Encouraged by positive reviews for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with the general vibe being it's the best Marvel movie in years, I decided to give the Marvel universe another whirl.
And, well, erm, really is this the best Marvel can offer? Cards on the table, I've never been a massive superhero movie fan, and Marvel has largely left me cold.
But, having enjoyed the new Superman movie — I know that's DC! — I thought, let’s give The Fantastic Four a try.
However, I found it lacked tension and again ended with an alien baddie stomping around a city.
The movie has an interesting setup as we discover two of our Fantastic Four, Reed/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue/The Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) are expecting their first baby after thinking it would never happen for them. But having returned to earth with their DNA scrambled, they're worried about the health of their baby.
However, Reed, Sue, Johnny/The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have bigger things to worry about when a mysterious being declares it’s so hungry it wants to swallow the Earth to satisfy its relentless appetite.
The four head off to space to negotiate, and the being, who’s assisted by a weird alien on a surfboard, declares it won’t eat the Earth if they give up their child.
The blend of 1960s and futuristic styles is fun, while the four gel nicely together. But at no point do you ever really feel things aren’t going to work out fine. A good action movie also needs a great villain, and a thing that munches through planets just doesn't cut it.
There are a few nice gags, particularly when the boys try and work out how to fit a baby seat in a flying car. And at least The Fantastic Four doesn't fall into the superhero trap of taking itself way too seriously.
But if you’re not into Marvel movies, then I can't see The Fantastic Four changing your mind. It's another movie full of effects that you’ve seen before. And does the world really need another superhero movie to add to the countless other superhero films released in the last decade?
I honestly can't understand what the fuss is about and am surprised it's got an 87% Rotten Tomatoes critical score. I know I'm going against our own Fantastic Four review here, but that's movies for you. Everyone has a different opinion. If you're into Marvel movies, you'll probably love it.
