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Ron: Hello and thank you for joining the Stereo Geeks. Today, we’re reviewing The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I’m Ron. 

Mon: And I’m Mon. This is a spoiler-free review. So if you’re wondering whether to watch the film, or what to expect, keep listening. 

Ron: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Mon: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

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Mon: So The Fantastic Four: First Steps is finally here. It feels like this movie’s been on the docket for ages. 

Ron: Yeah. Marvel announces stuff early and then we wait. But, after a few different adaptations, the first family has now made it to the MCU. 

Mon: The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm/ Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm/ the Thing, Ralph Ineson is Galactus, and Julia Garner is Shalla-Bal, a Silver Surfer. 

Ron: This isn’t an origin story. The Fantastic Four: First Steps tells the tale of the Fantastic Four getting their powers through a diegetic documentary. Instead the story focuses on how the team can fight an all-powerful galactic devourer, Galactus. Despite all their superpowers, are they strong enough to overcome not just this literal giant, but also, the fears and mistrust of humanity?

Mon: We don’t have a grand history with the Fantastic Four. In fact, I keep forgetting we have any history till they pop back up on the big screen. But, I got super-nostalgic at the start of the film. I felt like a kid again, watching superhero cartoons for the first time. 

Ron: Yeah, it’s funny, because the Fantastic Four cartoon was our introduction to Marvel. 

Mon: Not that we knew it.

Ron: We used to love watching that as kids. But I remember very little. 

Mon: The only story I remember is the Thing, being captured, and he briefly turns back to Ben Grimm. That episode really captured the tragedy of the change he’d undergone. 

Ron: It was devastating. Maybe that’s why it’s the only episode we remember. We were also very young so it’s not surprising that we don’t recall anything else now.

Mon: And then these characters sort of disappeared from our consciousness till the Chris Evans movie trailer did the rounds.

Ron: Let’s take a moment to talk about that first Fantastic Four film, now 20 years old. 

Mon: 20 years old! What?

Ron: Yeah, I know. What even is time anymore? Also, I love how you’re calling it the Chris Evans movie, because I believe that was our introduction to Evans. I distinctly remember seeing trailers with Johnny Storm running around wearing barely anything. Obviously, young me was very intrigued.

Mon: Wait, no! Our introduction to Chris Evans was that terrible Cellular movie. Which is so bad, but so fun. Mum was watching it and we went to the TV room wondering who was screeching. 

Ron: I thought we caught Cellular later, and that’s why we watched it? Because we liked Evans in Fantastic Four. Not that the timeline matters.

Mon: Cellular first. That is why you found the Fantastic Four trailer so intriguing. Wink wink. We’ve seen both the Fantastic Four films a few times. They’re fun. But probably don’t hold up any more. 

Ron: They are definitely fun, especially the second one, where Johnny had a lot more screentime and more to do. Let’s also shout out the late Julian McMahon who will always be the prototype for Dr Doom.

Mon: Aye. Unlike the other version. We are not going to be talking about the other, more recent adaptation. 

Ron: Yes, we’ve all scrubbed that from our memory. Except for Michael B Jordan. He was great. But moving on!

Mon: All right. What did we like about The Fantastic Four: First Steps? You go first.

Ron: I enjoyed myself. I was surprisingly captivated by the production values. I didn’t expect to be so mesmerised by the 1960s steampunk aesthetic. It’s a futuristic 60s that we get throughout this film and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Mon: I loved the aesthetic of this film. I think it’s one of my favourites. It so succinctly captures the era the story is set in, without any title cards or gimmicks. And the tech, steampunk, yes, but also natural, part of the time period. 

Ron: It all fits. Very well thought out. And, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want a Herby action figure now. 

Mon: Noooooo. This is so Disney. 

Ron: They got me! Herby’s like R2-D2 here. You can’t understand him, yet you can. And the way everyone interacted with Herby was so real. In general, the special effects are next level. What was the budget for this film? They fight so many villains just in the first act. I couldn’t believe how larger than life this world would end up being. All of that was before we even met Galactus!

Mon: Loved the effects. They got Mr. Fantastic’s powers to look a little less cartoony than they are. So that’s a triumph in itself. But, like, all the tech and powers looked great.

Ron: Their powers aren’t shown as much in this film as one would expect. That’s probably why they didn’t look cartoony. Johnny’s powers get showcased the most and the fire powers definitely looked good. Reed’s powers can get silly but it came across surprisingly natural here. 

Mon: And Galactus! Holy moly. Now that is a villain to be scared of. Great design in this adaptation.

Ron: Galactus did look good. And large. But I would have liked more colour. Why not go full purple with this version? Having said that, the design was excellent. 

Mon: The technical side of things aside, I really enjoyed myself during this film. I had so much fun. But I think what really worked here is that the story is focused. Yeah, you get a bit of exposition to share their backstory, but the creative team knows that the majority of the people going in to watch this know the story. And anyone new, they can understand through clues and hints. It’s a great way to get to the main story.

Ron: I wouldn’t say the plot is terribly different from the 2007 film. We’ve met the Silver Surfer and a version of Galactus. It’s quite similar. But, what’s different here is the stakes are more personal. It’s not just about teaming up to fight a cosmic being, it’s about protecting what you love most while trying to save the planet.

