The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Director: Matt Shakman
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson, Matthew Wood
Running Time: 114 min.
Rating: PG-13 

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

After previous attempts failed at capturing the magic its characters brought to the page, delivering even just a decent cinematic interpretation of Marvel's Fantastic Four grew needlessly difficult. And between an unreleased 90's version, two lackluster installments in the 00's and that abysmal 2015 reboot, the idea of giving it another go has largely been frowned upon. That is until a desire to fill out out the MCU's next phase prompted Disney to take an entirely new approach to the material. 

The end result is director Matt Shakman's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a thrilling sci-fi adventure that succeeds in erasing unpleasant memories of series past. Boosted by spectacular effects and jaw-dropping production design, world building becomes as much a priority as the actual plot, which is also surprisingly strong. After a somewhat methodical start, it gains traction from a formidable pair of villains and a retro-futuristic aesthetic more comparable to The Jetsons than a Marvel comic book movie. And yes, that's a compliment. 

It's 1964 on Earth-828 as everyone celebrates the fourth anniversary of astronauts Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) gaining superhuman abilities after being exposed to cosmic rays during a space mission. Collectively known as the "Fantastic Four, they're worldwide celebrities, having vanquished various supervillains while inventor Reed's technological contributions and Sue's diplomatic work positively reverberate through society. 

With Reed and Sue now expecting a baby that may or may not also possess superpowers, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives, declaring Earth marked for destruction by planet devouring cosmic giant Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The team travels to space to stop him, learning the couple's unborn child has the ability to relieve Galactus of his insatiable, life sustaining appetite for consuming planets. Sensing that power, he offers to spare Earth, but only if they hand over the baby. With the public angrily rebelling at the possibility they'd save one child over an entire population, the foursome devise a plan to defeat this gargantuan threat. 

A lot of effort is put into wiping the slate clean and establishing these characters through comedic interplay, family bonding and 60's inspired newsreel footage. While not exactly an origin story, it leaves no stone unturned in showing what the team's been up to for the past four years, nearly going overboard with their introductions. But there's a reason for that, and even when some of the humor falls flat, we're too mesmerized by Kasra Farahani's mid-century set design and Jess Hall's vibrant cinematography to notice. Between the lava lamps, curved architecture, bold colors, and sleek jumpsuits, it all invokes a visual feel no recent Marvel outing has come close to matching. 

At first, we get brief glimpses of the powers even viewers with only limited exposure to the films and comics will recognize. Reed's elasticity, Sue's invisibility, Johnny's ability to generate fire and Ben Grimm's superhuman strength as the giant, hulking The Thing will all come into play once Shalla-Bal's bursts onto the scene. And for all the complaints about a female Silver Silver, it's worth noting that Garner's mo-cap performance and appearance in the role might be the film's strongest aspect. 

Everything about the Surfer's presentation just hits, from her opening speech, to the connection she has with Johnny and even that brief flashback. So while it's easy to commiserate with fans demanding a male for consistency's sake, the blame can't be leveled at Garner, who overdelivers in a part only bolstered by the impressive effects. 

Kirby's Sue/Invisible Woman carries much of the film's physical and emotional heavy lifting when confronted with a dangerous proposition that puts her baby at risk. She not only benefits from an arc that really kicks into overdrive late in the game, but by encompassing how most envision Sue Storm to look and act based on the comics. With Pascal, its clear the producers went with the safest, most accessible choice for Reed. This combined with the actor's ubiquitous presence of late helped create the perception Marvel may phone this in. Only they don't, and Pascal's take on a genius who's smart enough to acknowledge he may not have all the answers ends up being better than its gotten credit for. 

Bachrach's self conscious but gentle giant Ben Grimm mostly tracks with prior incarnations, though he benefits from much improved VFX that emphasizes The Thing's monstrous appearance. A charismatic Quinn puts enough of his own spin on Johnny/Human Torch, giving the character a more likable, comedic slant without sacrificing the heroic aspects that define him. Unfortunately, despite ads implying the second coming of R2D2, robot assistant H.E.R.B.I.E. (voiced by Matthew Wood) is relegated to window dressing while Paul Walter Hauser's Mole Man merely serves as a comedic foil in the last act. 

