Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah...
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles
Directed by: Matt Shakman
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will
immediately stand out to cinema-goers, primarily due to the aesthetics, but
also, in part, due to it being grounded in reality, especially prominent in the
characterization: we don’t get larger-than-life and superficial god-like
characters, who associate “saving the world” with the moral guilt their
superpowers endow upon them. We see characters that are like us, acting purely
out of selfishness, but masquerading it as their “moral obligation” — assuming
that people are morally obligated to serve the human race is, inherently, a
very selfish opinion.
The film boasts a sleek 60s aesthetic that
is reminiscent of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey, along
with a string of futuristic-looking films released primarily in the mid and
late 60s.
The best thing the film does is not take
itself seriously, sure, it tackles some uncommon themes in the superhero genre,
albeit pretty well, but it comes with a fun and playful air that the film
carries with itself. The film looks like the old Marvel cartoons, which, more
or less, were always seen as, and intended to be, inherently comedic. The
stakes feel very superhero-like, there’s nothing new in that department, but
what’s particularly interesting is that, for a large chunk of the film, we
don’t know what they’re up against, which is uncommon in any film in recent
memory, let alone a superhero film.
The film is visually gorgeous to look at,
especially in IMAX, where the true scope of the film is revealed. The film, as
different as it is, does eventually succumb to the age-old Marvel formula at
the end, for pretty obvious reasons, but nonetheless, ends up being — albeit
somewhat — different. The performances also complement the film, which are good
all-around, and end up working in favour of the film, rather than against it.
The film does have the usual unnecessary comedic bits thrown into but it doesn’t
feel as forced as it does in other films.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a
refreshing film from Marvel and sets high expectations for the future of the
franchise.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a
1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to
balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while
defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic
Herald, Silver Surfer.
By Ravit Mishra
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