Mon: Yeah, some of the similarities surprised me. But it’s different enough, with more refreshing dynamics, different stakes – and of course that amazing aesthetic – that you don’t feel like it’s a copy-paste job.

Ron: Moving on to characters. I need to talk about Shalla-Bal. They did exactly what I hoped they wouldn’t do and I’m a bit upset about that. The moment you have a female character in a skin tight outfit, you do not need to sexualize her. Yes, it’s funny that the team teases Johnny relentlessly because he’s a flirt and that’s just Johnny but some of the language was off-putting. We didn’t have Norrin Radd being sexualized even though Doug Jones was wearing something similar and was voiced by Laurence Fishburn!

Mon: Ok, so, I don’t know how to feel. I thought that was pretty funny. And Johnny being captivated by this, essentially, femme fatale, was humourous. And I’ll tell you why it didn’t feel overly ew to me. Because Johnny doesn’t lust after her. He wants to charm her, but also understand her. I’d say he humanizes her more than anything. 

Ron: You are being very kind. I am relieved that Johnny wasn’t too gross about it but I wish they hadn’t gone there at all. Like why isn’t Johnny thinking that he can charm anybody just because he’s Johnny? Why is he specifically trying to charm Shalla-Bal? Because she’s an attractive femme-presenting alien?

Mon: That’s fair. 

Ron: One thing I didn’t expect was how little we would get of some of the team. Is it just me or did Johnny and Reed get the bulk of the screen time? 

Mon: Yes! Totally. The film is so focused on showcasing that these guys are a family, that they forgot to show that they’re also a team. 

Ron: Johnny has a lot of scenes and he’s amazing, don’t get me wrong. I’ve never seen a Johnny Storm that I didn’t immediately love. 

Mon: I’m not surprised Johnny got a lot of scenes. He’s a very popular character in the comics, especially made to appeal to young demographics. And they’ve got Joseph Quinn in the role for the same reason. To appeal to the younger demos that the MCU has a habit of veering away from.

Ron: Right, because people really liked his character in Stranger Things. I still haven’t seen that season.

Mon: I was excited to see Quinn in the role, but I have to say, I’m disappointed. He felt so restrained in the role. It’s like he was resistant to embracing the flamboyant side that stunned people in Stranger Things.

Ron: Wait wait. You didn’t like Johnny? I thought he was great. I liked that he wasn’t over the top but he still captured the messy human that is Johnny Storm. He’s annoying but not too much. He gets after Reed but he’s always respectful of his genius. He and Ben were so refreshing. He never once makes fun of his appearance. He just insists on eating snacks at the wrong time. 

Mon: Uh…. You and I watched a whole different Johnny, mate. I didn’t dislike him, I just. I don’t know. Quinn was holding back. Like he was holding his breath the whole time. 

Ron: No! He was sassy, but also quite sweet. And he was charming in some ways. I actually wished they’d leaned into his charm with other people because we only get to see him interact with the team and Shalla-Bal.

Mon: Wow. We have never disagreed this hard. What about the Thing?

Ron: Thing gets so little to do here! He’s a great friend and Ebon Moss-Bachrach manages to be so expressive despite the CGI. But what makes Thing so interesting is that he’s a product of Reed’s mistake. Everyone else got to look human and have cool powers. Ben Grimm isn’t even human anymore. And we’re not going to delve into that? Not even a little?

Mon: I totally agree with you on that. The thing about the Thing is, he’s human but doesn’t look like it. In the comics, he really struggles with the change and he is vocal in his anger towards Reed. They’re not always a happy family, these four. I’m glad the film eschews the childishness of Ben and Johnny’s rivalry, but it flattens it completely. The Thing being ok with what happened—in a way, I like it, because people change and you have to accept your new normal. But the angst, the pain, the layers. Nothing’s there. Kind of ridiculous to get someone like Moss-Bachrach in the role, and then not let him flex his emotive muscles at all. 

Ron: Yes, he’s just too accepting. Obviously, this is a few years after the space accident that changed them but still, they’re all living together as one happy family when one person’s entire life has been upended.

Mon: I felt Ben had no personality. But worse was Sue – she was given very little to do. Honestly, it bothered me so much how Sue was written. It was like reading the first comics. I skimmed through those in the run up to the film. Sue was painfully useless in the books. She was given nothing to do. I am, honestly, shocked the film went down the same route. She has some moments, but who is she? What does she do for the team? 

Ron: Yes, I was very worried about Sue Storm. In the comics, she’s always treated so badly. Not just by Reed but by writers. She’s always the Girl™️in the group. Her power is literally to disappear. And make forcefields that I wish she’d use to crush Reed sometimes. Jessica Alba has already spoken about her terrible experience playing Sue in the two previous movies. I was worried!

Mon: Oh, I didn’t know that about Alba’s experience. 

Ron: Yes, Alba had a horrid time and she’s recently been vocal about it. Good for her.

