Why men of a certain age are jazzing up their specs
Have you noticed? Men's opticals have had something of a — to use the Gen Z term — glow-up. If the styles Daniel Craig, Pedro Pascal and a number of my friends' sixtysomething fathers have traded their old specs in for lately are anything to go by, the days of inconspicuous shades for men are — for now — through.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Even die-hard Marvel fans can't get excited about The Fantastic Four: First Steps - but surprised critics are giving it 5-stars and say it's funny, clever and even quite moving!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Verdict: Relentlessly daft, but these retro heroes are super-fun Rating: A rebooted superhero franchise from the Marvel Cinematic Universe might not be near the top of the list of the things you want most in life. It might even be close to the bottom. But wait. The Fantastic Four: First Steps, while not likely to send even diehard Marvel fans into a state of rapture, is so pleasingly and jauntily retro that it falls only just short of boasting 'Pow!' and 'Zap!' captions. Even the special effects look a bit ropey, I presume deliberately, and while the plot is of course monumentally silly, it is also blissfully easy to follow. At the heart of it is one of the oldest themes in the book: the unwavering ferocity of a mother's love. Vanessa Kirby, in real life so exquisitely and quintessentially English that she comes from Wimbledon, again flaunts a pure American accent as Dr Susan Storm, the astronaut who returned to Earth with superpowers after a cosmic storm compromised her DNA, as cosmic storms will. Sharing that fateful journey into space were her brilliant scientist husband Reed Richards (the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and their friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The Fantastic Four: First Steps, while not likely to send even diehard Marvel fans into a state of rapture, is so pleasingly and jauntily retro that it falls only just short of boasting 'Pow!' and 'Zap!' captions They all gained other-worldly abilities up there, transforming them in turn, when it suits them, into Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Human Torch and The Thing. Mister Fantastic may have copped the worst superpower (he's very stretchy), but poor Ben definitely got the worst name, not to mention an unsightly dermatological condition. Made entirely from rocks, he's not much to look at. On the upside, he is spectacularly strong and has his own catchprase, which as all fans of the original comics will know, is ... 'it's clobberin' time!' The quartet live together in a pastiche of 1960s Manhattan, where the fashions are very Mad Men but nobody smokes, or talks about civil rights. They are formidably equipped to protect New Yorkers from criminal gangs, but still have worldly problems of their own. For instance, Reed and Sue have been trying for two years for a baby, which you'd think would be the very least that a pair of copulating superheroes could expect. But no dice, until now. At the start of the film, hallelujah, she finds she is pregnant. And soon there is a real gurgling baby. We don't see her give birth, which might be just as well. Imagine telling a superhero to push. It is not long, however, before a silver-skinned inter-galactic emissary arrives on a turbo-charged silver surfboard with decidedly bad news. A gigantic baddie called Galactus who roams the galaxy devouring planets has decided that it's time to gobble up Earth. 'Your planet is now marked for death,' the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) tells the Fantastic Four, gravely. However, there's a potential get-out clause. If Reed and Sue will just hand over their super-cute baby boy, Galactus will turn his cataclysmal attentions elsewhere. Not unreasonably, he thinks that, as the progeny of Invisible Woman and Mister Fantastic, it will be blessed with faculties that could help him conquer absolutely everything. Just as reasonably, and despite mounting public pressure, Sue will not countenance the idea. Sharing that fateful journey into space were her brilliant scientist husband Reed Richards (the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and their friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) 'I will not sacrifice my child for the world, but I will not sacrifice the world for my child,' she declares, a line surely intended to evoke JFK's 1961 inauguration address: 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.' Anyway, a huge battle ensues as our heroes try to get the better of Galactus, albeit at the expense of great swathes ofManhattan, trampled underfoot in the brouhaha. It's a relentlessly daft movie but never less than engaging, and infinitely better than the botched 2015 reboot Fantastic Four. The calculated retro feel works nicely, and so does the motherhood theme, Sue Storm leaving us with the reassuring message that she's a mum first, and then a superhero, just as it should be. Matthew Bond reviews The Fantastic Four: First Steps Rating: Just when you thought it was safe to be properly world-weary, even cynical about the seemingly endless stream of Marvel films (36 and counting) along comes The Fantastic Four: First Steps and it almost takes your breath away. Never mind that it is the third iteration of this particular set of comic-book characters in 20 years, this is by far and away the best and so, so good. Set in a deliciously depictedretro-futurist version of early 1960s New York, when the future was going to be bright, shiny and often spherical, the production design alone deserves awards, major awards. This is still a world of cassettes, vinyl records and cathode-ray-tube televisions but it's also a world where four pioneering astronauts have been transformed into superheroes by a cosmic storm and now park their gorgeous space rocket in the East River. It's notable that in this latest incarnation, the four are more often referred to by their real names – Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) her brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) rather than their comic monikers. This may be a source of regret for fans of super-stretchy Mister Fantastic but it's certainly good news for the mineral-muscled Grimm, whose nickname, The Thing, now seems cruel and dated. The Fantastic Four have arrived, with Pascal and a beautifully styled Kirby doing a wonderfully watchable job of leading both team and film. We begin with Sue discovering she is finally pregnant, but no sooner has Reed begun researching whether the baby will be born with superpowers or not, Earth has more serious problems to face. A mysterious intergalactic traveller known as the Silver Surfer – this time female, possibly naked and played by Julia Garner of Ozark fame – arrives with a terrible warning of impending doom. Can the Fantastic Four possibly save the entire planet? What ensues is funny, cleverly constructed and even quite moving. It's a delight to look at from beginning to end and a picture that director Matt Shakman, who cut his Marvel teeth on the TV spin-off WandaVision, can be rightly proud of. One of the unexpected treats of the summer.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Vanessa Kirby leaves Fantastic Four fans bemused as she affectionately strokes co-star Pedro Pascal's face in latest intimate gesture
