David’s reviews

My rating: Bazinga!

I liked it. 

Photo by Marvel Studios/20th Century Studios

I think Kirby’s portrayal of Sue Storm/Invisible Woman was great, and I really loved her portrayal of a mother defending her child no matter what. Where Reed was logical, she wasn’t, she knew the right decision to make disregarding the logic Reed fought to give into.

I liked Gardner’s portrayal of Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer. Her Surfer is different from Norrin Rad’s, but both surfers are empathetic, and understand that their service to Galactus is wrong. The lives they help destroy is wrong, and both stand up to him to prevent further loss of lives. I loved her “surfing” scenes, and her powers are phenomenal. Her powers are cosmic, no one can really match up to her power, and Galctus’s power. And I really liked the whole translation scene, the lives she helped destroy, hurt her so much, but she refused to show it, until she was humbled. 

I liked Ebon Moss’s Ben Grimm/The Thing. I felt he was empathetic and an extremely likable guy. He was a people person, and perhaps the heart of the group. I liked his scenes where he goes back to Brooklyn, and he walks around his neighborhood, puts on a show for the kids, buys cookies from a local store. He even kindles a friendship with a local rabbi. I feel he had the biggest heart of the group, and I really liked him.

I have mixed feelings towards Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm/Human Torch. He didn’t say “Flame on!” They changed him up a bit, I guess with time the whole playboy flirt type of guy and dumb guy routine wears off, so I liked that they gave him more to do in this one. The translation of Shalla-Bal’s language was really great, and he was the one to do it. He’s still a romantic type of guy, but just a hopeless romantic in this one. This is just a pet peeve from the 2005 Fantastic Four but I also assume his clothes are altered clothes cause his did not burn out, and he did not need to have a suit to use his powers. I also don’t understand the whole him flying around on fire in Galactus’s ship, it kinda doesn’t make sense, but still a cool scene to see.

I also have mixed feelings on Pascal’s Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. I don’t like how vulnerable he became to Galactus’s request for Franklin, it was only logical to him, but it still didn’t make it right. But I believe that gave a space for audiences to have an interpersonal look into who Reed is, to see his genius at work as a scientist and a hero, but see him break as a man. In the end, he knew the right decision, and it was to protect his family, and his son, from anyone, despite all circumstances. I want more to be explored of him, dive more into him, into who he is.  

Finnegan’s portrayal of Galactus was amazing. He was a great villain, although he did not have much screen time, but his presence was still felt. For the time he was on screen, he was a menace, an absolute villain through and through, and I want to see more of him.

All round though, I really liked Fantastic Four; it takes more of a dramatic tone in contrast to the rest of the Marvel movies, and allows the actors to act really. Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm was impeccable, followed by Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, and Ebon Moss’ Ben, and Quinn’s Johnny Storm. All did a great job, and I want more!

By: David Rivera