Cinematic Mode – Fantastic Four: First Steps tackles family matters

A lot is riding on the success of Fantastic Four: First Steps. That’s through no fault of the film itself; the MCU is about to head into its next massive story arc, and we know that Doctor Doom – a key villain from the Fantastic Four universe – is going to be a very big bad in this phase, played by the charismatic Robert Downey Jr. Fantastic Four has also had multiple attempts at box office success now; this is the third iteration of the group in only the last two decades. On top of that, Marvel movies haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire lately, bloated by its Disney+ TV show attempts and some big-screen misfires.

The Fantastic Four, as Marvel’s first family, have more riding on their shoulders than in your average superhero flick. And yet, First Steps presents more of a low-key family drama, set in a completely different timeline, seemingly unfazed by what lies outside of it. That works both to its advantage and disadvantage; this is a charming enough movie that stands on its own, even though it’s lacking some oomph.

Considering this isn’t our first foray with this crew, Fantastic Four: First Steps smartly summarises their origin story and some of their previous heroic moments in a montage, framed as a celebration of the team on an old-timey-wimey television program. Their life-changing rocket up into space, what their powers do, and who they are as heroes, is quickly zipped through in a few minutes, and from there, the film expects you to keep up. I appreciate this new trend with superhero movies not feeling the need to do a long setup; we as an audience know how all of this works by now, so let’s get to the good stuff.

That good stuff, in this case, is a relatively quiet family drama, with sprinklings of heroics throughout. The bold moments are kept to a minimum through the film’s 2-hour runtime, save for an epic final battle and a short detour up into space at about the halfway mark. This means the focus is squarely on the familial dynamic of our team, led by the nervous and nerdy Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), alongside the enigmatic Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and rock-faced Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).

The two have some wonderful chemistry together, with conversations and jabs at one another that feel very grounded in reality and utterly relatable. When Reed is doing every single test under the sun to ensure his child doesn’t have any issues, Pascal wears that anxiety all over his face. This is a man who is incredibly intelligent, with answers to everything, but emotionally shows some cracks when he encounters problems he can’t find a fast, scientific solution to. Sue, on the other hand, is the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four. Kirby delivers a firm, motherly performance, not only when it comes to the protection of her own child, but in how she interacts with her superhero family. She keeps everybody on track and is presented as an emotionally strong, fierce woman. She steals the show, and I love that they treat the Invisible Woman with a reverence that she deserves: she’s bloody powerful.

While praise must be given to the cast for breathing life into these characters that sorely needed it in this reboot, Fantastic Four: First Steps is mostly lacking in high-stakes action. A lot of time is spent getting to know these folk on a more personal level, which is useful considering the probably big role they will play in future Marvel adventures, but leaves this particular effort feeling mostly kind of ho-hum. Some interactions and jokes are chuckle-worthy, like the standout inclusion of Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man, or Ben sporting a beard for the first time as The Thing, but I never laughed out loud. The action scenes, when they do happen, are fun enough, but nothing lands as particularly spectacular or memorable, either. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy First Steps; I just wanted more out of it.

That said, it’s great to see Galactus (Ralph Ineson) in all of his giant, silly-helmet glory. His appearance in Rise of the Silver Surfer as a big dumb gas cloud back in 2007 was so utterly lame and disappointing, I couldn’t help but grin to see him properly be this gigantic, intimidating dude who speaks and has motivations of his own, a far better representation of the comics. The eventual showdown between Fantastic Four and Galactus is a highlight, finally providing some of the superhero smashing we’re here to see, and allowing our heroes to show off their powers, individually and as a team.

The setting of Earth-828 is also pretty neat. It mixes retro fashion and aesthetic with futuristic ideas; there are flying cars, but their style looks ripped straight from the 1970s. Television and advertising are from the same old era, quite laughable when the Fantastic Four live in what is essentially a smart home, with an advanced robot assistant. It’s a cool and colourful mix that gives the film a very different look and feel from other superhero movies that have a more gritty, modern setting, with a lot of visual flourishes providing a unique flavour.

In another timeline, without the looming MCU implications, Fantastic Four: First Steps is successful as a tidy family drama, featuring a crew of likeable, well-cast heroes and a sprinkling of save-the-world action. That means it’s still a decent way to spend a couple of hours, but in the broader superhero movie landscape, it lacks the required momentum to propel the franchise into something special. Ultimately, these first steps for Marvel’s first family are taken at a more leisurely pace, rather than the bold leaps and bounds I was hoping for.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is in cinemas now.

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Checkpoint Gaming attended a screening of Fantastic Four: First Steps as a guest of Disney and Marvel ANZ.