movie review - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Fantastic Four: First Steps
Review by Jeff DeRouen

Again, I’m not really the guy to analyze comic book movies because (aside from some obvious cinematic masterpieces) I look at them as pretty much all the same, really: little fables with a bunch of action, awesome special effects, and perfect entertainment for a Saturday afternoon.

While Superman certainly delivers a more compelling and sharper script, Fantastic Four is the one for the WHOLE family to enjoy. The acting is fine, the script is on the nose but gets the job done, and there are truly exceptional elements in the movie.

The effects are the best we’ve seen in a Marvel flick in a good while (Galactus, the villain, is huge and so cool to look at on the big screen) and folks are positively raving about the incredible production design by Kasra Farahani.

He makes retro look fresh, and the colors pop off the screen. It’s slick and fun, but I disagree with the folks who are likening it to The Jetsons – this looks to me like if Disney’s Tomorrowland (the park, not the movie) got it right. By the way, Disney’s Tomorrowland got nothing right: we all want to kill each other, and the billionaires are gonna make that easier by unleashing AI overlords; no happy robots and moon colonies here.

Look, if comic book movies aren’t your thing, there’s plenty out there to choose from. Adults who are looking for more substance should go see Eddington or 28 Years Later. Folks who want something a little smarter than the regular Hollywood fare, and also big and loud, should see Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning or even F1, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps is unabashedly for all ages.

What I mean is it adequately covers all the bases: it’s perfect for the family unit, the young middle schoolers going on their first date, and college kids on mushrooms. There’s something for everyone. So get up, comb your hair, grab the nice underwear, and get out to the picture show!