Fourth Time’s The Franchise? – Fantastic Four Review

by Lori Twichell

It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been hit or miss since they wrapped Phase 3 with Avengers: Endgame.  Though fans have been hesitant about getting behind most of the new projects, Fantastic Four: First Steps had a whole different vibe and gave fans a little more hope than previous outings.

So did it meet the hype?

First, let’s talk about what I loved.

Placing the film in a 60s era timeline was an absolutely genius move. The set design, costumes, and music really made it a feast for the senses. Everything melded perfectly and it was really fun to experience on the big screen theatrically. Even with blue permeating every single part of the production, the 60s costumes, hairstyles and especially the throwback television era, was a fun ride to experience.

I have to admit that I am a fan of the Fantastic Four from 2005. I loved Ioan Gruffod as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, Michael Chili’s as Ben Grimm and of course, Chris Evan’s as Johnny Storm. The movie was cheesy, off the wall, fun for the entire family.  So when I heard about the casting on this one, I admit that I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out. Would it be another failed experiment that only kept the IP alive?

It took no time whatsoever for me to settle into the idea that each of these characters had been perfectly cast. Each of these actors slipped into the roles like they were born for them.  I know a lot of people have questioned Pedro’s casting as Richard. I am a big fan of his but even I took a minute with the casting on this one. If anything, Pascal shines when he portrays a character with the weight of the world on his shoulders and he does not disappoint as Reed Richards.  Filled to the brim with what feels like too much knowledge and too much information, Richards practically vibrates off the screen with his anxiety and concern for everyone. And not just those he knows and loves, but anyone that he can save. Watching him shoulder all of the responsibility for…well, everyone, definitely levels up the stakes for this film.

The film is heavy on family values and hope. It presses all the right buttons to highlight positivity, hope, and there’s even a healthy dose of pro-life appreciation.

If there was a list of things that they needed to include in order to achieve a good superhero film, the production team definitely checked off every one of those boxes.

Now for some of the other things.

I refuse to call this section ‘bad’ because it’s really not. There wasn’t anything really bad about this film at all. It was a perfectly fine, fun, superhero romp that was beautiful to watch on the big screen.

When I settle into seats at a theater and the lights go down, it’s my chance to shut out all of the problems or concerns in the ‘outside world’ and let a story on the screen take me on an adventure. It’s the reason that sometimes my reviews run counter to those you see on Rotten Tomatoes or from those of the bigger outlets or famous critics.  I look for the emotional connection.

I really didn’t feel a big emotional connection to this movie and honestly, that surprised me. I mean come on, a newborn infant in danger? Pedro Pascal (the internet Daddy!) and a newborn – and I didn’t feel the connection?  That was a disappointment for me. I didn’t really feel the electricity or excitement between the characters either.  Remember that list of check boxes I mentioned earlier? The ones that needed ticked in order to produce a good superhero movie? All of those were ticked for sure but several of the ones that might have leveled it up to a great superhero movie were missed.

I sat with this idea for a little while. I needed to process exactly what it was that I had missed and my conclusions were that it was really minor things that could have leveled up my enjoyment. I would have loved at least a couple of scenes with each of them taking care of the baby in just every day things. As it was, Herbie (the robot) seemed to be the main caretaker of Franklin and everyone else was just holding him in random scenes which felt a little more like a prop than part of the family. (I know! Don’t come at me!!!) I mean simple things like feeding, changing, sleeping…any of those things would have created a deeper bond between each of them and the baby. I would have loved to see each of them with even just one scene like that. I think it could have leveled up the audience’s connection with Franklin and each of the characters as well.

Please don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the film. Really. It was definitely a fun movie and it did give me that two hours of mental getaway that I had hoped for.  It was a fabulous escape from real life for a little while.  It was a great addition to the MCU. I still just feel like Marvel is trying to find its footing in this new phase and with this they are definitely getting closer. Just not quite there yet.