by Josh Sewell
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(Rated PG-13 for action/violence and some language. Opens in theaters on July 25.)
The premise: Taking place in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, this film finally brings The Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond when they’re called to defend Earth from ravenous space god Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
The verdict: Fantastic Four is surprisingly fun, which – combined with this spring’s Thunderbolts* – cautiously suggests that Marvel Studios is starting to find its footing after a lengthy Endgame slump. A big reason is that the film understands focusing on character interaction is more important than spectacle (although the visual effects are a big step up from Marvel’s recent fare).
What’s more, Fantastic Four serves as a soft reset for the MCU considering it’s a standalone story. You don’t have to watch 30 other movies and 10 Disney+ shows to understand what’s going on. That’s a blessing considering how muddled the overarching storyline has become. Even better, it deals with the origin story stuff in a quick montage before jumping straight into the action.
There’s 18 months before the MCU’s next installment (Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 2026), which means the studio has a while to take some deep breaths and reassess their strategy. Too bad the lengthy break is coming at the worst possible time considering DC, the company’s longtime rival, just had a successful relaunch with the terrific Superman.
Nevertheless, Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach are charismatic and entertaining enough to serve as the foundation for the upcoming Avengers flicks. I’m not sure what the MCU has in mind, but the actors can stand toe-to-toe with any other heroes or villains they might end up sharing scenes with.
Grade: B
Oh, Hi!
(Rated R for sexual content/some nudity, and language. Opens in theaters on July 25.)
The premise: Iris (Molly Gordon) and her perfect guy, Isaac (Logan Lerman), decide to go on their first romantic getaway together in a picturesque small town. What could go wrong? It turns out, a lot. This dark comedy from writer-director Sophie Brooks (a story she conceived with Gordon) tackles the highs and lows of modern dating and the ways it makes people a little crazy.
The verdict: Without revealing too much about the film’s tone and surprises, Oh, Hi! is a twisted mixture of Misery, Gerald’s Game and When Harry Met Sally. Although it runs out of steam as the characters grow increasingly more desperate and less intelligent, the set up and resolution are genuinely sweet considering the dark turns that Brooks takes in her screenplay.
Gordon and Lerman have sizzling chemistry, which helps when the story gets silly. There are also some terrific supporting turns from Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds and David Cross, who pops up briefly as a weird, hilariously deadpan neighbor.
Although it’s getting a moderate release this weekend, comedies haven’t had a great track record at the box office lately. However, I can see this one finding a bigger audience once it hits streaming in a few weeks. If you can’t see it in theaters, keep it on your radar to watch later.
Grade: B-
Sovereign
(Rated R for violence and language. Now available to own or rent on Digital.)
The premise: Inspired by true events, this crime thriller centers on Jerry (Nick Offerman) and Joseph Kane (Jacob Tremblay), a father and his teenage son who adhere to the conspiracy theory-laden sovereign citizen movement. As the duo travels across the country delivering self-taught legal seminars and railing against the government, their journey brings them into conflict with Police Chief Jim Bouchart (Dennis Quaid), setting off a tragic chain of events.
The verdict: It’s a brutal watch, but writer-director Christian Swegal’s Sovereign tells a compelling story with two incredible actors at the center. Some viewers only know Offerman from comedic fare like Parks and Recreation and 21 Jump Street, but he’s also an extremely talented dramatic actor as evidenced from his work in The Last of Us, Civil War, The Founder and more.
He could’ve easily played Jerry Kane as a redneck punchline or a full-blown psychopath, but Offerman makes the character far more complex than that. While never excusing Kane’s actions or behavior, Offerman and Swegal depict how the sovereign citizen movement he falls into excels at preying upon people who are struggling financially and mired in personal issues.
The same goes for Tremblay, whose character doesn’t fully buy into the conspiracy, but loves his dad and wants to salvage what’s left of his family. The young actor best known for his work in Room and Wonder is making quite an impression in grown-up roles this year (both this film and The Life of Chuck earlier this summer).
Unfortunately, Sovereign loses focus when it shifts to Quaid’s character and his son (Thomas Mann) who recently graduated from the police academy. Because of the movie’s narrative structure and the clichéd nature of the roles, there’s never any doubt where their story is headed. Nevertheless, despite a few missteps, the film is a fascinating look at an exceedingly bleak subject. It’s a hidden gem worth seeking out.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for action/violence and some language. Opens in theaters on July 25.)
