I'm definitely a bit late to the punch on this one, but such is life sometimes and I wanted to get a review out even if it was a bit delayed. This past weekend we were treated to what feels like an exciting new chapter for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Much of the franchise's output post Endgame has been hit or miss, leading to many including myself to go into the most recent entries with more skepticism than in years past. This is one I had a lot of hope in though, right from the moment I first saw the aesthetic bringing Marvel's first family to life.
This latest rendition of the Fantastic Four and their introduction to the MCU, takes place in a parallel universe brought to life with a 1960s style retro-futuristic aesthetic. We get an old school introduction to the team, showing us briefly but effectively what their dynamic is and how they got their powers. A lot have compared the style to something like The Jetsons, but it really just evokes the style of the times as the Fantastic Four were first introduced to the world back in 1961. This story takes place a few years into their time as superheroes, but the system they have become accustomed with is thrown for a loop when Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) reveals she is pregnant, causing her husband Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) to ponder the implications of a baby with their cosmically changed DNA, and the baby's soon to be uncles Johnny/The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) just excited as hell. Everything is thrown for even more of a loop though when a cosmic being comes to their Earth and heralds its end by means of Galactus, the eater of worlds.
I grew up with the 2005 Fantastic Four movie so it did take me some time to adjust to this new cast, but as the film went on I grew to love the casting. My biggest uncertainty was with Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch but while he doesn't reach the heights of Chris Evans I thought his brand of fun youthful arrogance was really endearing. I also loved Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, his visual look had some moments that left me a bit underwhelmed but his vocal performance was pitch perfect. Vanessa Kirby is also amazing here, again it's weird seeing someone else in the role but her performance felt powerful, making here feel more like the core of the team rather than Mr. Fantastic. Pedro Pascal is probably my least favourite of the four, I still love him and he gives a good performance here, but there are times where his fit in the role just feels a bit off. The herald (aka the Silver Surfer) is played by Julia Garner who I thought was fantastic (oops pun). Her look is another one I'm not sure how I feel about but I thought her performance was great. Taking on the role of Galactus (one played by a cloud in the 2007 film) is Ralph Ineson, a name you may not know but a voice you're sure to recognize. His deep tone perfectly fits the godlike villain he plays and I'm over the moon with the fact that he landed such a high profile role like this.
There are two areas in which I think this film could have been vastly improved. The first is unfortunately a topic that seems to always come up with the recent MCU and that's the visual effects. For the most part the CGI is great, but there are moments here and there especially in the final act where the compositing frankly looks bad. Whether it be green screen that couldn't be more obvious or a baby that definitely doesn't look like it's actually being held, these are visual moments that sadly sour the overall feeling of the film. It's an extra big shame because so much of the film does look amazing. The production design and costumes bringing to life this retro-futuristic setting are phenomenal, making the film feel otherwordly but also familiar in a nostalgic way. If not for these compositing blunders I'd go as far as to say this is one of the better looking MCU films, but sadly those bring it down a peg.
The other point of issue I have is with the editing, especially in the back half of the film. When the team is trying to figure out how to beat Galactus there is a lot of jumping back and forth leading to the plot feeling a bit uneven. Some moments aren't fleshed out quite enough and feel rushed, while others come across as fairly repetitive. The climax is good and offers a fulfilling conclusion to the story, but does feel a bit too chopped up. I have to assume some of this is studio interference but it's still a bit of a shame. Aside from those two problems though I really loved this one. This is hands down the best depiction of the team in live action and I look forward to seeing where they go next. 4/5
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