 |
TV & Movie ReviewsTV & Movie Reviews by Fans for Fans Author: TPE Network
TV & Movie Reviews Podcast is brought to you by https://tpenetwork.com. The TV & Movie Reviews Podcast is hosted by Hank, Alex, John, Amy and others. The crew from TPE Network will cover all the biggest TV shows and blockbuster movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel TV, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek, and many more. Our feedback line is always open which allows our community to chime in with their thoughts and have them played on the podcast https://tpenetwork.com/feedback. Language: en Genres: Film Reviews, TV & Film, TV Reviews Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review
Episode 47
Wednesday, 20 August, 2025
INTRO:I’m finally back after my NDE from a month-long bout with H1N1 earlier this year. I’m Hank Davis, a nineteen year podcasting veteran, filmmaker, and soon to be musician (more on that in the coming weeks) and this is my review of Marvel’s Fantastic Four.This is a spoiler-filled review of the movie and if you are overly sensitive to satire (that may or may not be funny) this won’t be the podcast for you. SETTINGS:When it comes to the sets and immersion I feel that Fantastic Four shines. This is the first Marvel movie in recent years (that I’ve watched anyway) that has areas which actually feel populated and expansive. Maybe there are simply more people on Earth-828. We’d need to see the census data compared to Earth-616 but I digress.The retro design of the areas, vehicles, building interiors, clothing, and household items gave me a Jetsons meets Flash Gordon vibe. I thought they nailed costumes which are darn near impeccable. The aesthetics coalesce to create a believable world that simply hasn’t been present in a Marvel film in quite some time. But a world is only as good as the characters you put in it.CHARACTERS:Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm is believable, balanced, and didn't overpower the movie like Marvel tends to do female leads.Ben Grimm's portrayal is about as spot on as there's been in any incarnation of the character.While not my favorite, Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm is likeable but not as punchy as the Chris Evans version. Thankfully, we didn’t get the awkward “how are they related” gymnastics like the 2015 version. Outside of the writing Ralph Ineson does a solid job of bringing Galactus to life on the big screen.My sister's 8th grade sports trophy springs to life as Julia Garner attempts to give us a different take on Silver Surfer. While there's nothing like the original, Shalla-Bal didn't negatively impact the movie (outside of those initial concept renderings). Ultimately she portrayed a conflicted character that was believable. I laughed out loud when Stingray from Cobra Kai rolled in as the Mole Man. I guess Cobra Kai truly never dies! It’s just been driven underground.Which unfortunately leads me to Reed Richards himself portrayed by Pedro Pascal. Pedro Pascal is as much Mister Fantastic as I'm Denzel Washington. I needed to see another Pedro lead like a golf club to the head (SFX). If you know, you know. He delivers amazing lines like "I don't know." and others that make you second guess the idea that he's the smartest man alive. I am suffering from Pedro fatigue!HITS:I’ll say it again, the costumes were excellent! Even though I couldn’t help but itch myself uncomfortably while looking at that material, the suits were incredible.The Thing was done justice in this movie! I thought about how cool playing a video game would be as he smashed through the columns of that building. Can we get The Thing vs The Hulk please? That’s one of my favorite comic book childhood matchups.I liked the blending of high and low tech items. Seeing physical records made me nostalgic but didn’t take away from the sophisticated feel the film delivers.The message of world-wide unity in the face of extreme turmoil was a refreshing insertion that didn’t feel like a ‘nine iron to the head’ political lecture.Who doesn’t love a superpowered baby? Although I wished they would have fleshed that out more in this particular movie instead of hoping I watch what’s next. A cute baby trumps an obnoxious dog any day of the week. I’m looking at you James Gunn!MISSES:Galactus is estimated to be approximately 440 meters tall.
