This year has truly been the year of superhero movies. It all began with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Captain America: Brave New World," which we'll leave in February, where it belongs. Later, the MCU took a major step up with "Thunderbolts*," giving fans a taste of small-scale characters turned large. And most recently, James Gunn's "Superman" launched his DC universe off with a bang through the film's comic book likeness.
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But "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" was my most anticipated superhero movie this year. I'm a fairly big Marvel fan whose fandom seemingly continues to dwindle with every other project. However, after the success of "Thunderbolts*" and a trailer that looked fresh and exciting, I was fully bought in.
To say I left the theater disappointed wouldn't be fair — or accurate. The movie was good and had a lot of great aspects that have been missing from the MCU, but on the other hand, some ideas failed to flesh out in their slightly under two-hour run time.
One of my main issues — which might seem silly to some — is that the movie's depiction of Johnny Storm was nowhere near who Johnny Storm is supposed to be. Excuse my pun, but Storm is supposed to be this fiery, arrogant kid who values his own opinion above all else.
American actor Chris Evans' portrayal of the character in the 2005 and 2007 movies is near-perfect — a cocky guy who puts himself over his family until he later learns their importance. While I think Joseph Quinn did fine with the script he was given, in this new rendition, the writing didn't allow him to overcome any real internal issues. There were moments where it worked, but overall, it left him lagging behind the rest.
The Fantastic Four as a group is something that's new to me. Before this week, I had only seen the 2015 adaptation. I know that's a low bar, but there was no sense of "family" in that movie. In the 2005 adaptation, which I have now seen, it mirrors the new one in terms of family relationships, but it doesn't hit the same emotionally.
However, this movie excelled with the familial aspect beyond any Fantastic Four media I've seen in the past. It's the Fours' whole thing, so nailing it is really important. Johnny and Ben nagging at each other, Reed and Sue having a relationship we all wish for and all of the other connections between them shines. Adding in Silver Surfer, who was another strong point in the film alongside the antagonist Galactus, and her background only helped push the family narrative.
The best part of this film was its visuals. I'm a sucker for retro vibes, and with this movie being set in a futuristic mid-1900s, I loved it. Set designs were a master work (I really wish I had their kitchen), and the use of warm colors as a backdrop to the constant blue worked well on my eyes. For their powers, the practical effects looked great too — something that has been an issue in previous movies.
Johnny's flames and their ability to shift around his body were satisfying, The Thing looked the best it ever has and Sue's force field powers, with their refraction and rainbow-like colors surrounding her, were the best of all.
Collectively, though, it's a film whose potential wasn't quite reached, it remained a fresh and fun time and continues a positive shift in the MCU.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, but more so a 3.5/5
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this review are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Senna James, Leah Mesquita and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at jkmccar2@asu.edu and follow @jackmccarthyasu on X.
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Jack McCarthy is a senior studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his third semester with The State Press. He has also worked as a sports reporter.
