that the 2025 film was not getting me very excited.  The trailers made it seem like a middling entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But I am so glad that I was wrong.

Fantastic Four - First Steps takes place in an alternate universe from the main MCU.  As a result, it does not feel bogged down by the decades of continuity.  The movie also takes place in the 1960s and that retro look is one of the most charming things about the film.  In this universe the Fantastic Four have been operating as the only superhero team for a number of years Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) leads the way with his unparalleled intellect.  Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) is Reed's wife and helps unite the world into a united coalition called the Future Foundation.  Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is a beloved neighborhood hero.  Finally Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) is that impulsive, young hotshot.  The story begins with Sue telling Reed that she is pregnant.  But this joy is cut short with the arrival of the Silver Surfer/Shalla-Bal (Julie Garner) who informs the people of Earth that Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the destroyer of worlds, is coming to consume them all.  With the only hope of the planet in their hands, the Fantastic Four travel to intercept Galactus.  But their dillema for them and for the world gets horribly complicated.

One of the things this movie gets right are the characters and their relationships.  Previous Fantastic Four movies involved our characters meeting and becoming a team.  Because we catch our heroes years into their tenure, their relationships to each other are clearly established.  Pascal and Kirby have very good chemistry as husband and wife.  They are partners through-and through, even when they are at odds.  In one of my favorite bits of dialogue, Sue is horrified by some of the things that Reed is thinking about.  Reed says, "I have to think about horrible things so that I can stop them from happening."  Sue responds, "The way you think hurts me."  There was something so insightful and honest about this and the different mindsets of fathers and mothers.  

I also like the way they handle Johnny.  The Chris Evans version was fine, but a little one-dimensional.  Quinn infuses Johnny with a boyish mischief, but not at the expense of his empathy or intelligence.  His Johnny is no dummy, nor is he emotionally oblivious.  In fact, in the last few minutes of the movie, he has one of the most moving lines.  While I miss the gravely voice of Michael Chiklis, Moss-Bachrach does a very good job of Ben's low-key heart and humility.  His chemistry with Johnny has a strong older brother/younger brother vibe.  I feel like a lot of his story was left on the cutting room floor.

They even got Galactus right.  Instead of being some amorphous alien cloud, he was presented as a comic-accurate giant.  He is hunger itself who acts like a force of nature.  He looks at humans as insects that he must wipe away in order to feast.  He does not see himself in our moral terms, but sees himself as above such concerns of lesser mortals.

Visually the movie looks fantastic (pun intended).  As mentioned before, the retro-'60's look sets the movie apart from almost every other superhero film.  Not only that, but its visual tone harkens to a more optimistic and innocent time.  It reminds me of being a kid and being filled with a sense of child-like wonder.  This is incredibly helpful in helping us feel how and why the characters react the way they do.  If this movie had been set in modern times, there would be too much cynicism to make the story work.  On top of this, director Matt Shakman has a wonderful visual style, capturing both grandeur and heart.  He knows how to set gigantic spectacles as well as deeply emotional and personal set pieces.   Especialy in the last act, he marries big, bold action with emotional stakes.  And he does so with impressive use of special effects.  In particular, there is a chase scene in hyperspace that was beautifully presented and one I cannot wait to see in IMAX 3D (which I plan to do soon).

As mentioned, the performances are all very good.  Pascal sometimes comes off as a bit dour, but it fits exactly the fear and panic of a first-time father who is terrified of all that could harm the child.  Kirby is easily my favorite Sue Storm.  She carries with her intelligence, grace, and maturity.  She is at all times feminine and powerful.  Quinn knows when to push the comedy with Johnny and when to pull back just enough for the drama.  He feels like he is playing with the audience, trying to get us to smile.  Garner does a decent job as the Silver Surfer.  While I prefer the original Norrin Radd version, I wasn't bothered as much by the gender swap because it was relevant to the story they were trying to tell.  The rest of the supporting cast is serviceable but not very memorable, except for Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man, whose silly fun always makes me laugh.

As good as all of this is, what really set this movie apart its theme about the value of life.  As I mentioned, this is the most pro-life film I have seen in a long time.  I don't believe that this was the intent of the film-makers, but the pro-life themes almost smack you in the face.  Every human life has value.  Galactus represents a culture of death, seeking to devour the lives of others for his own survival.  Even the Silver Surfer represents this, as someone who looks at other people's lives as bargaining chips to get what she wants.

But the Fantastic Four are clearly on the side of life.  They find dignity in everyone, including Mole Man and Silver Surfer.  They are dedicated to saving everyone on the planet from Galactus, but they are not willing to trade unwilling lives.  At one point Johnny even tries to offer himself for the world to be spared.

But the most beautiful moment was a simple one early in the film.  Reed wants to run another test on his unborn son.  Sue says that her child is fine.  She then uses her invisibility powers to maker herself transparent to reveal the baby in the womb.  It was such a tender but overwhelming moment for me.  I was in shock that the movie would do this.  Understanding what they were showing, there is no doubt that a baby in the womb is beautiful and innocent life deserving dignity and protection.  This was not an agenda-pushing moment.  Instead, it was an important part of investing the audience in the story to come.  Seeing that baby, you feel the need to protect him at all costs.  And this re-enforces my pro-life convictions.

I cannot tell you how touched I was as a Catholic to see all of this in a major superhero movie.  It was pro-marriage, pro-family, and pro-life.  While not explicitly Christian, the movie was not hostile towards faith.  In fact, Ben begins a relationship with a woman named Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) who helps at their local synagogue.  I left the theater happy, moved, and dare I say, a little inspired.

If you were on the fence about this movie, I highly recommend you go see it.  I didn't know the MCU had it in them.