Movies THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (Passes $400 Million Globally; Dragonlord's Review, post #1)

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Little things I liked:

- In keeping with the 1960s setting, I love the team’s portable data storage device is some sort of golden vinyl record.

- I love that HERBIE’s eyes are magnetic tape drives. And I was extremely amused when it’s revealed that they can replace HERBIE’s magnetic tape drives for specific functions.

- There have been many version of it but this Fantasticar in the film is perfect with its sleek futuristic retro-style automobile that fits with the 1960s setting.

- Love the design of the costumes. So charming with its simple, wool-type sweater design, again perfect for the 60s era.

- In the sizzle reel played at the beginning, I love the many callbacks to the comic books like the team fighting Giganto. The green monster appeared in the iconic cover of Fantastic Four issue 1.

- Love that Reed mentioned the names of Diablo, the Wizard and Puppet Master, which are part of the Fantastic Four rogues gallery in the comics.

- Like the little scene with Ben humoring the kids and showing off his strength, and then jokingly trying to throw the car at them.

- Like that Ben is so beloved in this world.

- I like the Johnny's aura farming moment when he absorbed all the flames from the burning buildings and then saluted at the firefighters. At that moment, he felt like Superman.

- I like Johnny's pro-active, take-charge attitude when a situation arises without being told what to do AND gets good results out of his actions. The Surfer leaves, he immediately chases her. Negotiations with Galactus is not going well, Johnny blasts him. He feels there's more to the alien message, he spends months cracking it - and it pays off big time in the end.

- Love how the film treated space travel seriously, from the launch of the F4's ship, Excelsior, to the team's operations inside the flight deck. It really felt like they were astronauts.

- Love the use of zero gravity in space. The MCU normally don’t bother depicting with zero gravity in their films and the spaceships just utilize some unknown high tech nonsense that creates gravity.

- Love love love the thrilling chase sequence starting with the team trying to escape Galactus' ship and then Shalla-Bal relentlessly pursuing them through Faster Than Light travel.

- I love that Sue dramatically ordered Johnny to "kill her". Hearing the "kill" part was a surprise but it really emphasized the dire situation they were in and showed Sue's lioness mentality in protecting her son.

- I like Shalla-Bal's surfing poses when chasing after them.

- Love that they used a neutron star to use it to temporarily trap the Surfer and use it to slingshot their way back home. It felt so Star Treck-y.

- I like that Sue gave birth during all that chaos and how mature they handled that scene like Ben just calmly delivering the baby. It really drove home how close of a family these four are.

- Love that Galactus’ ship took so long to arrive on Earth. We see his ship pass by planets in our solar system and then we find out on Earth that it still takes a few months for Galactus to arrive. It’s refreshing since the MCU usually have a convenient space portal or wormhole for spaceships to travel.

- I like the cute attack combo the Storm siblings did with Sue making a makeshift light screen to magnify Johnny's flame blast to Galactus' eyes.

- I like the running gag of Johnny trying to egg Ben to say his cartoon catchphrase throughout the movie and then it finally happened in the climactic battle.

I have more things to say about the film. I'll keep on editing and adding to my list later.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

@Dragonlordxxxxx yea, I was way off on the ending being spoiled by Thunderbolts, though now I suspect

Spoiler

they threw Thanos towards our Earth so theyre coming to warn us at the end of Thunderbolts

By the way, I didnt see Smurfs, I saw the new I Know What You Did Last Summer instead and it was really good

Spoiler

I think the F4 spaceship spotted in the Thunderbolts post-credits scene is something that happens during the events of Avengers: Doomsday. Thanos plays no part in it. It's all Doom.

 

[Pittie Petey]

Little things I liked:

Spoiler

- In keeping with the 1960s setting, I love the team’s portable data storage device is some sort of golden vinyl record.

- I love that HERBIE’s eyes are magnetic tape drives. And I was extremely amused when it’s revealed that they can replace HERBIE’s magnetic tape drives for specific functions.

- There have been many version of it but this Fantasticar in the film is perfect with its sleek futuristic retro-style automobile that fits with the 1960s setting.

- Love the design of the costumes. So charming with its simple, wool-type sweater design, again perfect for the 60s era.

- In the sizzle reel played at the beginning, I love that the many callbacks to the comic books like the team fighting Giganto. The green monster appeared in the iconic cover of Fantastic Four issue 1.

- Love that Reed mentioned the names of Diablo, the Wizard and Puppet Master, which are part of the Fantastic Four rogues gallery in the comics.

- Love the use of zero gravity in space. The MCU normally don’t bother depicting with zero gravity in their films and the spaceships just utilize some unknown high tech that creates gravity.

