The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Film Review

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson

Director: Matt Shakman

Synopsis: On a retro-futuristic parallel Earth, the Fantastic Four must defend the world against the sinister planet-eating threat known as Galactus…

Review: In such a golden age for superhero storytelling as the one we’re currently experiencing, we have seen all manner of comic book characters successfully adapted for both the big and small screens, from the massive ensemble team-up films to the most obscure characters, who have since become household names. Yet despite numerous attempts, the Fantastic Four has never achieved such success. We have seen the fun but flawed movies of the noughties to the unmitigated disaster that was Fant4stic. You would have been forgiven for thinking that someone had placed a curse on Marvel’s First Family, that they would never get an adaptation that would do them justice. After having done such wonderful work with the first (and you could make the argument for the best) TV show in WandaVision, enter Matt Shakman to well and truly ~~break~~ clobber that curse.

In a futuristic parallel world separate from the main Marvel timeline (Earth-828 to be exact) filled with advanced technology like flying cars and cool personal robot companions like H.E.R.B.I.E (an adorable scene-stealer), we learn through a series of newsreels it has been four years since our titular heroes blasted off into space on a mission where they were exposed to cosmic rays, which granted each of them superhuman powers. The supersmart Reed Richards (Pascal), who can stretch any part of his body, his brilliant wife Sue (Kirby) who can create force fields and turn invisible, Reed’s loyal best friend Ben Grimm (Moss-Bachrach) whose skin has been transformed into orange rock that grants him superstrength and durability. Last but certainly by no means least, Sue’s hot-headed brother Johnny (Quinn) can control fire and fly.

They are the planet’s sole protectors, and through their heroism, they have become celebrities whose ingenuity has enabled advances in technology and brought stability and peace to the world. With Reed and Sue preparing for the life-changing milestone that is parenthood, the four of them must deal with the arrival of the Herald, the Silver Surfer (Garner) who tells them their planet is “marked for death” with the impending arrival of the planet-eater Galactus (Ineson).

After a Phase Five that had some high points and arguably the lowest of the lows for the franchise (looking at you Quantumania), it makes sense to begin Phase Six with something of a reset and to establish Marvel’s first family in their own universe before their world collides with the main timeline as we know it. The script by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, Eric Pearson and Ian Springer keeps things focused squarely on the quartet and their dynamic, with no chance of any other superhero crashing into this world. There will be plenty of time for that in future Phase Six films. Having seen the origin story done before in the Fox era films, the decision to quickly bypass this allows the film time to explore Reed and Sue’s loving relationship, the camaraderie/playful banter between Johnny and Ben, and indeed, the togetherness and warm family embrace between the entire team is sincere and genuine.

With such pitch-perfect chemistry between the team, it’s a credit to the casting director that they absolutely nailed each casting choice (hurrah that the Oscars will at long last be giving these people their dues in next year’s ceremony). Pascal, continuing his bid for cinematic domination, expertly balances Reed’s intelligence and scientific nous while preparing for the enhanced responsibility of becoming a father. Moss-Bachrach’s Ben, despite his hard-as-rock exterior, comes off as very kind and gentle, particularly when demonstrating his strength to a group of schoolchildren. Quinn as Johnny exudes charm and charisma in flaming abundance. However, the MVP of the team is unquestionably Kirby’s Sue. A woman balancing impending motherhood, a heroic feat of endurance in itself, but all while leading diplomatic efforts on the international stage. This, combined with the true power she possesses, means she is a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking of forces to be reckoned with, while she doesn’t get a vast amount of screentime, the Silver Surfer remains a mysterious presence that Johnny cannot help himself be drawn to. Perhaps in this alternate universe, flames are attracted to metal, or beings with metallic skin? The Surfer, or Shalla-Bal to give her name, gives the team plenty to worry about. Yet, it is the gargantuan cosmic entity Galactus who poses an even greater threat. 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer reduced him to a cosmic cloud that feasts on planets. This iteration very much retains his desire to feast on worlds, but through an effective combination of practical costumes, CGI and Ineson’s imposing voice, the menacing factor is turned to the maximum and does justice to a fan favourite.

Having worked wonders with the MCU’s first (and arguably best) TV show, WandaVision, Shakman brings that quirky vision to this universe through some brilliant worldbuilding. The sets of this alternative 1960s New York feel lived-in, and the technological advancements on display are so wonderfully realised, it is almost enough to make you green with envy that such a world doesn’t actually exist. With another fantastic score by Michael Giacchino (seriously, does this man ever miss?) Marvel’s first family have taken their first steps into the MCU, and at long last, have been given their well-deserved moment in the spotlight. Now, all roads lead to Doomsday. Set your countdown clocks accordingly.