The finale does work, as the team attempts to take out Galactus, who robotically marches through the streets with enormity and purpose that recalls a more sadistic Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Of course, there's mid-credits scene to dissect, but since we already know when the four are showing up again, the bigger questions surround how. But regardless of what follows, Shakman and company diligently stick to the task at hand, successfully re-establishing Marvel's "First Family" following a string of bad luck over the years.

Stylistically straying from other MCU entries, this functions well as a standalone, with no prior research or homework required to enjoy the ride. And tightly clocking in at under 120 minutes, this doesn't overstay its welcome, avoiding the burn out that's accompanied some of the studio's nearly three hour endurance tests. Effectively prioritizing story and spectacle, First Steps lifts the creative curse, doing justice to these characters and unlocking the potential we always suspected this series had.                              

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, José Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael B. Jordan
Running Time: 161 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

It's usually a bad sign when a sequel gets released and you find yourself struggling to remember all that happened in the previous film. But in the case of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, that might not be be such a bad thing considering how much this revolves around starting over. While the original came out in 2018, it may as well have been decades ago given all the speculation surrounding how Marvel Studios and director/co-writer Ryan Coogler would push the the franchise forward after star Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing. Just the idea of continuing seemed crazy given how much that movie's success rested entirely on his shoulders. Of course, we always knew they'd just forge ahead and do it anyway. But if it's true that the superhero genre isn't dependent on actors or stars for success, this could stand as the toughest test yet.

Moving past the initial uproar of someone else potentially "replacing" Boseman, the key was always in not making it feel that way by honoring his legacy. It's a difficult line to walk, but luckily the franchise's overarching themes and tone do make this slightly less challenging. Marvel was never going to put the series on the shelf, but it's better to do it now while the responsibility of doing right by Boseman, his family and fans hang over them. So it comes as a relief that Coogler accomplishes this by crafting a story feels like a natural progression for the universe and its characters. Realizing the best approach is often the honest one, everything springs from that cataclysmic loss, resulting in one of the more un-Marvel like movies in their canon.

After failing to save her terminally ill brother King T'Challa from a mysterious illness with the heart shaped herb, Shuri (Letitia Wright) and all of Wakanda mourn him, including his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett). A year later Wakanda is now facing pressure from other nations to share their vibranium, soon finding themselves under attack for the resource. But when the U.S. military utilize a vibranium detector to locate a potential supply underwater, they're violently thwarted by a group of blue-skinned, water breathing Talokans led by Namor (José Tenoch Huerta Mejía). 

With the CIA inaccurately blaming Wakanda for the attack, Ramonda and Shuri are paid a visit by Namor who demands they bring him the scientist responsible for building the detector or he'll attack their nation. But once Shuri and Okoye (Danai Gurira) confront the scientist, an MIT student named Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), chaos ensues. With Namor holding Wakanda responsible for the vibranium battle and determined to wage war on the surface world to protect Talokan, Shuri's faced with a choice: join him or suffer the consequences.

A prologue covering the death and funeral of T'Challa makes abundantly clear the challenge Wakandans will face without their king. It's only logical the story would now shift to his sister Shuri, and whatever controversy surrounded Letitia Wright's continued involvement with the franchise, she delivers as the film's centerpiece. If increasing her character's importance was the right call from a narrative standpoint, nearly all of Wakanda's universe is also expanded here, allowing others to shine in ways they couldn't in the preceding entry. So while it's difficult for anything to compete with the personal stakes of T'Challa vs. Killmonger, this next chapter avoids direct comparisons, as Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole present a fresh set of obstacles, using elements from the original film as their blueprint. 

A commanding Angela Bassett is given a much bigger stage as Ramonda, conveying the character's pain of losing a son, protecting her only daughter and keeping Wakanda safe from outside forces. It's just unfortunate that the blue-skinned, indigenous, water breathing Talokans and colonization plot will likely draw endless Avatar comparisons because this story holds up pretty well on its own. Keeping the focus where it belongs, Shuri's torn between spirituality and science, this time with an angrier edge due to her brother's death. The eventual feud with Namor is more complex than expected since he's not exactly a one-dimensional villain, just as driven by the need to protect his people as Shuri, but utilizing dangerously aggressive, gatekeeping methods that lead to all out war. 

Lupita Nyong'o's stealthily skilled Nakia is in a far different place both literally and figuratively, with the actress given more to do this time around, reentering the fray with a renewed outlook and motivation following T'Challa's death. Dominque Thorne makes for a spunky sidekick as Riri, with the young genius from Chicago serving as a clever counterpart to Shuri while playing a vital role as the plot progresses. Martin Freeman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have limited but functional roles as CIA operatives tied to the vibranium conflict, providing some fun interplay between some of the heavier action scenes.

