The day Marvel (and many fans) have been waiting for: the return of Marvel’s “first family” into the fold. There’s (rightfully) been a lot of attention to Disney’s acquisition of Fox and how that would bring the X-Men back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but The Fantastic Four, a team of superheroes who debuted in comics way back in 1961, were a close second. This film was under a lot of pressure. The MCU has had uneven results in recent years, and while still at Fox, the last couple attempts at Fantastic Four films were major busts. Could Disney right the ship in more ways than one? In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the answer is a resounding yes.
This is not an origin film. When it starts, the foursome has already returned to Earth from their first mission to space, having encountered cosmic rays that gave each person special powers. Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) is basically Stretch Armstrong; his wife Sue Storm is Invisible Woman and can also project powerful invisible rays to pull or push objects; Sue’s brother Johnny Storm is Human Torch; and Reed’s best friend Ben has become The Thing, with a super-strong rock-like skin and super strength to go with it. With their powers, they have already defended a retro-futuristic 1960s style Earth from several attacks, but its newest threat may surpass their abilities.
The Earth is visited by a herald in the form of the Silver Surfer, who announces that the world has been chosen for destruction by the all-powerful Galactus. Galactus, a giant being and consumer of worlds, is on the way, so the Fantastic Four jump in their spaceship to go meet him before he can arrive. They quickly see that they are sorely overmatched, and so they plea for mercy. Galactus amazingly agrees on one condition: he wants Sue’s and Reed’s unborn child in payment. They obviously refuse and flee, barely making it out alive. Back on Earth, they have a limited amount of time to come up with a plan to stop Galactus and Silver Surfer when they arrive.
This film is a complete breath of fresh air for the MCU. Its a series that now consists of 37 films and 26 TV series, many of which are interconnected. It’s no wonder that people new to the series struggle to keep up; even for fans like myself who have been in since the beginning have to dig hard to remember how they are all criss-cross. In this film, which takes place in a different universe (think “alternate reality”) that is (so far) unrelated to the Marvel films that came before it, you can go in completely blind with no knowledge of any other Marvel film, and be just fine. And it is a great movie. Stylistically, it looks beautiful, and gives off the vibe of a future that would have been envisioned in the 50s/60s; I bet my parents would watch it and get a feeling of nostalgia. Full of action, suspense, and, yes, lots of heart and emotion, it is gripping from start to finish. Can’t wait to see where Marvel can take this team next. ★★★★★
Jons Movie Takes 