Key Takeaways
- Fantastic Four: First Steps is an innovative masterpiece that combines fun, entertainment, and emotional depth.
- The cast, including notable actors like Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, delivers outstanding performances that resonate with audiences.
- The production design features spectacular retro-future elements, with attention to detail and numerous Easter eggs referencing the comics and era.
A super fantastic summer brings you a great Marvel movie, a return to peak form for The Fantastic Four: First Steps!
There are levels to these things. Movies can be fun and entertaining. They can be brilliant, uplifting. They can evoke times gone by or create a new world to explore. Fantastic Four: First Steps manages to do all of these things at once. It is an innovative masterpiece in one of my favorite forms, the superhero epic. In a word: FANTASTIC!
The cast is uniformly outstanding, being both larger than life and easily relatable peps, including Pedro Pascal (Mandalorian), Vanessa Kirby (The Crown), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), and Julia Garner (Ozark). They are true to the books and bring their own personas. The whole film really works as an ensemble cast. These are the people you want saving the world.
The MCU is back thanks to their secret weapon: original comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This movie is set in an an alternate world Earth 828, drawing story elements from the Fantastic Four comics from the early days of the Galactus Trilogy, to the early FF Annuals, to Earth X.
(The FF comics also have a new series)
Kasra Farahani (Loki) and her team create the most spectacular retro-future designs. It’s an alternate 60s filled with amazing technology and authentic references. The attention to detail is wonderful, and it is full of easter eggs in every scene for the comics and the era.
Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, and Kat Wood created a story and screenplay based on Kevin Feige and Matt Shakman’s concept of an alternate world story centered on family dynamics, and the aforementioned Galactus trilogy. The latter is one of the highlights of the Lee Kirby FF. It established the cosmic vision and unlimited imagination that would be hallmarks of the Marvel universe. There’s always something cool happening, yet it all seems unified on screen.
The deep, irregular shadows are also part of Jack Kirby’s style
The Fantasticar looks like a 60s car with futuristic tech
Nona Khodai (WandaVision) and Tim Roche were the lead editors in combining and weaving many different looks, storylines, and layered characters.
Jess Hall brings classic cinematography and a wide-eyed view of many worlds. His lighting team is amazing.
Matt Shankman (WandaVision) hits a grand slam home run on this one, with every element working together to create excitement, authentic emotion, dazzling visuals, family dynamics, and cosmic wonder. The result is a Fantastic Four comic brought to life.
See it on a big screen. I may see you there because i’m seeing it again!
My heartfelt thanks to every single person who worked on this movie. Joyful!
Tour the Baxter Building on Zillow
As an extra treat, visit the Zillow.com listing of the Baxter Building in Manhatten, home of the Fantastic Four. The real estate valuation of the property is, appropriately, $4,444,4444. Given today’s economy, we suspect that’s probably off by an order of magnitude, given the technologically advanced nature of its contents, and the valuation is likely from 1964. The tour itself is appropriately kitschy. Enjoy.
David Raiklen wrote, directed and scored his first film at age 9. He began studying keyboard and composing at age 5. He attended, then taught at UCLA, USC and CalArts. Among his teachers are John Williams and Mel Powel.
He has worked for Fox, Disney and Sprint. David has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2004 American Music Center Award. Dr. Raiklen has composed music and sound design for theater (Death and the Maiden), dance (Russian Ballet), television (Sing Me a Story), cell phone (Spacey Movie), museums (Museum of Tolerance), concert (Violin Sonata ), and film (Appalachian Trail).
His compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the first Disney Hall. David Raiken is also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club.