With Namor believing a weakened Wakanda is ripe for the picking now that Black Panther is gone, someone else donning T'Challa's suit becomes as inevitable as the person who needs to do it. Coogler handles this as well as possible, leading to an ending that leaves enough on the table for future installments. The only caveat is that after a surprisingly enthralling two and a half hours, we still get a requisite CGI battle to close things out. But even that plays unusually well, thanks in no small part to the attachment we have to these characters. It's also one the rare times a Marvel mid-credits scene feels essential, serving this saga rather than potential cross-overs. That makes sense since the original film's biggest attribute was standing out from the pack. As a purposeful continuation that respectfully keeps the ball rolling, Wakanda Forever stays true to that, while also managing to navigate some emotionally difficult terrain.      

The Amazing Spider-Man

  
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan Martin Sheen, Sally Field 
Running Time: 136 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

Forget about the question of whether it was necessary to reboot the Spider-Man franchise so soon after Sam Raimi's trilogy concluded. We already know the answer. It wasn't. We don't really "need" any movie, whether it's a remake, prequel, sequel, adaptation or even an entirely original story. But that doesn't make it feel like any less of a privilege when we get an exceptional one. Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man is easily the best film released thus far by Marvel studios, differing from Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and yes, even the overpraised The Avengers, in that it doesn't feel like it was written by a committee, but by those who simply care about telling a good story. A few of those other movies could at best be considered "dumb fun," and this is fun too, but smart. To say I had no interest at all in seeing it would be a massive understatement, but an even bigger understatement would be claiming I thought it had any chance at success. But a success it is, reaching a level creatively that Raimi's films couldn't go near.

Webb knows the story he wants to tell and takes his time getting there. And when he does get there it means something because we care about the characters and the journey they've made. By nature, Spider-Man faces the same problems coming to the big screen that Superman does. Besides offering little in the way of depth or complexity and being an unfailing do-gooder, you run a high risk of the character coming off silly if not executed just right.  But here, the actual superhero element evolves organically from a richly rendered coming-of-age story and touching romance, leading to genuine thrills when the web-slinging begins. Raimi's films talked about how with "great power comes great responsibility," but that ended up being just a catchphrase to sell tickets. This movie is actually about it.

This story starts at the beginning, but the very beginning, as 4-year-old Peter Parker is mysteriously sent away in by his parents to live with Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). We flash-forward to meet a teenage Peter (Andrew Garfield), who's now taken an interest in discovering the truth about his real parents, even while being bullied constantly in school and crushing on pretty, mini-skirt wearing classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who's the daughter of police Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary). Soon Peter discovers a suitcase of old documents, detailing his father's extensive work at Oscorp with scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) in trying to combine human and animal DNA to cure illnesses and regenerate body tissue. It's during a trip to Oscorp to get answers from the one-armed Connors that Peter's bitten by a genetically engineered spider, its toxins arming him with superhuman speed and strength. He also supplies Connors with the missing algorithm needed to complete his research and restore his missing limb, but things get out of control when the is new lizard DNA causes his whole body undergo a reptilian transformation, putting the entire city's citizens at risk. Only Parker, working as the masked vigilante, has the capabilities to stop it, but Captain Stacy has other plans. He wants Spider-Man either killed or locked up, which proves to be a major obstacle in Peter's burgeoning relationship with his daughter.

That description could be construed as making The Amazing Spider-Man seem like any other superhero movie, with the title character coming to terms with his new identity, gaining a love interest and eventually engaging in a climactic battle with the villain. Put in crudely simplistic screenwriting terms, that's true, but this may be one of the few times (and certainly the only instance in a Marvel entry) where I was too engaged in the origin story to even think about it. The first hour is nothing short of spectacular in building a backstory and fleshing out characters both major and minor. Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who couldn't have appeared for more than a total of 5 minutes in Raimi's films, are given the grand treatment this time. As far as family portraits go, it's a riveting one, held together by Martin Sheen radiating a tough but benevolent warmth as Ben that recalls his work as commander-in-chief on The West Wing. It's not a small part, nor should it be, considering his death provides the impetus for Peter's emotional transformation. It feels like we get nearly an entire mini-movie about the Parkers before tragedy strikes, which only makes the actual moment seem that much more powerful when it comes.

