“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” criticism: A Godzilla Galactus

Are all good things possibly 4? Marvel fans will agree immediately-after all, there is a great hope that the fourth attempt to give us a movie with the Fantastic Four finally works to offer the fantastic group of four.

The new quartet consists of Pedro Pascal as a fantastic elastic Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as a Sue Storm, who is always in the invisibility, Joseph Quinn as an easily flammable Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who presents a stone profile as Benjamin Grimm. They all live in a world that must not be confused with ours: Earth 828 offers a New York that is reminiscent of the 1960s, but at the same time looks very futuristic. (After all, what is the multiverse in the MCU!)

A hungry galactus and his female surfer

The first steps after their spectacular transformation in space could also be their last very quickly, since a cosmic being chose this planet of all things to satisfy his hunger. The god -like galactus has a giant appetite and devours entire star systems for the main meal. As a bearer of the threatening doom, he first sends his misfortune messenger Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) – yes, rightly read: The surf has now become a surfer for unknown reasons. But unfortunately this is not the biggest problem, because here completely different things are very annoying – especially the line -up.

Two misleadings and an inappropriate face

The good news: Vanessa Kirby can be considered a worthy invisible woman. Maybe she owes this role to her name and her choice is to be understood as a reference to the big Jack Kirby. Anyway; The fact that we can experience them as Sue Richards is the purest stroke of luck. Pedro Pascal, on the other hand, is simply not bought by the world's clogent exceptional scientist and it doesn't exactly help that he has kept his face into a camera too often recently. If he had at least decided to sacrifice his mustache, his sight as Mister Fantastic might have become more authentic.

Joseph Quinn also acts as a misconception: his Johnny Storm describes himself as a Womanizer, but nothing can be seen. The only – rather strange – love interest is the female Silver Surfer in this film. And what, please, you thought to present us a Ben Grimm, whose face looks like it would consist of a carved pine cone, along with a cheek and chin area that is reminiscent of a brown Santa Clause fulfillment? His voice also has a completely inappropriate effect: she should have heard much more grumpy and grumpy or simply down-like.

Missing private life, inappropriate characters

In addition, the figures are completely one -dimensional and do not seem to have any private life. The declared crush of women Johnny never appears in female accompaniment and, as you know it from the comics, does not make a enthusiastic car fan on various models. Ben, on the other hand, is tame and kind, does not allow Johnny to be irritated, tends to no rage or short-circuit actions and does not struggle with his fate, while for the comic figure the transformation into the shapely thing leads to nervous crises again and again. It is at most tentative that he is interested in a teacher, although the blind artist Alicia is traditionally his indispensable partner. Ben Grimm is therefore very far away from a thing that does not have the brightest head, but has the strongest arms.

Fantastic Four as an overfamily

A child actually plays the most important role here and it is indirectly due to this baby to save the world. The gender conversion of the Silver Surfer is probably also due to this topic, because as soon as he appears as a former mother, it should be more understandable for us, which is why the Galactus messenger is still on the side of the people.

The Fantastic Four cannot emphasize enough that they are a family and also keep all fellow human beings for their children. This becomes clear, especially in a situation, when the city dwellers are not well to speak of the quintet for a certain reason. Sue then steps like an overmother in the middle of the protesters and keeps a small speech – the waves are immediately smoothed and everyone is unconditionally on their side.

Not a single contradiction can be heard, although it is literally a question of life or death. Yes, more even: The 4 can now go through a plan, the success of which depends on the participation of the entire world population. We really have to be in a parallel world, because that people can be so uniform is more than astonishing.

Successful galactus as Godzilla

The greatest strength of director Matt Shakman lies in creating stunning settings. The loving design of the New York of Earth 828 with its 1960 charm and countless references to the many years of comic history of the four make the film a real pleasure again and again. A few scenes are particularly successful: especially when Galactus becomes Godzilla. Then he climbs out of the sea in the alternative Manhattan and has to support himself from crumbling high -rise buildings before rolling everything down with his giant steps. The flight perspective from the Fantastist-Car is also exciting and a more frequent change to the first-person perspective in the Human Torch's vertical starts would not have been wrong.

The Fantastic Four have finally arrived at the MCU, but one would have liked a more worthy debut. The trailer has already shown that the occupation of the new four is not unproblematic. The hope that after a few cinema minutes you got used to the faces – at least for me – did not come true and I had the impression of sitting in the wrong Fantastic Four film for two hours. It is bewitched: Why does Marvel just not get these figures for a film version? Now we could put up with the hope: of all good things are 5 – but as soon as the 4 return to “Avengers: Doomsday”, the same 3 inappropriate ones are still there.

3 out of 5 pine cones. Casted disappointment points