The Fantastic Four - First Steps 3D (2025)

[cdx47]

The marketing was atrocious. Filled with everything and every reason to avoid the movie. But the decision to gender swap Silver Surfer shows that it was just a symptom of the same sickness. Yet by all accounts (ignoring the early shills of course), this is the best MCU movie there has been for some time. "It doesn't suck" is the general consensus from non shill reviewers. F4 has a coherent story, decent cgi, Galactus looks menacing and Mr Fantastic is the leader (of sorts).

It's a little sad that a movie not "sucking" is the low bar we've set for the MCU. But this "might" be the first 3D MCU disc that I'd even considere buying since Guardians 3.

I don't know if they deliberately marketed the movie to "own the chuds", "get the YouTubers" or maybe they just don't care anymore. Very strange times.

[Just_Discovered_3D]

Originally Posted by cdx47

The marketing was atrocious. Filled with everything and every reason to avoid the movie. But the decision to gender swap Silver Surfer shows that it was just a symptom of the same sickness. Yet by all accounts (ignoring the early shills of course), this is the best MCU movie there has been for some time. "It doesn't suck" is the general consensus from non shill reviewers. F4 has a coherent story, decent cgi, Galactus looks menacing and Mr Fantastic is the leader (of sorts).

It's a little sad that a movie not "sucking" is the low bar we've set for the MCU. But this "might" be the first 3D MCU disc that I'd even considere buying since Guardians 3.

I don't know if they deliberately marketed the movie to "own the chuds", "get the YouTubers" or maybe they just don't care anymore. Very strange times.

Sue Storm isn't the leader of the F4 in this? After it was linked in this forum the other week, Chris Gore's channel Film Threat has been in my YouTube recommendations and from it/its affiliates I heard tell that there was a tie-in comic codifying what the trailers indicated: Sue Storm was the leader of the pack. Was that a big fake-out?

Was The Thing somewhat meek in this? That's the impression I got from the trailers, I think of The Thing like the 2000s version, the first of which I saw before I knew we were supposed to hate it.

Did it sell the ~period piece, Fallout-ish style that it was going for in the marketing?

Does this mean that, despite the odd marketing, this film is not trying to "Own the Chuds"?

[Camps]

Originally Posted by Just_Discovered_3D

Was The Thing somewhat meek in this? That's the impression I got from the trailers, I think of The Thing like the 2000s version, the first of which I saw before I knew we were supposed to hate it.

Agreed and agreed.

Nevertheless, looking forward to seeing this for the SFX and, especially, for the 3D.

[cdx47]

Originally Posted by Camps

Agreed and agreed.

Nevertheless, looking forward to seeing this for the SFX and, especially, for the 3D.

The Thing in Marvel comics could sometimes go toe to toe with The Hulk. But from the trailers and the reviews I would guess that the MCU Thing could go toe to toe with Mark Ruffolo's domesticated Hulk but would have no chance at all against the proper MCU Hulk.

[the13thman]

Originally Posted by Just_Discovered_3D

Sue Storm isn't the leader of the F4 in this? After it was linked in this forum the other week, Chris Gore's channel Film Threat has been in my YouTube recommendations and from it/its affiliates I heard tell that there was a tie-in comic codifying what the trailers indicated: Sue Storm was the leader of the pack. Was that a big fake-out?

Was The Thing somewhat meek in this? That's the impression I got from the trailers, I think of The Thing like the 2000s version, the first of which I saw before I knew we were supposed to hate it.

Did it sell the ~period piece, Fallout-ish style that it was going for in the marketing?

Does this mean that, despite the odd marketing, this film is not trying to "Own the Chuds"?

I haven't seen the tie-in comic but the last Fantastic Four comic I read had Sue Storm getting excited about going shopping so I am sure she's going to be a bit more of a "strong woman" character in line with current day sensibilities but Reed Richards was always the lead and I'm sure still will be.

It is generally getting quite good reviews, it must be shockingly expensive but all the reshoots and final tweaks do tend to lead to an improved product.

[randomfellow]

Originally Posted by cdx47

But the decision to gender swap Silver Surfer shows that it was just a symptom of the same sickness.

This Fantastic Four story does not take place in the same timeline/earth as the rest (well most) of the MCU. The iteration of Silver Surfer presented here is Shalla-Bal, who debuted in 1968's Silver Surfer #1. This is not a new character or random gender swap.

In the 1960s Silver Surfer origin Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal are in love and Norrin Radd volunteers to become Galactus' herald in exchange for sparing his world and Shalla-Bal.

