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Hello everyone! We watched Fantastic Four: First Steps last week in the cinema. I must admit that I went in there prepared to be underwhelmed and disappointed. Ever since Avengers: Endgame, with the exception of Spiderman No Way Home, Marvel seems to have lost their way and the next movies were not as entertaining as what came before Endgame. When I watched Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I got confused. Why did Scarlet Witch suddenly turned evil? I didn't have a subscription to Disney+ at that time so I didn't know that the story in the TV show ties up to the movies. I'm sure folks who hasn't seen the show on Disney+ were as confused as I was. So I avoided the next MCU movies like Thor, Love and Thunder and skipped the TV shows as well when I subscribed to Disney. However, last weekend, my family wanted to go to the movies. We just watched the new Superman the week before and liked the movie so maybe superhero movies are great again and we lined up for Fantastic Four.
Introduction
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The movie is set in an alternate universe where the timeline is a futuristic 60's. An oxymoron, but that's how it is. We have a 1960s America with flying cars. This is not an origin story but the source of their powers were told in the movie. We also saw the Fantastic Four getting involved in fighting criminals and leading world peace. They are loved by the people and are celebrities not only in the US but also around the world. They also seem to be the only superheroes in this universe. Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) are expecting their first baby and we see how they are treated similar to celebrities. Everything is going great until a threat arrives with the coming of Galactus, who eats planets for breakfast.
Cast
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Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards
I had misgivings about a Latino actor portraying Mr. Fantastic because it was not comics-accurate. However, Pedro is a great actor carried the role well. He can show a wide range of emotions like when they returned to Earth, defeated for the first time or near the end in a sad scene where his grief reminded me of his character, Joel from The Last of Us.
The rest of the Fantastic Four were familiar faces from TV shows and other movies.
Vanessa Kirby (Mission Impossible) plays Sue Storm, Reed's wife and mother of their baby, Franklin, who will probably be crucial in the next MCU movies. The kid from Stranger Things, Joseph Quinn plays the Human Torch, Sue's brother. The guy from Netflix's "The Bear" plays The Thing while Julia Garner from Ozark is the Silver Surfer. Oh, and Ralph Ineson, a very prolific actor we saw in movies like Harry Potter and on TV like Game of Thrones, plays Galactus, the Devourer.
My Take on the Movie
The last Fantastic Four was dark and grim that there was a joke that it belonged in the DC Universe.
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Fantastic Four: First Steps is bright and colorful which reminded me of Superman (1978). It starts as a standalone movie set apart from the rest of the MCU. It seems the MCU is returning to its roots and this is a setup for a new series of movies. The ensemble cast is convincing as MCU's first family that it seems they are friends in real life. Speaking of family, familial bond is highlighted throughout the film and seems to be the theme. Even when faced with world-ending threat, facing the problem "as a family" was emphasized by Sue.
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The movie deals with serious end of the world threat but it never forgot humor, similar to previous MCU movies that made them so entertaining to watch. The ensemble cast were convincing and worked well as a family. The movie had heart, it's funny but can make you cry in some scenes. This movie made me want to watch MCU movies again and I'm excited for the return of Robert Downey Jr as Dr. Doom teased in the mid-credits.
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