Film review: Marvel reboot just fantastic
Another week, another superhero franchise reboot. This time it's the Fantastic Four hoping to cash in, and the results are pretty impressive.
First Steps is my kind of reboot. Just like the recent rebirth of Superman, Matt Shakman's film doesn't mess around with long-winded origin stories, instead firing you right into the action, and it's all the better for that.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Lamine Yamal mural vandalised with Seven Dwarfs after controversial 18th birthday party
A mural depicting Lamine Yamal as Superman was defaced with seven dwarfs by graffiti artists mocking his controversial birthday party antics. The original public street art was unveiled last month to celebrate the Barcelona and Spain forward as he turned 18. Yamal, however, received criticism over his private party arrangements after images emerged of dwarves and scantily-clad women reportedly paid to attend the event. Yamal faced accusations of exploitation, which he has not publicly responded to, and over the weekend vandals stencilled images of the Disney film version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on a wall in Barcelona's Plaza Joanic. The dwarfs had been painted around an image of Yamal in his superman outfit. Shortly after the stunt came to light on Monday, footage showed an artist taking immediate action to restore the painting to its original state. Yamal had reportedly hired dwarfs as part of the entertainment in his private birthday party outside of the city, according to Spanish reports. The Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE) claimed those reportedly hired to attend the party were there 'solely for entertainment and promotional activities'. ADEE said it would take legal action against Yamal, arguing it could violate Spanish law intended to protect the dignity of disabled people. It claimed that his alleged actions violated the 'fundamental ethical values of a society that seeks to be egalitarian and respectful'. The original artwork was created by urban artist TV Boy and was unveiled ahead of the Spain international's 18th birthday on July 13. On the field, Yamal, on tour with Barca in South Korea, has continued to dazzle in pre-season after emerging as world football's hottest teenage property. Barcelona president Joan Laporta talked up Yamal's 'genius' talents in a wide-ranging interview this week, but warned against comparing the teenager to eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. 'Lamine Yamal is Lamine Yamal, Leo Messi was Leo Messi,' Laporta told CNN. 'Leo Messi has been the best player in the world, and Lamine, I think that in his position nowadays, is the best player in the world.' Laporta added that he was working with Yamal's family and agent to ensure the youngster enjoys the best career possible. Barcelona, meanwhile, were learning from their experience with Messi to provide the best environment possible for the player to flourish.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Fortnite Power Rangers skins officially teased – Epic Games starts teasing after Halo Outfit reveal
Fortnite's Power Rangers crossover has been officially teased by Epic Games, it has been confirmed, with the company hinting at the arrival of the Battle Pass skins We might have anticipated new crossovers in the upcoming Fortnite season, but it appears Epic Games has given us an early glimpse behind the scenes. Fortnite has truly outdone itself with the Super Showdown event, which saw Superman swoop in to save the day and humiliate Mask Maker Daigo on the island (a significant event if you're one of the few still following Fortnite's ongoing storyline), and players seem ready for something fresh and thrilling. Fortunately, that seems to be exactly what they're going to get. The Super season is drawing to a close soon, and if leaks and hints are anything to go by, it will bring a swarm of alien bugs – after the colossal Super Battle Pass and Fantastic Four cosmetics, it's time for something a bit more gooey and sticky. However, this doesn't mean collaborations and cosmetics will slow down; leakers and fans are keeping a keen eye on new teasers and reveals hinting at some iconic appearances in the next season, including in the Battle Pass. You read correctly – it seems a Fortnite Power Rangers and Halo collaboration is on the cards. Introducing All Out Gaming The Fortnite Halo crossover officially announced The first hint for Fortnite's Chapter 6 Season 4 cosmetics come in the form of a new map teaser image that Epic Games has shared on Twitter, featuring a mysterious new POI with steaming holes in the ground oozing purple liquid – under investigation by two UNSC Spartans in red and blue armour, clearly indicating more Halo collaborations to come to the game. We've seen the Fortnite Master Chief skin return recently, and we can likely expect him to reappear once again as these two new skins have been confirmed, and with the new POI