Rewatch: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
At the rate I'm going, I'm never gonna finish my rewatch before Doomsday š
But I'm not giving up, so this week I rewatched The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I gotta admit, I'm a huge fan of this movie. Shame on everyone who didn't make it out to the theaters when this came out. You really missed out on a great space-adventure movie. And if you were/are a big MCU fan through thick and thin, you'll realize it had that old-school MCU feel.
My biggest criticism of the MCU was that it moved away from the gritty films that drew everyone to theaters, incorporating more of a "Guardians of the Galaxy" or Taika Waititi vibe. It leaned on jokes so much that it became distracting. 'Thor: Love and Thunder', in my estimation, symbolized its own ruination.
But I digress; First Steps returned you to the retro Captain America time piece that helped make that movie a great success. The sets, music, and performances are incredible. Not to mention, some of the spaceship chase scenes were magical on the big screen.
I know the criticisms of Pedro Pascal playing Reed Richards, but I'm not sure if people were pretending Pascal fatigue was more of a thing than his casting. He does a great job showing the torment Richards faces as one of the smartest humans on Earth. Pascal does express the isolation he brings upon himself, unable to connect humanly, even to those closest to him, pretty perfectly. Plus, his chemistry with Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach would be tough to deny.
Full confession: Joseph Quinn plays a better Johnny Storm than Chris Evans or Michael B. Jordan. That's just facts. He has a simple charm without making him a complete idiot the way Evans played him.
What worked: honestly, kind of everything. Michael Giacchino's score is incredible. I implore everyone to listen. It had been a long time since a thematic score made someone, or in this case, a group, recognizable. You can hear Captain America's, Winter Soldier's, or Black Panther's signature score in your head, but after that, it becomes sketchy to tie a sound to a character in the MCU. Giacchino's FF is memorable, and anyone listening will easily associate it with them. The cast is great. I love each character. No one is cringy or overplaying their role. Poor chemistry in a group dynamic can kill a film even with the best screenplay. Moss-Bachrach brings a wonderful but heartbreaking softness to Ben Grimm. Kirby taps into the almost feral protectiveness she had to play as a mother willing to sacrifice everything for her planet and son. And finally, a Galactus that looked comic-accurate and not a fart cloud in previous iterations. It was incredible to see the size and scope portrayed on screen in a truly terrifying way.
Not to mention the CGI and real-world robot of H.E.R.B.I.E. is just so darn cute lol.
If you haven't seen it, give it a watch. I really think you'll love it. Even if the FF aren't your cup of tea, it makes for a great, good ol' fashioned sci-fi space-adventure movie. I understand being disappointed in the MCU having lost its way after Endgame, but I'll give credit where credit is due and they made a valiant effort to return to their roots with this movie. 4/5
Up next:
Rewatch: Captain Marvel
New Release: Verity
Until then, watch a movie or read a book, you heathens xoxo š
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