Early reactions to “Fantastic Four: First Steps” were unbendingly ecstatic, a firestorm of praise for rock-solid performances and no visible VFX flaws. In a word, they were fantastic. Finally?
First-wave social media reviews are highly curated affairs, with secret screenings populated by studio-picked reviewers and journalists whose history of positivity earns them a seat. But Saturday’s onslaught of fawning contained heaps of heartfelt hyperbole – and none of the usual tells that are sometimes coded into the language of disappointed genre fans (no one wrote “It was fun” … exclamation point).
Instead, the July 25 release earned descriptors like “masterpiece,” “magical” and “one of the best things Marvel has ever made.” Quite a feat for director Matt Shakman’s attempt at a “Fantastic Four” film, the first three (2005, 2007, 2015) of which were … “fun!” Right?
Fourth time’s the charm, perhaps.
Take a look at some of the early reactions below – it’s a Thing:
