Here’s the spoiler thread for fantastic four.
Overall I quite enjoyed this one, definately best FF movie by far, and on the marvel list I would rank it above average (not the top of marvel but above the curve and definately above most phase 4-5 movies).
The alternate earth was interesting not just for the retro 60s vibe but for just how hopeful and cooperative this version of humanity was. Like the FF got the entire planet to build a super project just like that. I am fully on board with that notion as long as we see the cultural whiplash for the four when they come to our earth. I want them to really be like “Jesus what happened to people to make them so jaded” kind of thing.
Sue is the breakout in this one. People have often critiqued how to write a good woman character without going full “girl boss” and I think they nailed it with Sue. She is incredible powerful yet vulnerable, kind but fierce when her family is threatened. She stands out on her own accomplishments but has no trouble supporting Reed in his endeavors. I think they balance her very well.
Pascal did a solid Reed to me. His little monologue about “there’s something wrong with me” really got to me, and his argument with Sue where she says “sometimes you being you hurts me” I think is very powerful and accurate to the character. Reed mind is his greatest power but it does come at a cost, he thinks about EVERYTHING, every possible option including the ones that would be abhorrent to others. And it isolates him from others and sometimes puts him at odds with his wife. My main critique was how anemic his powers were. Galactus didn’t even stretch him all that far!
Ben had the littlest to do plot wise and was the character that got the weakest treatment overall. Nothing bad about the rendition but nothing great either. I will say he looked MUCH better with the beard, ifs almost like they doubled the CGI budget once the beard kicked in.
Johnny was an interesting take. I got the impression this was a Johnny several years into the four that had “mellowed” and “grown up”. He had gone through his wild party phase and was now a lot more mature. I did appreciate they gave him plot to highlight that he is a smart guy,
Reed didn’t just put him on the OG ship for nepotism, but because he had actual skills. Compared to the Johnnys we have gotten in the last few movies, this is a much more organic and developed version of the character. I didn’t care much for the look of the actor, it just didn’t quite capture it to me.
Galactus looked pretty awesome. In terms of rendition i only have the cartoons to go off of myself. That Galactus was more of a tragic character who utterly hated killing worlds but really held no ill will to people. This Galactus was more of a dick, not evil…but dickish.
To me the biggest miss of the movie was the Franklin “give me the child and I’ll spare the world plot”. It just doesn’t fully land. I get this is an alternate earth but are people REALLY ok with just letting Galactus come after one speech from Sue? And they didn’t dig into the ethics much. It does put some dirt on the shine of the FF that they endanger the entire world (and ultimately thousands of people still lose their homes) to save their son in an incredible gamble. I get what the plot was going for (what wouldn’t you do for family)…but it doesn’t quite work imo.
So yeah overall pretty pleased, if marvel can keep making this stuff again we might actually get the MCU back on track
Overall I quite enjoyed this one, definately best FF movie by far, and on the marvel list I would rank it above average (not the top of marvel but above the curve and definately above most phase 4-5 movies).
The alternate earth was interesting not just for the retro 60s vibe but for just how hopeful and cooperative this version of humanity was. Like the FF got the entire planet to build a super project just like that. I am fully on board with that notion as long as we see the cultural whiplash for the four when they come to our earth. I want them to really be like “Jesus what happened to people to make them so jaded” kind of thing.
Sue is the breakout in this one. People have often critiqued how to write a good woman character without going full “girl boss” and I think they nailed it with Sue. She is incredible powerful yet vulnerable, kind but fierce when her family is threatened. She stands out on her own accomplishments but has no trouble supporting Reed in his endeavors. I think they balance her very well.
Pascal did a solid Reed to me. His little monologue about “there’s something wrong with me” really got to me, and his argument with Sue where she says “sometimes you being you hurts me” I think is very powerful and accurate to the character. Reed mind is his greatest power but it does come at a cost, he thinks about EVERYTHING, every possible option including the ones that would be abhorrent to others. And it isolates him from others and sometimes puts him at odds with his wife. My main critique was how anemic his powers were. Galactus didn’t even stretch him all that far!
Ben had the littlest to do plot wise and was the character that got the weakest treatment overall. Nothing bad about the rendition but nothing great either. I will say he looked MUCH better with the beard, ifs almost like they doubled the CGI budget once the beard kicked in.
Johnny was an interesting take. I got the impression this was a Johnny several years into the four that had “mellowed” and “grown up”. He had gone through his wild party phase and was now a lot more mature. I did appreciate they gave him plot to highlight that he is a smart guy,
Reed didn’t just put him on the OG ship for nepotism, but because he had actual skills. Compared to the Johnnys we have gotten in the last few movies, this is a much more organic and developed version of the character. I didn’t care much for the look of the actor, it just didn’t quite capture it to me.
Galactus looked pretty awesome. In terms of rendition i only have the cartoons to go off of myself. That Galactus was more of a tragic character who utterly hated killing worlds but really held no ill will to people. This Galactus was more of a dick, not evil…but dickish.
To me the biggest miss of the movie was the Franklin “give me the child and I’ll spare the world plot”. It just doesn’t fully land. I get this is an alternate earth but are people REALLY ok with just letting Galactus come after one speech from Sue? And they didn’t dig into the ethics much. It does put some dirt on the shine of the FF that they endanger the entire world (and ultimately thousands of people still lose their homes) to save their son in an incredible gamble. I get what the plot was going for (what wouldn’t you do for family)…but it doesn’t quite work imo.
So yeah overall pretty pleased, if marvel can keep making this stuff again we might actually get the MCU back on track
