Marvel on the comeback trail
Film critic Jason Evans has made it his mission to tell you about movies in less time than it takes to change a diaper. His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 doesn’t tell you enough and 101 is just excessive). Here is his 100-word review of Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The Premise: Set on an alternate version of Earth that
exudes a 1960s, retro vibe, we meet four superpowered humans who are world famous
-- Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) is the world’s smartest man who can also
stretch his limbs to impossible lengths; his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) can
turn herself invisible and controls powerful force fields; Sue’s younger brother
Johnny (Joseph Quinn) is the Human Torch, able to burst into flames and fly
through the air; and Reed’s best friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is The
Thing, super strong with a body made out of rocks and boulders. The entire
planet counts on the Fantastic Four for protection. One day, the Silver Surfer
(Julia Garner), an alien with metallic skin, shows up and announces that the Earth
will be consumed by a giant god-like being called Galactus. When the Fantastic
Four try to stop him, Galactus tells them that he will leave the Earth alone... but only if they agree to give up Sue and Reed’s unborn baby. One baby for the
entire planet. But how can any parent agree to that tradeoff? The film is directed
by Matt Shackman, who has a long history of success on TV including Wandavision
and Game of Thrones.
The 100-Words: With its focus on family and characters -- not on CGI-driven action -- Fantastic Four is a welcome addition to the superhero genre and perhaps the best MCU film since Endgame. The script succeeds because it leans into the bond among the “first family” of Marvel and doesn’t get bogged down in world building or origin stories. There are strong performances all around with a special shout-out to Moss-Bachrach for imbuing The Thing with humor and humanity. The film moves at a brisk pace and checks in under 2 hours, making it an easy sit. This is a welcome Marvel course correction!
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