Ron: Watching Kirby, I’ve come away feeling a little mixed. Sue gets to be the team’s voice in this film. Which is great, and unexpected. Reed is usually front and center. But here, Sue gets to make change, she gets to rally people. She changes minds, not through science but a thorough understanding of the human condition. Reed still lacks that ability. And I love that Sue calls him out on it, no matter his reasoning.

Mon: Yeah, I liked that Sue got those moments, but they were undermined by the number of scenes where she simply didn’t speak. Kirby’s an expressive actor, with great screen presence. Let her fill the space and character.

Ron: I was impressed by her screen presence and you’re right, they should’ve done more with it. But there are probably a few too many scenes where she’s just standing there holding a baby.

Mon: Also, it amazes me how much Hollywood loves a pregnant woman in peril. Ironic considering how poorly the US treats pregnant people and mothers. It was a weird choice in the film. 

Ron: Oh goodness, yes. What was that about? At least Sue does get a couple of cool action moments which she thoroughly deserves. But, and it’s a big but, did this film allow Sue to be more than Franklin’s mother? I don’t think so. We don’t even get to see her relationship with her brother. And that’s what’s got me in a quandary. I want to love Sue in First Steps, but I don’t think I know her beyond her as a mother. 

Mon: That I agree on.

Mon: Let’s talk about Reed. He’s easy to overlook.

Ron: Gonna say it now, I have always hated Reed Richards. He sucks. He’s a bully, he’s a narcissist. He’s the worst husband and friend. I will throw a book away if I see he’s in it.

Mon: Wow. Ok! Tell us how you really feel, Ron. 

Ron: That was me being restrained.

Mon: I’ll confess, I too struggle with Reed as a character in the books. I went through a few different runs when I was doing research for this film – and uh, dude does not come out looking great. Like ever. Even when we read him in crossovers, or events, man, he was just the freaking worst! So yeah, I was deeply concerned with what kind of character we were going to get in this film. 

Ron: I’ve never met Reed in a comic book where he didn’t do something heinous.

Mon: Right. So uh, what did you think about MCU Reed?

Ron: This is the first time I’ve ever actually loved Reed Richards. Okay, it’s Pedro Pascal. Everybody loves Pedro Pascal. Obviously, we love Pedro Pascal. Somehow, he manages to make Reed seem like less of a douchecanoe, more like a man who wishes he could live in the science, but unfortunately, has to live with humans.

Mon: I agree. I shouldn’t have worried. Reed in this film is flawed, yes, but loveable. He’s so serious, so burdened. That is a perfect encapsulation of the comic book character. He’s also kind, and loving – this version of Reed actually smiles! Which, honestly, I don’t know how to feel about that. I really liked him, though I may be biased, because Reed is played by Pedro Pascal. And we all love Pedro. 

Ron: I do want to mention that Ioan Grufford was a decent enough Reed. He wasn’t awful, just a bit silly. But Pedro’s Reed? I liked his version. He’s surprisingly loveable. And he does try to acknowledge his mistake in the accident, even when the others try to shush him. Plus, he makes an attempt to listen. There’s a scene where Reed and Sue are arguing. It works because he’s not trying to mansplain how his brain works, and he doesn’t talk over her. It’s different from the comics where Reed thinks he’s the only smart person in the room and he should be listened to.

Mon: Pedro’s so dang good at these roles. The complicated hero with the morally ambiguous nature. He just knows how to reel you in with those sad eyes, and sweet smile. And the way Pedro carries himself in the suits – superhero suit, or otherwise – he’s a man who knows himself, and his abilities. Loved Reed. 

Ron: I also want to add that Reed in First Steps is vulnerable. He comes across a problem he can’t solve–his heart versus science. And that makes him the most human version of Reed we’ve seen so far.

Mon: That’s beautifully put. 

Mon: To wrap things up, I had a lot of fun watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It embraces the feeling of family. The effects and aesthetics are gorgeous. Pedro Pascal belongs in this role. The others will grow on me. I wonder if people will find the film too slow. For me, it perfectly captured the comic book runs where Reed and the team are trying to crack the science to saving the world, instead of everything being a punch fest. The story is contained but the world is built out. I’m excited to see more of these characters. I’m just not sure if I want them to take the spotlight away from the current crop of MCU characters. 

Ron: It’s definitely a fun film. I loved the first Act. The history of the Fantastic Four, all the battles they’d won, the way they’re making change. The first Act sets up their dynamic. We get these amazing moments between Johnny and Ben, and Reed and Sue. I couldn’t believe how much I was enjoying that part. But it did slow down in Act Two. I don’t think all the characters got their due and there were some moments where the treatment of the female characters felt regressive. This is still a great entry for the team in the MCU. I don’t know how this is going to lead to Doomsday yet. I am excited but cautious. 

Mon: Talking to you, and thinking about the film some more, it’s making me wonder. Did I just enjoy this film because I wanted to? I’ve done that before, and not seen as many cracks. This film has problems. Beautiful to look at, but it’s trope-y, and some of the sensibilities feel like they’re as much a part of the 60s as the film’s era. 

Ron: We are allowed to enjoy things just because we want to. And we wanted to enjoy The Fantastic Four: First Steps. So, we did.