With pitch-perfect chemistry between its leads and the perfect retro-futuristic setting to introduce them in, Marvel’s first family’s foray into the wider MCU is a roaring and flaming success!

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Film Review

Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Travis Jeffery, Lydia Peckham, Neil Sandilands, Eka Darville,

Director: Wes Ball

Synopsis: Many generations after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, a young ape goes on a journey of discovery after his clan comes under attack…

Review: When the Planet of the Apes franchise came roaring back to life after a near decade of absence in 2011, it was the foundation on which arguably the best trilogy of the 2010s was built. Centred on Caesar, a genetically advanced ape who in his lifetime, rose up and led the apes in a revolution, saw his authority challenged by a rogue ape, and later led the apes into a war against the humans before he succumbed to his injuries. Portrayed by the master of motion capture by Andy Serkis, this rebooted trilogy set an exceedingly high bar for any future films. It is a bar that this new instalment swings for but ultimately falls short of matching those lofty standards.

Set hundreds of years after Caesar’s passing, apes have become the planet’s most dominant species, with humans regressing into a more primitive and feral-like state. The apes are divided into clans, with one clan developing a strong bond with eagles, including young ape Noa (Teague) who’s being prepped by his father for an important ceremony and must complete a significant ritual beforehand. However, after his clan comes under attack from a military-minded clan, Noa must go on a journey to find any survivors and establish the motivations of this combative clan. Along the way, he encounters a human (Allen), who is being hunted by the clan as they believe she is smarter than all the other humans and has crucial knowledge to access something of great significance to the clan.

Such was the enormous cultural impact of Caesar during the previous films, a list of the best characters of the 2010s would be incomplete without his inclusion. Caesar’s shadow looms large over this new generation of apes, even several hundred years after his passing. With the passage of such a long time, Josh Friedman’s screenplay takes its time to introduce the new Eagle clan and their peaceful existence, which stands in unique contrast to the more warmongering apes. The latter have taken Caesar’s teachings and misinterpreted them as a means to perpetrate violence against both other ape clans and humans. By contrast, the likes of orangutang Raka (Macon), who is fighting hard to preserve Caesar’s teachings and their true meanings. This puts Noa in a tricky position as to what he should do with this human, and whether he should trust her, or leave her to the warmongering apes.

Teague brings a likeable presence to Noa and imbues him with a sense of honour and a determination to do what is right and to honour his family and his tribe. Unfortunately, though no one else at least in his tribe is as memorable or given nearly as much development as Noa. However, as far as the other ape characters go, Macon as Raka brings no shortage of wisdom and imparts valuable knowledge to Noa as he proceeds on his journey to rescue his family, who have fallen into the servitude of the militaristic tribe and its leader Proximus Caesar (played with a blend of charisma and arrogance by Kevin Durand). His name would suggest he is a descendant of Caesar, and while he certainly echoes Caesar’s prominent “Apes. Together. Strong” mantra, Proximus is a far cry from the legendary leader he idolises. He possesses a messiah complex and is driven by the belief that not only what he is doing is right, but precisely what Caesar would have wanted the apes to do, making the audience wish the great Caesar’s ghost would reincarnate and give him a sharp and thorough rebuking.

Having done the visual effects work for the previous instalments, the craftwork on display from the geniuses at Weta is once again nothing short of extraordinary with such photorealistic visuals, it completely makes you forget that these are human actors in some rather unusual-looking suits bringing these apes to life. Unfortunately, outside of the apes, the only human character who is given a substantial amount of development is Freya Allan’s mysterious character, whom Noa and Raka name Nova (in a callback to the character of the same name from War for the Planet of the Apes). There’s an element of mystery to her, but as the film progresses and we learn more about her, certain decisions she makes are extremely perplexing and ultimately leave the audience with more questions than answers as to her motivations. The script could have fleshed these out more.

At 145 minutes, Kingdom is also the longest movie in the series to date. While this runtime is sometimes necessary to establish this world generations after the events of the previous film, it can also be to its detriment, particularly in the latter half. With this being reported as the first journey in a brand new trilogy, it has laid solid but imperfect foundations for future films to build upon. Time will tell if this new group of apes prove to be as strong or as memorable as Caesar’s remarkable journey from genetically modified ape to messianic primate.

Retaining the visual splendour of its previous instalments, Kingdom goes for some big swings with weighty themes about legacy and differing interpretations of teachings but doesn’t quite hit the heights of Caesar’s trilogy.