- Love that Galactus’ ship took so long to arrive on Earth. We see his ship pass by planets in our solar system and then we find out on Earth that it still takes a few months for Galactus to arrive. It’s refreshing since the MCU usually have a convenient space portal or wormhole for spaceships to travel.

I have so many to things to say about the film. I'll keep on editing and adding to my list later.

I agree with everything you said here, they really took their time crafting such a cool, beautiful, awesome retro tech filled world and I loved every bit of that

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

I'm looking at X now and it's nice to see the film is being received so positively.

 

[method115]

Going to try and see Saturday but not sure I can get a baby sitter.

 

[Batjester]

Missed out on the Galactus popcorn bucket. This makes me sad. I did get the regular one though.

Just about to head in.

 

[Loiosh]

10/10 for me just because it got SO much right and made me feel ALL the right things.

I can't believe how good Ebon was as Ben Grimm, I had literally no hopes for him. Vanessa Kirby was perfect and even Joseph Quinn was great as Johnny, the character I usually don't care about.

And Pedro... Just when I thought I couldn't like him any more, he raises the bar again. The writing and dialogue for Reed were spectacular, and Pedro sold it all. Pedro and Vanessa had perfect chemistry, and I loved them working through conflict. All it, they were completely believable.

Taking on Galactus was never an easy story to tell in the comics, and I'm glad the film knocked this ALL the way out of the park.

Spoiler

Smiled when I saw the empty seat for the delegate from Latveria.

 

[KnightTemplar]

When even the Critical Drinker can't find something to bitch about, you know your movie done good

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

10/10 for me just because it got SO much right and made me feel ALL the right things.

I can't believe how good Ebon was as Ben Grimm, I had literally no hopes for him. Vanessa Kirby was perfect and even Joseph Quinn was great as Johnny, the character I usually don't care about.

And Pedro... Just when I thought I couldn't like him any more, he raises the bar again. The writing and dialogue for Reed were spectacular, and Pedro sold it all. Pedro and Vanessa had perfect chemistry, and I loved them working through conflict. All it, they were completely believable.

Taking on Galactus was never an easy story to tell in the comics, and I'm glad the film knocked this ALL the way out of the park.

Spoiler

Smiled when I saw the empty seat for the delegate from Latveria.

Happy you loved it.

Spoiler

What did you think of the mid-credits scene? I thought it was nice but disappointing overall. Wished they've given us something a bit more substantial. I guess I'm a bit spoiled with that fantastic stinger in Thunderbolts.

Also, what was the last movie you rated 10/10?

 

[Loiosh]

Happy you loved it.

Spoiler

What did you think of the mid-credits scene? I thought it was nice but disappointing overall. Wished they've given us something a bit more substantial. I guess I'm a bit spoiled with that fantastic stinger in Thunderbolts.

Also, what was the last movie you rated 10/10?

Spoiler

Not much, I don't like these scenes in general. I pretty much never give a 10 but privately I thought Dune, Dune II and BR 2049 were 10s. I just don't think many would agree.

I only gave F4 a 10 because it exceeded my wildest expectations and I've loved this group for fifty years. Pascal was absolutely perfect as the intellect that is Reed Richards, I find that most MSU intellects are just magic pretending to be science.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Spoiler

Not much, I don't like these scenes in general. I pretty much never give a 10 but privately I thought Dune, Dune II and BR 2049 were 10s. I just don't think many would agree.

I only gave F4 a 10 because it exceeded my wildest expectations and I've loved this group for fifty years. Pascal was absolutely perfect as the intellect that is Reed Richards, I find that most MSU intellects are just magic pretending to be science.

Very good points on Reed. The film has a grounded, realistic tone despite the fantastical setting. And that also extends to how Reed's genius intellect is portrayed which feels really grounded and realistic.

 

[Streeter]

Still haven't seen but these reviews are starting to get me excited to see Sunday . After I admit I thought for certain this would suck or be a wrage at best due to casting - alwaya thought the retro future look was great. Happy to hear Pedro dod well as Reed I had zero hopes there. Maybe .ar el is coming back

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Its sNobberin time ....

All the actors were all great, though I do have an issue with how some characters were portrayed.
The retro-vibe was great. And the ideas behind this movie were really solid, albeit not always well executed.
BUT... pretty much anything great, or potentially great, was rushed or cut short. Which is made all the more frustrating given the length of the movie, its filler, and boring stretches (ooh, a pun!)
I blame that on the script and direction. And the CGI was "Not great, Bob!"/ 10.

While certainly the Citizen Kane of the on again off again F.F. franchise, I'd only give it a 7/10. Probably a solid layman 6, but I give it an extra point for the nerdy shit that made it move.
Glad I saw it and saw it early.

