Was this a by-the-numbers MCU flick with snappy dialogue and occasionally wonky special effects? Or was this a fun, exciting new entry into a tired franchise, injecting fresh ideas, exciting new characters and interesting villains? In a lot of ways it was both.
Set in an entirely new parallel universe 828, we meet the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) whose fantastic accident happened four years ago. Which skips the entirety of their origin story, initial team dynamics and a majority of the character drama.
(For reference, the main MCU is in universe 616. This is a number system created by Marvel Comics a long time ago to account for the variations of the multiverse and establish a shorthand for those variations.) This team is very established, with a casual shorthand with each other. They understand that Sue is the strongest of them all, Reed is incredibly smart but kind of squirrely, Johnny is brash but well intentioned and Ben is sad but a foundational member of the team who quietly supports everyone else with his sheer physical presence. That's a lot to take in at first, and it was hard for me to connect to the characters.
Don't get me wrong; the acting was exceptional, the characters perfectly realized as page to screen adaptations and the entire package felt like the adaptation that fans of this franchise have been waiting for since the much maligned Fox films from the early 2000's. Even Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), whom we've seen before, was done very well. You felt for her... yes, her. That was one of the big controversies. They used a female Silver Surfer who, while comic accurate, was not the big bald dude from the comics. Yet I feel they did a great job realizing a character that is incredibly hard to translate well onto the big screen.
The plot was relatively straightforward and the motivations all made total sense, even the villain's whose main goal was almost sympathetic if it weren't so horrible. The secondary characters were all fun, the stand out being Herbie the robot. There was even some really cool space stuff which felt really different and incredibly fun to watch.
You can feel the "But" coming, can't you?
Something felt off. It wasn't that this was a bad film. Actually, I would say it was one of the stronger MCU entries. It did feel fresh, it did feel like they were trying for something new. But I kept feeling like I was watching a movie written by someone without creativity. That might sound harsh, but what I mean is that each plot point was incredibly predictable. I felt like I knew what was coming before the scene happened. Even with some wildly innovative stuff moment to moment, the actual mechanics of the plot were, as I said, very straightforward.
Perhaps that was on purpose. And if that were my only gripe, I wouldn't be too harsh on the film. Except it isn't my only problem; there is one that is a bit more foundational. So earlier this summer Superman came out, and it introduced a fresh new continuity with a new actor in the role. It started with an established hero with all of his relationships well defined and all the character dynamics were seemingly ready to go. Except the entire movie was about tearing down those dynamics and creating something new by the end of the film. Fantastic Four tried to do something similar, and I will admit by the end I did feel connected to these characters. Yet they aren't Superman.
Sure, the Fantastic Four have been around since the 60's and have decades of continuity and even a few adaptations in both film and animation. But they aren't Superman, whose story is practically the quintessential tale of American immigration. That story is the story of many, that defines who we are as a people, as the ultimate immigrant. He strives to be the best of us, acting as a symbol of hope for all humankind. The Fantastic Four are kind of the opposite. They are the quintessential American family and are kind of dull on the surface. Once you scratch the surface they are a lot more engaging. Yet I found it took nearly half the film before I started caring about them. Which has nothing to do with acting; all the actors were great in the roles. Yet that feeling of disconnect lingered after I left the theater and soured an otherwise good experience.
Still, there is a lot of good to talk about. While the special effects were occasionally wonky, for the most part this was a gorgeous film. The characters did pop off the screen, the set pieces were all really interesting to see realized. The villain was exceptionally cool, and that was a tall task given what it has been in the comics and to see that come to life so well was really fun to see. The stakes felt earned and important, and the way the characters handled those struggles felt right. The setting was really cool, although a bit 50's for my taste, featuring a retro-futuristic look that felt ripped straight out of The Jetsons. I think this was an incredibly well made movie with a lot going for it.
I guess ultimately what I'm trying to say is this was a good film, with some foundational issues. I wish it was the homerun that the MCU needs, but I'm not quite sure that it gave us that. So here is the run down. Good cast, incredible set designs, fun world building, neat special effects for the superhero antics and a surprisingly deep villain. Just be prepared to struggle a bit to connect with the characters.
3 out of the Fantastic 4
Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.
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