{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "There's a sad irony to Marvel movies being made by a company as cowardly as Disney. I mean, much of the recent Marvel output has been barely better than awful, but still. Offer your audience heroes while bending the knee to a shameless, petulant bureaucrat who's enamored with an idiot king that inspired a parody of a man in Biff Tannen only to prove himself stupider, less competent and altogether more malign. Much of what's made Marvel's recent output so unbearably boring has been that they are trying to make every movie appeal to every person. When you set out to make something for everyone, it ends up being compelling to no one. Why? Well, you start shaving away anything that might be offensive to anyone and you end up offering something so smoothed out that it doesn't challenge the audience. It's simply not interesting. Thankfully, this particular film (and Thunderbolts* ) avoid this creative trap. Thunderbolts* did it by offering the audience a dysfunctional, self-deprecating, ragtag group of heroes. The Fantastic Four: First Steps manages to remain novel by framing sections of the film as a documentary, by leveraging a charming aesthetic that feels more in line with the time in which the characters it features were first created and having an exceptional cast. Pedro Pascal is a gift, Vanessa Kirby is a wonderful fit as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is far and away my favorite gruff, cantankerous and occasionally humorous supporting actor and Joseph Quinn offers some comic relief and an oft-used wide-eyed expression that reminds me oh so much of Brendan Fraser. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. The story itself is perfectly fine. It skips over the origin story, gives nods to the celebrity of the Fantastic Four, generates some tension between then and the public over how to dispense with the looming threat posed by Galactus and sees the strength of a mother's love save the day. It's an unoriginal story made interesting by everything else about the film. It's also worth mentioning that the credits are worth watching for some nostalgia-tinged visual elements. There's a post credits scene (of course) that first alludes to a movie to follow and then, in a fashion that's entirely unnecessary, tells you exactly when and where these characters will reappear. There are always crossovers, but don't print it out on the screen. We get it. There shall be more money squeezed from this intellectual property. The retro cartoon at the tail end of the credits is fun too. Watch it and enjoy it. Know that the company behind it is operated by cowards that do not deserve your support. They'll be making more movies populated by characters that would be ashamed of them. Also know that decent people do work there and star in these films. : Julia Garner does a fine job as Silver Surfer, though she's so alien as to be unrecognizable visually or when hearing her speak. Natasha Lyonne is always a welcome addition to any cast but her role is so small it's essentially a cameo.",
  "path": "/watching/movies/the-fantastic-4-first-steps-2025",
  "publishedAt": "2025-09-25T13:30:00Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:sttgf52vkk46f6yuknvqxvgh/site.standard.publication/self",
  "tags": [
    "scifi",
    "action",
    "adventure"
  ],
  "title": "The Fantastic 4: First Steps"
}