getting a glimpse in the image, we can expect them to appear in the next season. It's an unexpected way for Fortnite to reveal this new crossover with the Xbox franchise, especially as the company follows up with a tweet that announces that the new skins will be coming to the game as part of the Battle Pass. It's a big win for fans. Fortnite Power Rangers crossover leak A new Fortnite Power Rangers crossover tease has appeared online, and in a rather hefty surprise, it has come directly from Epic Games itself, and as a direct result as the latest Fortnite Halo crossover reveal. The official Fortnite Twitter account has responded to a fan in the replies of the new UNSC skin announcement asking for the company to confirm a new Power Rangers crossover – with a few suggestive emojis. This means nothing concrete in theory, but in practice, it's all that players need to know. Moreover, we've spotted new leaks for the Battle Pass, with one leak endorsed by @ShiinaBR suggesting that Tommy Oliver will be the level 100 skin in the Pass, and the Megazord will be the Secret Skin. It's not confirmed yet, but this would be a real delight for fans. This tweet and associated leak seem to confirm that a Fortnite Power Rangers crossover is in the pipeline, and as this official hint isn't likely to be some sort of error, we can assume that this is due to land in Chapter 6 Season 4. It's incredibly thrilling, particularly as Fortnite has had its own encounter with Megazord-style skins in Mecha Team Leader... just saying.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" holds its lead atop the box office
Marvel 's first family stumbled in theaters in its second weekend, but still held on to the top spot at the box office. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' earned $40 million from 4,125 North American theaters, a 66% drop from a healthy $117.6 million debut. The film was accompanied by comedies 'The Bad Guys 2' and 'The Naked Gun" in the top three box office rankings. The superhero movie dipped significantly more than Marvel's previous film, ' Thunderbolts,' which took a 55% dive in its second weekend. 'First Steps' is the last major blockbuster of the summer. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing thefilm's global total to $369 million. The movie's box office drop off was surprising given its strong reviews, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. Though the movie's debut weekend may have given box office results a strong push toward the $4 billion summer benchmark, August is off to a slow start, he said. 'It's a tough lift, but we might be able to get there. It really means that all the films are gonna have to stand on their own,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's gonna be about getting great reviews, having that staying power, that longevity in the marketplace.' Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' earned second place at the box office this weekend, with $22 million from 3,852 North American theaters. That was on par with projections and also in line with the first movie in the series, which brought in $23 million in 2022. Paramount's slapstick comedy, 'The Naked Gun,' also in its debut weekend, snagged the third box office spot, earning $17 million from 3,344 locations. Jim Orr, president of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures, said the solid debut for 'The Bad Guys 2,' coupled with strong audience reaction scores, 'should point to a very long, very successful run through not only the rest of the summer, but really, I think into the fall." James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened four weekends ago and already crossed $550 million globally, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, taking the fourth spot. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' followed with $8.7 million. The horror movie 'Together' had a strong debut weekend, coming in at sixth place and earning $6.8 million domestically, proof that August is a month for edgier and off-beat films, Dergarabedian said. 'That's what this month is about. It's not just about box office," Dergarabedian said. "It's also about providing really interesting, rewarding movie-going experiences for audiences.' Dergarabedian said he expects highly-anticipated movies hitting theaters in the next few weeks — including 'Freakier Friday,' and Zach Cregger's horror movie 'Weapons' — to give August a needed boost. The box office is currently up 9.5% from last year. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $40 million. 2. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $22.2 million. 3. 'The Naked Gun,' $17 million. 4. 'Superman,' $13.8 million. 5. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $8.7 million. 6. 'Together,' $6.8 million. 7. 'F1: The Movie,' $4.1 million. 8. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $2.7 million. 9. 'Smurfs,' $1.8 million. 10. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $1.4 million.
