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The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#1126: Aug 3rd 2025 at 8:55:12 AM

My assumption is they didn’t put Alicia in because they were giving her subplot to Johnny and it would be weird to have her in the movie in such a small way

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#1127: Aug 3rd 2025 at 9:27:55 AM

Over here in South Africa, I find that I'm paying between R100 and R200 per ticket. (Depending on the type of showing; R200 got me a fancy cinema with a bigger-than-normal screen.)

According to x-rates, that becomes about US$5.5 to about US$11, I believe.

Which feels expensive to me, but not so much that I'm unwilling once in a while.

(For reference, I find that I pay somewhere around R100 for a light meal at a cafe.)

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Aug 3rd 2025 at 6:28:41 PM

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RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#1128: Aug 3rd 2025 at 9:34:34 AM

Weirdly, I really liked Reed in this movie. I think he was the best part.

But I think Charles has a point with the "there's something wrong with me bit" but hmmmm...

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1129: Aug 3rd 2025 at 10:48:17 AM

Just came out of it.

Top 5 MCU film, at least for me. I was straight up giddy in places. More thoughts later.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Aug 3rd 2025 at 10:48:34 AM

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#1130: Aug 3rd 2025 at 10:55:26 AM

So who was your favorite?

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#1131: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:18:52 AM

Regarding Reed's "I think that there's something wrong with me" bit, I feel like the main issue there is the lack of anyone to push back on him on the point.

I think that it makes a lot of sense for him to feel that way—to see how others are, and how he is, and how his nature affects him and those around him, and to think that this means that there's a problem with that nature.

But it might have been nice to have had someone be there to tell him otherwise. At the least to show that (as I suspect) the movie doesn't actually agree with him.

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RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#1132: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:22:31 AM

It doesn't help that there's a bit where Susan tells him that sometimes being himself hurts her when he's thinking up the worst possible scenarios.

It would have been nice if instead of just talking to Franklin and opening up about that feeling of wrongness, Sue heard him and tells him that even if he does occasionally, she still loves him for being who he is or something like that.

I dunno, I hate romance.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#1133: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:22:32 AM

Maybe being actually set in the MCU would've helped it.

That, and MOM and D&W casually murdering two FF mainstays probably painted them as jokes for some.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#1134: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:24:14 AM

I really don't think that would have had much of an impact. As for it not being set in the MCU, wasn't the main reason people thought other films failed perceived Continuity Lock-Out?

TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#1135: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:29:39 AM

You don't have to keep the FF too tied to previous heroes but maybe having them isolated from everyone else marked them as sort of irrelevant for those invested in the MCU. Especially when the film doesn't acknowledge the Thunderbolts tease.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
M1gamiTensei The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps from Punished “Brainwashed” M1gami Since: Oct, 2017 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps
#1136: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:29:53 AM

I think that would have hurt the movie more. If Thunderbolts which is set in the MCU didnt make it, then what makes FF when it was supposed to be more standalone fresher slate with an entirely different change of scenery (as standalone as a leadup to Doomsday is)?

Edited by M1gamiTensei on Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:30:22 AM

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king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#1137: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:36:30 AM

The Fantastic Four are a fairly iconic group. Not to the level of the Avengers or Superman, but still. They have the brand recognition and ties to the MCU without it leaning into Continuity Lock-Out. Thunderbolts, great as it was, doesn't have the brand recognition and could be seen as Continuity Lock-Out (this isn't a problem in the film, but what matters is if people are put off it because they think it will be).

TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#1138: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:40:41 AM

Maybe they just released the FF too far into the universe's history. It couldn't be helped, legal issues, but generally the Four work best as a foundation of Marvel and that ship already sailed for this universe.

You could say they might want the audiences forget the previous movie but Spidey did fine getting off the shadows of the divisive Garfield duology in a similar timeframe.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1139: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:42:51 AM

On the one hand, I'd agree them being isolated from everyone else is a future problem, especially if this series is going to have longevity. They can't keep cooking a up complicated cosmic reason every time there's a big crossover and its all hands on deck.

