How 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' won over a Marvel skeptic

I need to get this out of the way right now: I’m not a Marvel fan.

There’s nothing wrong with being a Marvel fan; I’m just not one. The last Marvel movie I watched was “Thor: Ragnarok,” and I didn’t care for it. 

All this to say, I wasn’t planning on watching “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” I wasn’t following its production. I didn’t even know the characters from the comic books, really, outside of the occasional parody. 

I knew there was a movie coming out, of course. There’s been plenty of advertising. The retro-futurist style of the ads was eye-catching, and I remember being disappointed that such a good-looking movie was going to be Marvel. (Not for me, as we’ve established.)

After all that advertising, what finally changed my mind was a simple, less-than-a-minute TV spot. Just a clip from the movie, mostly dialogue, which quickly established the following:

• A terrifying being is coming to destroy the Earth.
• The main characters have just failed to stop him.
• He will only spare the world if they give him their baby.
• Everyone on Earth knows this.

That is a thrilling premise, and I’m happy to say that “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is, in fact, quite thrilling. The stakes are high, the danger always palpable and it isn’t just something the heroes need to overcome — it’s tied directly to their characters and the family they’ve built together.

Since I only had a basic grasp of the characters, I was interested to see how the Fantastic Four dynamic played out on screen — and quickly realized, “Oh, they’re like the Incredibles.” 

I have since learned that Brad Bird, writer of “The Incredibles,” denies taking any direct inspiration from the Marvel hero team — but his denial rings a bit false. Not only do the heroes have a similar array of powers and abilities, but a close-knit family dynamic takes center stage in both stories.

The heart of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” lies with married couple Reed Richards and Sue Storm, played by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby. Reed is a pragmatic, anxious genius who pairs well with the more grounded — but not unshakeable — Sue. Their concern over the fate of the world, and their baby, keeps the movie’s conflict rooted in something to which most of us can relate: duty and family.

The fact that this familiar conflict is played out on a cosmic scale just adds to the fun.

Rounding out the main cast are Sue’s brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and family friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Johnny is a bright spark of a character, infusing every scene with charm. His arc is one of the more interesting in the film, tied to the Silver Surfer and the idea of personal sacrifice — a heavy theme, but handled well.

Ben Grimm was another warm presence, though his arc felt less developed than the others. I found myself wishing the film had either developed his role more, or more tightly focused on Sue and Reed … though I’d be sad to miss out on Johnny’s part of the story. Perhaps this really was the best way, and it’s not too distracting. What we did get from Ben was solid and heartfelt.

What I enjoyed the most about “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was how intentional the story felt. The plot was written to bring out the best in the characters (or at least, the best in Reed, Sue and Johnny). The retro-futurist look wasn’t just a veneer; the film had the right level of sci-fi optimism to perfectly justify the style. The villain wasn’t just someone to defeat; he forced the characters to ask hard questions about themselves and their situation.

However, when all is said and done … I’m afraid that I’m still not a Marvel fan. 

The movie’s pacing was fast for my taste. Some of the conflicts were resolved too quickly and some of the action sequences ran long. Not every single beat landed, for me.

But, hey … that’s true for most Marvel films. Unlike some from the past, I was engaged from beginning to end here. I cared about the characters, I wanted to know what happened, and — this is big — I never had any trouble keeping track of what was happening on screen during fight sequences.

It’s a fun movie, and I’m glad I watched it. Even as a non-fan.

    This image released by Disney shows the Human Torch, voiced by Joseph Quinn, in a scene from “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”