So to switch things up a bit for the alternate timeline in FF4 I assume that Shalla-Bal was the person that made the sacrificial deal to save her planet - and possibly a version of Norrin Radd. This is a pretty nifty way to introduce the Silver Surfer character to the MCU in a logical multiverse way, highlight an important Silver Surfer character from his original comic book past and also pave the way for a fairly likely introduction of the Norrin Radd Silver Surfer in the main MCU timeline. Overall this feels better to me than introducing the Norrin Radd Surfer as a supporting character, probably killing him off at the end of the film, and then just reintroducing basically the exact same guy again in the next appearance.

I'll be going into the film with tempered expectations but featuring an alternative timeline Shalla-Bal as the Silver Surfer is actually pretty cool to me (an admitted comic book nerd). Now Mr. Fantastic with a mustache.. oof

[bming]

Despite seeing a 3D preview at my nearest Hoyts cinema, when I went to see Superman in 3D I will have to be satisfied with the 2D version as yet again no cinema in South Australia is runnig a 3D session. False advertising at its worse.

[cdx47]

Originally Posted by randomfellow

This Fantastic Four story does not take place in the same timeline/earth as the rest (well most) of the MCU. The iteration of Silver Surfer presented here is Shalla-Bal, who debuted in 1968's Silver Surfer #1. This is not a new character or random gender swap.

In the 1960s Silver Surfer origin Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal are in love and Norrin Radd volunteers to become Galactus' herald in exchange for sparing his world and Shalla-Bal.

So to switch things up a bit for the alternate timeline in FF4 I assume that Shalla-Bal was the person that made the sacrificial deal to save her planet - and possibly a version of Norrin Radd. This is a pretty nifty way to introduce the Silver Surfer character to the MCU in a logical multiverse way, highlight an important Silver Surfer character from his original comic book past and also pave the way for a fairly likely introduction of the Norrin Radd Silver Surfer in the main MCU timeline. Overall this feels better to me than introducing the Norrin Radd Surfer as a supporting character, probably killing him off at the end of the film, and then just reintroducing basically the exact same guy again in the next appearance.

I'll be going into the film with tempered expectations but featuring an alternative timeline Shalla-Bal as the Silver Surfer is actually pretty cool to me (an admitted comic book nerd). Now Mr. Fantastic with a mustache.. oof

I didn't say she was new or random. I said she was a gender swap and she is. It would be like introducing Jenny Cesare as the Punisher in the Netflix Marvel universe instead of Frank Castle. Even the woman playing Shalla Bal asked "isn't Silver Surfer a man?" lol

Pretending that this was anything other than a deliberate furtherance of Kevin Feige's publicly stated policy that "more than half of [MCU heroes] which will be women." would be extremely disingenuous, so let's not do that. BTW DC was planning to do exactly the same thing which is why I said Shalla Bal "is just a symptom of the same sickness" afflicting Hollywood.

Now that we've got that out of the way. None of the (real) reviews say that F4 is bad or a disaster. On the contrary it's supposed to be the best they have released this year. Although that's not saying much, it is still something. If the 3D is decent then I can see myself buying an MCU 3D disc which is something I thought I would never do again.

[starmike]

Originally Posted by cdx47

I didn't say she was new or random. I said she was a gender swap and she is.

She's not. It's a character swap, not a gender swap.

[cdx47]

Originally Posted by starmike

She's not. It's a character swap, not a gender swap.

If you haven't read read or don't understand the full context then I get why you might think that. But! If you have read the full context and still came to that conclusion? Then you must really love Disney and Disney loves you too

[starmike]

Originally Posted by cdx47

If you haven't read read or don't understand the full context then I get why you might think that. But! If you have read the full context and still came to that conclusion? Then you must really love Disney and Disney loves you too

Oh that's ok I've only been collecting FF since the 5th effing grade. I'm sure I know more about the lore than you do, but please keep talking about Disney lol.

[cdx47]

Originally Posted by starmike

Oh that's ok I've only been collecting FF since the 5th effing grade. I'm sure I know more about the lore than you do, but please keep talking about Disney lol.

Coz the movies are always comics accurate right? Ignoring the fact that no MCU movie actually follows the comics they take their titles from? Which being a fellow comic book collector you know? Right?

But what was I thinking? Talking about the company that actually makes the movies.

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Silly me

Anyway back to reality. The F4 "story" leaks were true, showing how low bar of being the best MCU movie of the year really is. I do wonder if they reshot they way around some of the other leaks. But reviewers I trust do not HATE the movie and some of them even quite like it.Aapparently the movie looks great and if it sounds good too then maybe a 3D viewing will be worth it? So to anyone who watches this in 3D let us know about how it looks. I watched my last few 3D movies all in the same cinema, so if you can compare it to other 3D movies watched in the same cinema that would be great too.