The premise: Taking place in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, this film finally brings The Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond when they’re called to defend Earth from ravenous space god Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
The verdict: Fantastic Four is surprisingly fun, which – combined with this spring’s Thunderbolts* – cautiously suggests that Marvel Studios is starting to find its footing after a lengthy Endgame slump. A big reason is that the film understands focusing on character interaction is more important than spectacle (although the visual effects are a big step up from Marvel’s recent fare).
What’s more, Fantastic Four serves as a soft reset for the MCU considering it’s a standalone story. You don’t have to watch 30 other movies and 10 Disney+ shows to understand what’s going on. That’s a blessing considering how muddled the overarching storyline has become. Even better, it deals with the origin story stuff in a quick montage before jumping straight into the action.
There’s 18 months before the MCU’s next installment (Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 2026), which means the studio has a while to take some deep breaths and reassess their strategy. Too bad the lengthy break is coming at the worst possible time considering DC, the company’s longtime rival, just had a successful relaunch with the terrific Superman.
Nevertheless, Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach are charismatic and entertaining enough to serve as the foundation for the upcoming Avengers flicks. I’m not sure what the MCU has in mind, but the actors can stand toe-to-toe with any other heroes or villains they might end up sharing scenes with.
Grade: B
(Rated R for sexual content/some nudity, and language. Opens in theaters on July 25.)
The premise: Iris (Molly Gordon) and her perfect guy, Isaac (Logan Lerman), decide to go on their first romantic getaway together in a picturesque small town. What could go wrong? It turns out, a lot. This dark comedy from writer-director Sophie Brooks (a story she conceived with Gordon) tackles the highs and lows of modern dating and the ways it makes people a little crazy.
The verdict: Without revealing too much about the film’s tone and surprises, Oh, Hi! is a twisted mixture of Misery, Gerald’s Game and When Harry Met Sally. Although it runs out of steam as the characters grow increasingly more desperate and less intelligent, the set up and resolution are genuinely sweet considering the dark turns that Brooks takes in her screenplay.
Gordon and Lerman have sizzling chemistry, which helps when the story gets silly. There are also some terrific supporting turns from Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds and David Cross, who pops up briefly as a weird, hilariously deadpan neighbor.
Although it’s getting a moderate release this weekend, comedies haven’t had a great track record at the box office lately. However, I can see this one finding a bigger audience once it hits streaming in a few weeks. If you can’t see it in theaters, keep it on your radar to watch later.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for violence and language. Now available to own or rent on Digital.)
The premise: Inspired by true events, this crime thriller centers on Jerry (Nick Offerman) and Joseph Kane (Jacob Tremblay), a father and his teenage son who adhere to the conspiracy theory-laden sovereign citizen movement. As the duo travels across the country delivering self-taught legal seminars and railing against the government, their journey brings them into conflict with Police Chief Jim Bouchart (Dennis Quaid), setting off a tragic chain of events.
The verdict: It’s a brutal watch, but writer-director Christian Swegal’s Sovereign tells a compelling story with two incredible actors at the center. Some viewers only know Offerman from comedic fare like Parks and Recreation and 21 Jump Street, but he’s also an extremely talented dramatic actor as evidenced from his work in The Last of Us, Civil War, The Founder and more.
He could’ve easily played Jerry Kane as a redneck punchline or a full-blown psychopath, but Offerman makes the character far more complex than that. While never excusing Kane’s actions or behavior, Offerman and Swegal depict how the sovereign citizen movement he falls into excels at preying upon people who are struggling financially and mired in personal issues.
The same goes for Tremblay, whose character doesn’t fully buy into the conspiracy, but loves his dad and wants to salvage what’s left of his family. The young actor best known for his work in Room and Wonder is making quite an impression in grown-up roles this year (both this film and The Life of Chuck earlier this summer).
Unfortunately, Sovereign loses focus when it shifts to Quaid’s character and his son (Thomas Mann) who recently graduated from the police academy. Because of the movie’s narrative structure and the clichéd nature of the roles, there’s never any doubt where their story is headed. Nevertheless, despite a few missteps, the film is a fascinating look at an exceedingly bleak subject. It’s a hidden gem worth seeking out.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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