Vanessa Kirby sparked inevitable confusion on Thursday by affectionately stroking Pedro Pascal 's face during a new interview on behalf of their latest film. The co-stars have been on a press run in recent months on behalf of new film Fantastic Four: First Steps, in which they play married couple Reed Richards and Sue Storm. And spending time together has seemingly brought th pair closer, with Vanessa, 38, and Pedro, 50, spotted showing each other support in public on a number of occasions. The latest example of such affection occurred during an interview with Buzzfeed this week, where the actress, clad in a blue dress, moved her arm around Pedro and began stroking his beard. It's far from the first time the film stars have displayed their strong friendship, with the duo again appearing almost peculiarly close as they answered questions for Heart this week. And just a couple of weeks ago during Fantastic Four's premiere in Los Angeles, Pedro was pictured stroking his co-star's baby bump as they posed up a storm on the red carpet. The very public displays of affection have however sparked discourse on social media, with some eagle-eyed fans branding their relationship slightly 'weird'. But other supporters were quick to point out that Vanessa is merely trying to ease Pedro's anxiety. One wrote: 'Guys calm down. Pedro suffers from some type of anxiety disorder. He needs to touch or be touched by people to make him calm down and feel comfortable.' It's something Vanessa and Pedro have been open about, with the actress speaking about helping her pal through anxious moments in an interview last year. Talking after they were spotted holding hands on-stage at San Diego Comic-Con last year, Vanessa told Vanity Fair: 'What happened is we were both incredibly nervous going out in front of thousands of people who love this comic. 'He wanted me to know that we were in this together, and I found it a lovely gesture and was very glad to squeeze his hand back.' The Gladiator 2 star has indeed been candid about his struggles with anxiety throughout his career. During a chat with Men's Health last month, Pedro revealed exactly how he copes with anxiety in difficult moments. 'I noticed, especially during the period of summer 2020, and kind of isolation and how long my FaceTimes were and my phone conversations, that I had started to make an effort to engage more, having previously lost that options in many ways,' he said. 'I remember back in high school I was always such a good talker with friends... and then I don't know how many days had gone by where we stopped doing that. 'It's something I've held onto very much. I was always one to reach out when I'm facing something that is challenging or making me anxious.' Vanessa and Pedro's latest endeavour together, Fantastic Four: First Steps, released on Thursday. It's the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film series. Directed by Matt Shakman, the movie sees the Fantastic Four protect their 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus. Leading lady Vanessa, who stars alongside Ozark actress Julia Garner, has looked every inch the glowing mum-to-be at the film's many premieres during recent weeks. In particular. at the German premiere last month she looked effortlessly stylish while displaying her baby bump in a sleek black dress. She teamed her fashionable, high-necked gown with towering black heels and dazzling silver drop earrings. Vanessa first revealed she was pregnant with her child last month as she showed off her bump at The Fantastic Four photocall in Mexico. Last December it was reported she was engaged to her boyfriend Paul Rabil after two years together. The beauty, who starred as Princess Margaret in Netflix's The Crown, was allegedly set to head down the aisle with lacrosse player love, 39, after he popped the question, according to Page Six. MailOnline contacted representatives of Paul and Vanessa for comment. Vanessa and Paul first sparked dating rumours walking hand-in-hand through New York City in October 2022. However, they didn't make their romance Instagram official until November 2023. At the time, American Paul - who is the co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League - shared a series of photographs of the couple including one of them embracing on a beach. 'From the very minute we first met in Des Moines, around the world and back, life is far better, more purposeful and more beautiful with you,' he wrote about the film star. The couple have been spotted on several occasions together since 2022, but had kept quiet about their blossoming romance.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Unknown Brit actor shakes up James Bond race as bookies see surge on bets on him to become new 007
AN UNKNOWN British actor has suddenly emerged as a serious contender in the race to become the next James Bond. Bookies are reporting a surprising surge in bets on him to take over the iconic 007 role. 5 5 The race to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond is heating up — and whilst some major stars are in the running, a few lesser-known names are also being thrown into the mix. Bookmaker Coral can now report that Scott Rose-Marsh has emerged as a contender to become the next James Bond, at least in their betting, as he is now just 6-1 (cut from 16-1) for the role. 'This gamble on Scott Rose-Marsh has caught us off guard, and after some substantial support behind him, we think he is now a serious contender, alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Jack Lowden,' said Coral's John Hill. Scott, who trained at the BRIT school, is known for his multiple appearances as Pete in Welsh network S4C's Yr Amgueddfa, and as Jerome in the BBC One series Chloe. Denis Villeneuve is on board as the franchise's next director and Amazon is looking at a 2028 release date for 26th instalment. Insiders have told Variety that the studio and producers are interested in casting a British actor under the age of 30. Many actors have been in the running for the role including Aaron Taylor Johnson, Josh O'Connor, and Regé-Jean Page. But, it's Saltburn star Jacob Elordi, Spider-Man's Tom Holland and Babygirl actor Harris Dickinson who are at the top of the wish list. Heartthrob Jacob, who has been a firm name in the mix for a while now, has given fans a hint that he may be taking over the role from Daniel Craig. The star has recently re-activated his Instagram account. Shoppers gobsmacked as they see huge US movie star on the street in very expensive disguise This move comes a year after the 28-year-old previously deactivated his account, despite being a regular poster on the platform. As a result, fans have speculated that the star could be gearing up for some promo for a movie, with many keeping fingers crossed that that movie is James Bond. Jacob is yet to share any posts on his Instagram account, despite reactivating it. Although Jacob is Australian, it does not rule him out - especially as Aussie actor George Lazenby previously played Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. 5 5
