The story is well known. The Fantastic Four were born in 1961 with the healthy intention of saving us all. Not only the Marvel comic house, which was then at its lowest, but all of humanity from the usual threats: arrogance, abuse of power, testosterone-fueled exhibitionism, arrogance, and bad scripts. In the dysfunctional family composed of an invisible woman (here, the subconscious played a trick), a smart and therefore very flexible guy (good), a too fiery young man (the metaphor seems obvious), and an individual as tender inside as rocky outside (the best and most tormented, undoubtedly), they were all superheroes, but less. They were, in short, extraordinary individuals whose greatest power was very close to their greatest weakness. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee perfectly understood the signs of the times and created a myth to match. Just like that.
Matt Shakman's The Fantastic Four take on the original challenge and, like back then, they also hit the big screen with the mission to rescue the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the absolute neglect it currently finds itself in. Let's say, to anticipate the outcome, that it achieves this without fanfare, aware that their heroes are what they are and more focused on avoiding mistakes than on a spectacular solution to overwhelm the audience. And this, which may sound unenthusiastic, is actually the best news possible. It's not about once again imitating the murky and existential depths of The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan-style and his Batman; nor about reinventing the original essence of the comic like James Gunn and his newly released Superman; nor about setting up a 30-ring circus to get lost in like the Russo brothers and their Avengers awaiting an imminent resurrection.
Now, things are much simpler. Shakman relies on a dazzling staging set in an idealized 60s infected with contagious optimism. At times, the film breathes more of the spirit of Star Trek than any other known saga. The Fantastic Four: first steps follows a straightforward script seemingly designed for contemplation rather than action in its most boisterous sense. Far from insisting once again on origins, the story now speaks of a late pregnancy and the fear of complications given the parents' genetic anomalies. And so on until the ravenous world-devourer Galactus sends his herald (surprisingly Julia Garner) to further complicate the creature's gestation.
As he did in WandaVision -- the best of what Marvel has achieved to date -- Shakman plays with duplicated worlds; with classic TV programs that replicate the forms of another time inevitably mythified; with comics transformed into basic animated series; with the film itself as a space representing the superheroes' first panels. Representation of representation. Without overdoing it, but with great care to cherish the viewer's memory, what emerges is a film that is essentially evocation, mystery, and tale. Just that.
What is seductive is, contradictory as it may seem, the explicit renunciation of enthusiasm. The special effects dazzle with their affection and respect for imagination, without insisting on the bleeding ritual of CGI retinas and leaving aside the very masculine freestyle punch salads. The same goes for a dosed sense of humor, non-invasive and far from the joy only suitable for fans. It may seem naive, or just hallucinatory, but proposing a superhero story from the apparent (only apparent, as the joke cost 200 million) humility of a family-friendly and pleasant comedy is quite similar to replicating Kirby and Lee's original move.
Director: Matt Shakman. Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner. Duration: 130 minutes. Nationality: United States.