Biggest surprise pros:

1. Stranger Things dude. He was really good, as an actor, not necessarily as Torch. I thought was was going to be the weak link, a throw away casting to draw in the Netflix kids (and of course he was that), but he was really good. I think this guy could be a legit big deal in a few years.

2. Silver Surfer. Best part of the whole movie. They really dropped the ball by not expanding on her story, it was easily the most compelling part of the movie. And all of her scenes were super cool. Even the ones from the trailer seem much better in the movie. In a perfect world, her appearance and expanded storyline would have been the entirety of FF #2 with Galactus not coming until #3. Pretty sure that's how @Dragonlordxxxxx drew it up back in the day.
Galactus was too much too soon.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

When even the Critical Drinker can't find something to bitch about, you know your movie done good

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Biggest surprise pros:

1. Stranger Things dude. He was really good, as an actor, not necessarily as Torch. I thought was was going to be the weak link, a throw away casting to draw in the Netflix kids (and of course he was that), but he was really good. I think this guy could be a legit big deal in a few years.

2. Silver Surfer. Best part of the whole movie. They really dropped the ball by not expanding on her story, it was easily the most compelling part of the movie. And all of her scenes were super cool. Even the ones from the trailer seem much better in the movie. In a perfect world, her appearance and expanded storyline would have been the entirety of FF #2 with Galactus not coming until #3. Pretty sure that's how @Dragonlordxxxxx drew it up back in the day.
Galactus was too much too soon.

That's how I felt about Joseph Quinn also as Johnny. Surprised me how much I loved his version of Johnny Storm.

Another surprise for me was how well Shalla-Bal worked. And if this was Norrin-Rad, we would have not gotten the same chemistry we did with Johnny and Shalla-Bal.

Yeah, in an ideal world where there were no Fantastic Four movies that have come out yet, Silver Surfer and Galactus would have been introduced around movie 3 or 4. But we live in a time where you can't just do the same thing in your reboot even with the best of intentions. Audience will find it stale and repetitive. That's why we're getting all these remakes that skips the characters' origin stories and just jump in their later years.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

That's how I felt about Joseph Quinn also as Johnny. Surprised me how much I loved his version of Johnny Storm.

Another surprise for me was how well Shalla-Bal worked. And if this was Norrin-Rad, we would have not gotten the same chemistry we did with Johnny and Shalla-Bal.

Yeah, in an ideal world where there were no Fantastic Four movies that have come out yet, Silver Surfer and Galactus would have been introduced around movie 3 or 4. But we live in a time where you can't just do the same thing in your reboot even with the best of intentions. Audience will find it stale and repetitive. That's why we're getting all these remakes that skips the characters' origin stories and just jump in their later years.

He might have to win an Academy Award before he's no longer Stranger Things Dude to me.

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

The best Marvel movie in years ( I still fell asleep) but my son who doesn't care for comic book movies really enjoyed it.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

He might have to win an Academy Award before he's no longer Stranger Things Dude to me.

Haha, fair enough. For me, he already graduated from being Eddie Munson from Stranger Things after seeing him in a lot of his feature work after the series. He's a very good actor and will probably be a bigger star in the future.


He was good as the co-lead in A Quiet Place: Day One playing a British law student.

He was fantastic (pun intended) as the deranged co-emperor in Gladiator II which he also co-stars with Mister Fantastic. That's Ed Sheeran in the middle (don't do any research, just trust me).

He was pretty good in Alex Garland's gritty war drama Warfare. But the lasting impression I had about him in that movie was his joyous reaction to watching a workout video at the beginning of the film.

And of course, who can forget Joseph Quinn's side job as one of the member of N'Sync and having a successful solo music career.

 

[lordsai]

Can't wait to watch in hour or so going to head out to watch

 

[Aegon Spengler]

10/10 for me just because it got SO much right and made me feel ALL the right things.

I can't believe how good Ebon was as Ben Grimm, I had literally no hopes for him. Vanessa Kirby was perfect and even Joseph Quinn was great as Johnny, the character I usually don't care about.

And Pedro... Just when I thought I couldn't like him any more, he raises the bar again. The writing and dialogue for Reed were spectacular, and Pedro sold it all. Pedro and Vanessa had perfect chemistry, and I loved them working through conflict. All it, they were completely believable.

Taking on Galactus was never an easy story to tell in the comics, and I'm glad the film knocked this ALL the way out of the park.

Spoiler

Smiled when I saw the empty seat for the delegate from Latveria.

The only thing that bugged me about galactus was that he was hurt a little too easily imo.