Oh, man. When it comes to the movies, you couldn’t get a bigger Fantastic Four fan than me. I mean, even before The Fantastic Four: First Steps hit theaters, I’d never seen a one of the movie’s that I didn’t like (and that’s including both the Chris Evans’ ones, as well as the much-maligned one starring Michael B. Jordan).
That said, I knew from that very first trailer of First Steps that this looked like the Fantastic Four movie of my dreams. And, do you know what? It was! I loved pretty much everything about it, and I’m happy that it’s now finally hit VOD so that I can watch it again.
There are a number of reasons why this is the best Fantastic Four movie ever made. Here are just a few.
Oh, and some spoilers ahead.
This Is My Favorite Cinematic Version Of Team, Bar None
One might look at the older Fantastic Four movies (yes, I’m even including the Roger Corman one that was never officially released), and say, well, duh. Of course a movie starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Marvel’s First Family would be the best version of the team. But, not so fast!
Because even though I love Pascal, I’ve heard people proclaim that he’s no Ioan Gruffudd. The same goes for Kirby and Jessica Alba, as many would contend that the former doesn’t match the charisma of the latter. Don’t even get me started on Quinn and Chris Evans. The latter was so good that he would eventually become Captain America! Plus, no offense to Moss-Bachrach, but Michael Chiklis knocked it out of the park.
That said, while all of the actors from the early 2000s team might have been arguably superior individually, I’d argue that the First Steps’ crew is the best cinematic version of the team as a whole. They need each other!
This Mister Fantastic is almost introverted, and he relies on his more charismatic wife, Susan Storm, to get their message across. Johnny Storm isn’t as much of a wisecracker as Evans’ version, but he also adds more to the team, coming through in the end. Plus, this Benjamin Grimm feels even more like family than all the past versions. So, in that way, this is the best overall team, and by a wide margin.
I Love That The World Truly Does Feel Built Around Them
Another area where I feel like First Steps really succeeds is in the setting department, as the retro futuristic vibe makes it feel like no other Marvel characters could possibly live in this world. Conversely, the Roger Corman one feels pretty basic, the early 2000s setting is just New York, and the 2015 one mostly takes place in a lab.
But, this one feels super unique. In fact, what I love about the film is that it isn’t a period piece, but it looks like one. In this world, the cars look like they belong in the Kennedy-era, but there are also high-powered space ships that can travel to distant space, and return completely intact. This makes the setting almost feel like a character in itself, and as I mentioned earlier, it’s like the setting is tailor made for this crew.
Which is another reason why this is the best Fantastic Four movie (and actually one of the best Marvel movies, if you ask me). It’s because this one feels like its own thing. It’s not trying to replicate the older movies. In fact, it feels like it’s trying to distance itself as much as possible from the older ones.
This is especially evident in just how cosmic this movie is, which I’ll get into next.
This Is The First Fantastic Four Movie That Actually Nailed The Cosmic Elements From The Comics
When this film first came out, I remember people complaining about the Silver Surfer being gender-swapped, as a number of people called it “woke” to make Silver Surfer a woman (never mind the fact that Shalla-Bal IS a character from the comics, or that the former Silver Surfer actor gave Julia Garner his blessing).
However, anybody who saw this movie will tell you that one of the best scenes is when Shalia-Bal chases our heroes through space while Sue is giving birth. This Herald of Galactus actually surfs through a wormhole, and while watching the film, it made me really feel like this is the first Fantastic Four movie that truly got the cosmic elements right.
Even though all of the previous movies have featured the team going to space to acquire their powers, this is the only one that really focused on space being an integral part of their story after that event (which is merely glossed over in this film, by the way, much like Spider-Man getting his powers in the MCU films). When the threat of Galactus looms, the team travels to space like it’s something they do on a daily basis, and the coolest moments of the film are arguably featured amongst the stars.
There’s no giant cloud monster coming to Earth. Instead, the heroes take the fight to space, and it’s all the cooler for it.
Having A Movie (Mostly) Without Dr. Doom Was The Right Call
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve warmed up to Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom, and I’m actually super pumped about him being a part of the next Avengers movie. But, I’m also super happy that we didn’t get yet another Fantastic Four film with the metal-faced villain. Because if we did, then that would have made it five out of five films.
No, going with Galactus was the right call, as it is yet another reason why this is the best FF movie ever made. Galactus just makes this movie feel so fresh and unique, and other than Doctor Doom, he is probably the next most recognizable villain of theirs.
Also, he and Silver Surfer really steal the show. By having Galactus actually speak and have agency (rather than just being a cloud monster), it really makes the threat feel real, as we know exactly what he wants (Sue’s baby!), and exactly what he’ll do if he doesn’t get it (Destroy the earth!).
If they had just settled on Doctor Doom again, it would have felt like we’ve been there, and done that. No, saving Doom for the post credit scene was the way to go. One hundred percent.
I Also Love That Sue Storm Is The Team’s M.V.P
I’ve mentioned this before, but I really love how First Steps is all about female empowerment. Shalla-Bal is pretty much the catalyst for all of the conflict in this story, and Sue is the one who leads the charge against Galactus.
In fact, Sue is really the M.V.P. of this film, which is really refreshing. Her child is what drives Galactus to give the team an ultimatum, and Sue is the one who placates the citizens of earth, eventually emboldening them to fight back. Not only that, but she even BEATS Galactus.
That’s right! She literally uses her invisible powers as a force to push him – a literal planet swallower! – into the trap that ends his existence on earth.
So, yeah. Sue rules in this, and it’s yet another reason why this is the best Fantastic Four movie ever made. It’s because she rules, and I’m glad that she’s finally the team’s MVP in a movie.
What do you think? Did you watch First Steps? Do you plan to watch it on VOD? I’d love to hear your thoughts.