When is a movie all that it quote-unquote “should be” and still falls short? Perhaps Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: The First Steps,” obsessed with nailing the retro-futurist tone and optimistic spirit of Marvel’s iconic first family without providing much of an essential movie around it, is the curious case study to follow and watch.
Audiences have suffered through two dire “Fantastic Four” franchise iterations thus far, one from Tim Story in 2005, too silly and low budget to be memorable, another from Josh Trank, too moody, angsty and overruled-by-committee to work at all. So, for years, moviegoers have yearned for the “right” and “proper” version of the “Fantastic Four” that embraces its inherent goofiness, welcomes its light-on-its-feet dynamics and character, accepts some of the inane superpowers and champions its technological and cosmic qualities. Audiences have longed for a “good” “Fantastic Four” movie and ‘First Steps’ is undoubtedly the more delightful, more whimsical, poptimist, idealistic and bubblegummy version of the heroic family—perhaps more in-line with Pixar’s “The Incredibles” which, for years, critics called the Fantastic Four movie we all collectively wanted— but let’s face it, the bar has been extremely low.
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So ‘First Steps’ is certainly better than previous cinematic iterations of the franchise, nails the tonal Jetsons-in-Space retro-futurism that has typified some of the classic comics and cartoons, and definitely boasts the best versions of all the characters. Yet “Fantastic Four,” credited to four different writers, Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, while easy-breezy watchable and entertaining feels like another episodic chapter in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe television series, not particularly essential, and just a little inconsequential and forgettable, despite, stimulating ’60s atomic-age sensibilities, vibrant visuals, robust and colorful craftmanship and production design, strong character chemistry and the likes.
In short, “Fantastic Four: First Steps” effectively captures all the space age aesthetics and desired throwback Marvel vibes, much like DC’s “Superman,” but similarly fails to provide much of a compelling or memorable story around it.
Dispensing with origin story as superhero movies are wont to do these days— instead thrusting you right into the action and thus often robbing the viewer of who the character truly is, even though you’ve “seen” it before on screen—’ First Steps’ does all that in a kind of newsreel prologue that chronicles the families famous pedigrees: a freak accident in space transformed a group of astronauts into superheroes and they’ve been protecting Earth since against various villains like Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser) and an unseen Red Ghost.
Set in an alternate multiverse Earth to crossover into Marvel’s 616 universe shortly—in this reality, the Fantastic Four are already beloved superhero celebrities on the cover of TIME, LIFE and Wheaties cereal boxes, and the only superpowered defenders on the planet. There’s Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), the most intelligent man on the planet, but full of self-doubt, fear and an overpowering calculating intellect that sometimes supersedes his emotional reasoning; the loving, protective matriarch Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman (a very convincing Vanessa Kirby); the laid-back chill guy, giant teddy bear Ben Grimm, aka The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and the hot headed Casanova Johnny Storm, the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn).
Servicably directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”), Reed and Sue get pregnant in the easygoing plot. While the family is excited, this creates an uneasy anxiety in the overstimulated, constantly problem-solving mathematical mind of Mister Fantastic. But meanwhile, something more sinister is afoot. The metallic-skinned, surfboard-riding herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), comes to announce the arrival of the ruthless and gigantic planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Earth is scheduled for demolition. Essentially—Galactus has an unquenchable hunger that can only be sated by destroying planets, but eventually—after the Marvel heroes pay him an intergalactic visit in their spaceship—he’ll spare Earth. The Fantastic Four turn over Franklin Richards—the baby boy inside Sue Storm.
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While Reed, using his superpowered computer technology, found no anomalies in Franklin, Galactus has detected uncannily powerful abilities in the unborn child. This creates an ethical quandary and big standoff for the heroes and the people of Earth. An unstoppable Galactus and planet destruction seemingly inevitable, will the Fantastic Four sacrifice a baby for the sake of the greater good and collective civilization?
Try as they might make this meaty, weighty moral dilemmas you might find in a gritty Christopher Nolan movie, ‘First Steps’ soon sidesteps this impasse with platitudes about family, unity, togetherness and goodness; all fine and fair qualities, but almost immediately defusing the inherently interesting tension within the film with this idealistic, goodness-of-people quality does the movie no favors.
From there, it’s incumbent upon the Fantastic Four to create some advanced technological whatsit that will teleport Galactus to the other side of the universe while the heroes fight off this monster and his silver-speedy herald.
And tension, the essential ingredient of drama, is largely missing. Nothing feels really at stake because there’s no doubt that the Fantastic Four will prevail. While they are often put in peril, never do the movie’s stakes, story, or problems feel truly dangerous. This is more of a light adventure akin to the aforementioned “Incredibles.” However, while still mildly entertaining, ‘First Steps’ cannot match the charming, captivating, exhilarating thrill ride that is that animated classic.
Like a complex mathematical equation Reed Richards has worked so many sleepless nights on, “Fantastic Four” seems to do everything correctly, on paper, calibrating the right amount of whimsy, joy, pleasure, quirkiness, romanticism, hopefulness, and buoyancy to create an uplifting escapade. And there’s even a mix of heart and emotion with the idealistic themes of everyone pitching in to save humanity together, as a planet, as a family. But depth, soul and meaningfulness are lost in all the arithmetic of it all, despite never feeling too clinical or robotic.
‘First Steps’ may have ostensibly resonant themes about unanimity, devotedness, love and empathic care for one another—especially in an age of huge division—they’re ultimately rendered too superficial to have any authentic reverberation. Even composer Michael Giacchino’s inspirational, uplifting score—one of Marvel’s most memorable moments—can’t encourage ‘First Steps’ to feel anything more than a live-action Saturday Morning cartoon stretched into 90 minutes.
And of course, there’s the nagging feeling—like many Marvel movies—that the story’s ephemeral insignificance is just another reminder how many MCU episodes are just a place holder launching pad for the real deal story: aka in this example, “Avengers: Doomsday,” in which the Fantastic Four will play an essential chapter.
Marvel’s ‘First Steps’ may feel somewhat unique in tone, carefree and blithe in a manner audiences haven’t seen before, and yes, these inaugural strides are the best version of these heroes to be experienced on screen. But unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ‘First Steps is essential, or even fantastic viewing. [C+]