Reactions: LOVED. Marvel got its groove back
Where to watch: Theaters

I watched Fantastic Four: First Steps in IMAX 3D and had an absolute blast. I’ll admit I was a little nervous that it might be overly hyped. But the hype was legit. This movie is action-packed and full of feel good comic book moments.

What led to my hesitancy going into the movie started after watching the third trailer release. The trailers before that third one had a certain tone and vibe that I was stoked about. But then the third trailer introduced a darker, more emo tone. That conflict of tones made me worried that the movie would be a hodgepodge of Marvel goop.

Luckily, I had nothing to worry about in the end. This movie is delightful.

Things I especially loved:

• The team is good. They save the earth and the earth loves them. They’re actual heroes. I got emotional several times when the citizens were so proud of their heroes.
• The team is fallible. Much like the recent Superman movie, the heroes aren’t always able to win and they don’t always make the popular decision. Using this to add a layer of conflict and drama to the plot worked for me. A lot!
• SPOILER (sort of): We actually get to see Galactus. Finally! And he’s fucking awesome. They did such a good job finally bringing him to the screen
• Sue Storm is a badass. In comic movies I really hate it when a super powerful female character “can’t hold it” when she’s exerting her power and then often collapses. Cyclops never falters with his eye beams, but his much more powerful wife Jean Grey regularly falters while exerting her Omega-level mutant powers. It’s bullshit. And they’ve done it to Sue Storm too many times in the past. So I was very pleased to see her fucking blast the fuck out of things with her force fields.
• The relationship between Johnny and Ben is adorable. In the past they’ve been adversarial in a jokey but very contentious way. Johnny always teases Ben about being a rock. But in this one, there’s actual fondness for each other as friends with a much lighter side of teasing. Johnny even complements Ben’s new beard.
• Johnny’s character in general was great. They toned down the cockiness and womanizing from the comics and Chris Evans’s portrayal, and I really liked the result. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always love the Chris Evans as Johnny Storm towel scene.)
• Reed Richards is hella smart. I loved that they leaned on his brilliance in this movie. His stretchiness is his super power, but what really differentiates his character is that he’s the smartest man on earth. I appreciated that this movie explored the nuances of his hyper intelligence, like knowing when the only solution to the big bad means sacrificing something he loves.
• The action scenes are just fucking perfect. That’s all I’ll say without spoiling anything.

Overall, I loved Fantastic Four: First Steps and will absolutely watch it again when it comes out on streaming. I highly recommend that you go watch this movie!