Film 2395 - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Intro: I'm not super into superhero movies lately, but this one got me intrigued.

Film 2395: "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (2025), Matt Shakman
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: Is it the best Marvel movie out there? No, but it's definitely a big improvement compared to other films released in the recent past. Not to mention that this new Fantastic Four outing is definitely better than the one from 2015.
To be honest, I really appreciated the more "domestic" and intimate tone of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", the dynamic between the main characters is really interesting and it's easier to empathise with the characters when the scope of the story is scaled down and presented as a group issue. In this sense, it was a smart move to include how the public perceives the group while the story develops, giving a grater insight into how the protagonists feel and why they act the way they do.
Being that this a movie from the Marvel Universe, of course it has to be connected to a greater plot and serve not only as a reboot, first installment of a new franchise, and origin story, but also as a vehicle for a sequel and other superhero movies to come, so we don't escape this mandatory step here. Still, it is less prominent compared to previous films and, because of the characters' charm and the overall tone of the story, it's not as annoying.
Overall, I enjoyed "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", I think it's well-cast, the 60s vibe suits the franchise, and the adventure is entertaining and well enough crafted. Definitely a win for Marvel.
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Film 2395 - The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson.
Box Office: $521.9 million
Worth a watch?: Superhero fatigue has been happening for a while now, so it's completely understandable if this is not your cup of tea. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is a good superhero movie, it has a nice aestetics, a good cast and, overall, it's quite entertaining. If you like the genre, it's a good watch.
Awards: /
Key word: Baby.
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Bengi

Film 2393 - Superman

Intro: Did I really want to go and watch it? Not exactly, but I was indeed curious to see if DC could finally turn things around.

Film 2393: "Superman" (2025), James Gunn
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect about this movie: I'm not a huge Superman fan, but the reviews were good and James Gunn directed some of the best superheroe moments, so there was hope.
In general, 2025 "Superman" is a movie well done and entertaining, but I have to admit it didn't stick. I remember liking it while watching it, but now a few months later... do I remember anything that happens in the story (other than the dog and the cousin)? Not much. I had to rewatch the trailer to refresh my memory.
This is not to say that "Superman" isn't a good outing - again, I liked it - but it's nothing memorable, let's put it this way. The overall feeling is more Marvel-esque, Nicholas Hoult is a f*cking star and should be a more prominent A-lister, and I appreciated the fact that Lois already knows Clark's real identity, at least we get to skip that for once. Other than this... a good movie for the Summmer?
Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Angela Sarafyan, Alan Tudyk, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper.
Box Office: $616.6 million
Worth a watch?: Superheroe movies and/or Superman fans should appreciate this new DC era, as a fresh(er) take on these characters seems to approach. Nothing that we haven't seen before, but enjoyable still. It's an easy watch enough, perfect for some good old fun.
Awards: /
Key word: Selfies.
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Bengi

Film 2380 - Thunderbolts*

Intro: Not necessarily dying to see the latest Marvel movies, this one seemed good enough. Reviews were good, the cast packed with great actors and it seemed to serve as Marvel's redeeming  first step. True?

Film 2380: "Thunderbolts*" (2025), Jake Schreier
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I thought the first part was quite enjoyable, the tone is fun and entertaining and the characters work together. I have a soft spot for Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Yelena (Florence Pugh) - but who doesn't? - their relationship moves smoothly from the funny bits to the serious ones, the two actors work well together and the chemistry is there.
So, overall, I enjoyed the new Avengers, as they now are trying to re-advertise them once the movie came out (that's why the * in the title).
That said, the moment Bob (Lewis Pullman) turns into the Void I honestly lost part of my interest. I mean, it's good that superheroe movies are portraying elements more grounded to our reality like being depressed, I just thing here they could have done a slightly better job. Being depressed and end up literally erasing (aka killing) everybody it's a bit sloppy, plus the scene in Bob's mind could have been a bit more creaive? Yelena looks for him, she goes through her bits... and then she finds him? And that's it?
I think Pullman does a great job, he's a talented actor and definitely one to watch, so no blame on him, but yeah, I was hoping for something a bit deeper than just being depressed turns into a killing spree.
Anyway, considering the quality on Marvel's work lately, this is definitely a good outing, one that didn't resonate much with audience ("Thunderbolts*" lost money), still a step in the right direction after years of disappointing films.
Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Box Office: $382.4 million
Worth a watch?: Not Marvel's strongest movie, but definitely one of the best they put out recently. Combined with the good reviews gathered by "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", definitely a better year for the company than the recent ones.
"Thunderbolts*" is a fun adventure, the characters work well together and the cast is really good. Overall a good watch. not my favourite villain, but we'll see what they do with him in the future.
Not really sure why they bothered feature Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko, even listed in the credits and poster) when they kill her 10 minutes in.
Awards: /
Key word: Impeachment.
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Bengi