In “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, the evil Galactus (played by Ralph Inesson) desperately wants the new baby of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. But they, and the other members of Marvel’s first family, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, are going to protect young Franklin at all cost, even if that also means defeating the menacing Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). A pretty simple storyline and a very straightforward arc.
Despite an electric ’60s-esque aura, and some solid visuals, two key aspects of this latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry prevented me from enjoying it: The presence of Galactus and Shalla-Bal (none of their scenes are very engaging) and the casting of The Fantastic Four.
Pedro Pascal doesn’t tend to have the most powerful presence, as is the case this summer’s “Materialists” and “Eddington”, and here as “Mr. Fantastic”. Vanessa Kirby (Oscar nominated in 2021 for “Pieces of a Woman”) approaches Sue / “The Invisible Woman” like she’s in a Shakespeare production. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is so good in his Emmy-winning role of Richie on “The Bear”, but because 95% of his screen time consists of “The Thing” VFX replacing his face, we aren’t able to get any dynamic facial expressions, vocal inflections and depth to his performance. And Joseph Quinn (from “Gladiator II”) is the weakest link as “The Human Torch” / Johnny Storm, a “ladies man” with no charisma or gravitas.
All four actors play these roles in such low-key fashion. It seems like that was an intentional decision by all involved, including director Matt Shakman (of “WandaVision” and the often funny “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige. But it doesn’t make this movie that compelling. The excitement meter never rises above… well… a 4, including during a very generic third act. And it’s not much fun, either. Unlike James Gunn’s “Superman” (which I slightly prefer), “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a drama, with just a smidge of comic relief from Paul Walter Hauser’s Harvey Elder / Mole Man, and I don’t think it will inspire much repeat viewing in theaters.
As was the case with Ant-Man, Thor and others in “Infinity War” and “Endgame”, here’s hoping The Fantastic Four shine brighter as part of a larger ensemble in the currently filming (without a finished script) “Avengers: Doomsday”.
LCJ GRADE: C-
Running Time: 115 min.