The Fantastic Four (2025)
As a kid, the Fantastic Four was my go-to comics. So, I
looked forward to this film. Also, this is one of the best F.F. movies in the
series. Including this movie, there have been five iterations in the
series. Two of them were pretty bad, and
the other two were watchable, which sets a low bar for this movie to exceed,
which it does.
The cast is excellent and they work well together. Pedro
Pascal is Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic). He was not my first choice, but he
won me over. Vanesa Kirby is Sue Storm/the Invisible Woman. Ebon Moss-Bachrach
( from the Bear) is Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing. Since his character is
laden with orange stones, his performance is done mainly via motion capture.
Lastly, there is Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, portrayed by Joseph Quinn. This
cast is true to the comic books, and they play well together. As to be expected
in a comic book movie, there are some fantastic plot twists, but in this film,
there are some tender moments that make the film appealing to a more general
audience. Another important character is the Silver Surfer, portrayed by Julia Garner. She is the herald of Galactus,
the arch villain, destroyer of worlds. The plot is straightforward to follow.
The focal point of the movie is baby Franklin, born to Reed
and Sue, and Galactus wants the baby. He said if he gets the baby, he will
spare the earth. This is the moral imperative that the F.F. face. With or without
fantastic powers, their reaction is that of any parent.
The setting of the movie was New York City in the late 50s
and early 60s. This throwback is an interesting element of the film. This period
was about the time the original comics came out.
I think this is a
very good movie. If you are not into comic book movies, this is not for you.
You may want to steam it when it becomes available, if you are interested. It received
an 87% score from Rotten Tomatoes, and from a budget of $200m+ it has earned $475m.
This almost guarantees a sequel. We will see what baby Franklen can do.