On the other hand, going into this film I was sure that the Four were on a different Earth just to push the multiverse thing. But within ten minutes of starting the film I understood that the decision to make this separate might not hvae been related to the multiverse push at all. This film right down to the setting is to designed to work in a very specific kind of world, a 50's/60's sci-fi idealized future, with things like a global community and the four having a massive, society-defining mark on the world being core parts of the story that the narrative is meant to explore or build on which require a blank slate setting.

This story would never worked in the main MCU - it wouldn't even work on a new setting based more on reality - and I suspect that's the reason it took place on another Earth. To be honest, the "Earth-#" thing at the beginning kind of annoyed me (until the end of the credits) because of how much this movie is trying to be its own experience untethered to any other narrative or series, and even that tie to the MCU's multiverse thing felt superfluous.

So in short, being by themselves helps this film, but may hurt the Four's long term options. Especially since the greater MCU has already claimed a lot of their supporting cast.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:43:49 AM

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#1140: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:43:05 AM

I still say they shouldn't have released so close to Superman.

Clearly Feige intended on FF cutting Superman's legs but its possible the reverse happened.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#1141: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:44:08 AM

They cut his legs, but he's still fine. He's Superman, he's impervious to damage.

M1gamiTensei The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps from Punished “Brainwashed” M1gami Since: Oct, 2017 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps
#1142: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:46:33 AM

I do think we may be seeing a trend that movies released earlier in the year will do better than movies that released later. Could be isolated to the summer where everyone blew money on different movies earlier.

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Effect7 Since: Jun, 2023
#1143: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:46:40 AM

About the Reed "something's wrong with me" thing, could it be referring to that one deleted scene that implies whatever subplot was cut from the movie, Reed lead Galactus to find out about Earth?

M1gamiTensei The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps from Punished “Brainwashed” M1gami Since: Oct, 2017 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps
#1144: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:49:34 AM

It is weird if you watch the movie, knowing how much content that just didnt make it to the movie. It's like learning Superman had time cards. You cant unsee it.

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KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1145: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:51:23 AM

Reed's whole "something's wrong with me" speech is tied ot his entire character arc in the film, in that he overanalyzes everything and can't stop, blames himself whenever anything goes wrong, which causes him to spiral and overanalyze again. Reed is weighted by an underlying guilt, and believes its his own nature that causes problems for his family.

Regarding nobody countering on this, with the exception of Reed and Sue's argument halfway through, every time this comes up someone tries to give him some manner of positive reinforcement about it. The most prominent being Ben's "you're not that smart" bit, where what he's actually saying is "you're human like the rest of us, treat yourself like one."

Edited by KnownUnknown on Aug 3rd 2025 at 12:02:54 PM

TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#1146: Aug 3rd 2025 at 11:55:53 AM

Superman being first might've something to do with it. Much like audiences might've had enough animated movies about quirky adorable kids meeting aliens for awhile right after Lilo & Stitch hurting Elio, everyone already had just had a bright and optimistic movie about classic superheroes that had been well liked.

Edited by TomWithoutJerry on Aug 3rd 2025 at 2:56:23 PM

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
Effect7 Since: Jun, 2023
#1147: Aug 3rd 2025 at 12:00:07 PM

[up] also wasn't it because Disney wasn't advertising Eilo that much?

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#1148: Aug 3rd 2025 at 12:20:17 PM

I'm going to go with the not-incredibly-popular, "The movie was fine for most people but not the absolute gangbusters awesome genius that everyone needed it to be."

Not every movie has Avengers level mass appeal and this never was going to.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#1149: Aug 3rd 2025 at 12:26:08 PM

I doubt anyone expected the Fantastic Four to do better than Superman.

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Effect7 Since: Jun, 2023
#1150: Aug 3rd 2025 at 12:28:23 PM

I thought there was people expecting that or at least the fantastic four gets similar numbers to Superman before the latter came out.


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