‘Fantastic Four: First Steps' review: Nostalgia is the real superpower in this Marvel reboot
The characters are part of the first superhero team created by Marvel Comics kingpins Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. Now, director Matt Shakman's film appears to take us back to that era, with a Space Age production and costume design and family-focused storyline.
In other words, if you loved 'The Jetsons' and 'Lost in Space,' you'll like 'Fantastic Four: First Steps,' and the rose-colored nostalgia glasses will help gloss over a rather humdrum story.
The Four were originally the first astronauts in space whose exposure to cosmic rays on a mission gave them super powers. Reed Richards (the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal, also in theaters with ' Eddington ') is a genius scientist who becomes Mr. Fantastic and can stretch his body to bizarre lengths; his wife, Sue Storm-Richards (Vanessa Kirby of ' Mission: Impossible — Fallout '), can generate powerful invisible force fields; Sue's brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn, soon to play George Harrison in Sam Mendes' Beatles project) becomes the fiery Human Torch; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach of ' The Bear ') attains superhuman strength due to his stone-like flesh.
As the movie opens, Sue finds out she's pregnant. In a few months, they'll be the Fantastic Five.
But first, there's a planet to save. Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner of ' Apartment 7A '), a Silver Surfer type who is an emissary of the cosmic entity Galactus (deep-voiced Ralph Ineson), warns that her boss will consume the planet. With Sue nearing labor, they set out to Galactus' home to negotiate peace, hopefully, or kill him.
Of course, it's not that simple.
'Fantastic Four' is a bit of a cursed property. Right before the official launch of what we now know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 'Fantastic Four' (2005) and 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' (2007) — both headlined by Chris Evans and Jessica Alba — didn't set the box office on fire, and a 2015 reboot starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Kate Mara was a flat-out failure.
'Fantastic Four: First Steps' feels different, although superhero fatigue is a real thing for moviegoers. There are several undeveloped storylines, including the underground empire ruled by Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ben's flirtation with a Brooklyn schoolteacher (Natasha Lyonne of ' Poker Face ').
Part of its charm is the Teflon-like superstardom of Pascal, who helps the cast gel. Nostalgia, as mentioned, is a factor. But the key to its success is its focus on family and hope. Sue's pregnancy unites the Four, and there's a sense of community, not only within the group but also the people of Earth — a comfort in these trying times.
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