Peter's troubles at school are emphasized far more here than in any previous depiction of the character on screen, but never exaggerated simply for effect. As opposed to being portrayed as some geek who can't stand up for himself, he's presented more wisely as a relatively normal outcast who's just overmatched at everything. The most ridiculous element of the story, the actual spider bite and the superhuman powers that spring from it, is presented far more less campy manner than in Raimi's original. The scenes where Peter takes to the streets as a masked vigilante in search of his uncle's murderer, emerging as both a fugitive and celebrity, more closely resembles the very the best of more grounded entries in the genre like Kick-Ass and Chronicle, both of which could have easily provided inspiration for approach the film takes. And there's little doubt this was the right direction to go, as it's literally the exact opposite of what we saw in 2002 and its succeeding sequels. Even if at certain points in the narrative inevitably covers some the same material, it never feels that way .

If the director behind (500) Days of Summer seems like a strange choice to be tackling this do-over, it's only after watching it does the selection make perfect sense. The crux of the story is the relationship between Peter and Gwen, so you'd figure the filmmaker behind one of the few recent intelligent modern romances would be the perfect person to flesh it out. And did he ever find the right two actors to fill these roles with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. I'm always skeptical (and even a little disappointed) whenever really talented actors sign on for a multi-film superhero franchise, as there's always a risk it could be a waste of time and talent better served in more prestigious projects. But any worries of this material dragging these two down were unfounded as both only elevate what's surprisingly an already strong script that makes excellent use of their skills. Disproving early criticisms he was too old for the part, Garfield gives us a totally different Parker than Tobey Maguire, managing to be completely likable without losing any of the character's edge. He just has a presence that makes you want to root for him and has great on screen chemistry with Stone, whose natural spunk and charm makes her a perfect choice for the witty Gwen. Better yet, both takes differ enough that it never feels like they're competing with or in the shadow of Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, who were never the source of that series' issues.

As well developed as Peter's relationship is with Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Gwen's relationship with her father is fleshed out almost equally as well in only just a few scenes, with Denis Leary proving to be a surprisingly inspired casting choice for the tough, sarcastic Captain Stacy. The same can be said for Rhys Ifans who brings a restrained level-headedness to the role of Curt Connors, who's villain I far preferred to Willem Dafoe's campy, Halloween costume wearing nut from the original. There's kind of a Jekyll and Hyde take on this character and his fascination with science that's interesting and not something we usually see in modern superhero movies. Similarly, his transformation into The Lizard (featuring a believable looking mix of CG and practical effects) and the carnage he brings feels like a throwback to something out of King Kong or Godzilla. And because the storytelling is so tight, his culminating clash with Peter is presented as more a case of science steering the two on a collision course than the mandatory showdown we're used to seeing in the third act of previous Marvel movies, too many of which were poorly conceived and executed. All the alterations made to the physical depiction of Spider-Man on screen are also improvements, right down to the sleeker looking costume and the fantastic, vertigo inducing flying scenes across the city's skyscrapers, which this time looks like a person in the air rather than a video game. There's some connection between Parker outside the costume and in it, and Garfield makes you believe there isn't a second when he wasn't under the mask.

Audience apathy toward the idea of re-booting a series this soon is about the best explanation as to why this hasn't received the praise it deserves. If that's the case, it's understandable, but I'm more willing to put the blame on the oversaturation of superhero movies in general. Most of that blame lies with Marvel, so it's not hard to go into this thinking it would be just another cash grab for them. Their insistence on releasing a reboot no one particularly wanted to see in 3D likely didn't help matters either. Anyone who was fully satisfied with Raimi's interpretation probably won't enjoy this but if you disliked his approach as much as I did, then this suddenly becomes the definitive take on Spider-Man. It's a great example of what happens when the right creative choices are made and talented actors are cast who are capable of taking the material even further. In their age bracket, Garfield and Stone are two of the best right now and it's a credit to Webb that this doesn't at all feel beneath them.  It's also nice for a change to see a post credits scene in a Marvel movie and care about the next chapter instead of it feeling like a calculated commercial for another project. The Amazing Spider-Man may not transcend its genre like The Dark Knight Rises did earlier in the year, but it's leagues better than it's gotten credit for, proving that sometimes there's no shame in finishing a distant second.