JTReviewsPlus

Initial thoughts:

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the surprise movie of the year for me so far...
• Even though we've had decent MCU entries in this latest phase, with Thunderbolts being the most recent example, we've had plenty of stinkers so I couldn't help but be slightly concerned about an alternate earth Fantastic Four concept. Thankfully, the vision was executed fantastically.

• I wasn't expecting Pedro Pascal to pull off Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic but he does a great job. He portrayed both intelligence, vulnerability, and superhero parenting believably. There were a surprising amount of heartfelt moments and Pascal delivered on the emotion necessary for them.

• The rest of the cast was perfect too. I had no doubts about the other 3 but their chemistry was sooooo gooood. They really got the family dynamic down; they were hilarious, caring, and an organized team. I loved how they depicted as perfect figures to the public when in actuality they have flaws/moments of disagreement but in the end they do their best to overcome it all.

• Julia Garner was an amazing Silver Surfer. Every scene she was in was shot masterfully. She captured that "end of the world messenger" as well as someone who questions her past actions compellingly.

• Ralph Ineson as Galactus is peak. The design, the dialogue, and his power were put on display in this movie. From dissing people who he considers "lesser beings" to his sheer scale, and power is incredible to watch on-screen. The giant space cloud version of the character is truly a distant memory.

• Although there is humor in the film it's balanced out with tension, dread, and worry. So many superhero movies go overboard with the comedy but it feels perfectly placed in First Steps especially when you take into account what our heroes are dealing with throughout. The film takes itself seriously while not forgetting to have fun with these characters. This is something a lot of the disappointing superhero flicks fail to do so I have to appreciate the balance here.

• Fantastic Four seems to be a movie made by people who truly care about the characters rather than people who are trying to make a movie that fits certain requirements made by people in higher positions. Even if you aren't the biggest Fantastic Four fan, there's a lot to love with First Steps.

Superman is the starting point to a new cinematic universe with one of the best current directors in the genre having the freedom to do anything he wants as the head of DC Studios and with all that being said, the film is just good.

David Corenswet plays a deeply caring and flawed Man of Steel that is reminiscent of the source material while Rachel Brosnahan provides an equally compelling Lois Lane. Their relationship was believable in many ways but there's not much context to it given the movie takes place in Superman's 3rd year.

Don't get me wrong I'm glad this isn't another origin story however Superman jumps into the middle of so many conflicts that audiences won't dive too deep into why certain events or characters are the way they are. There is a lot of missing context.

Other examples include Lex Luthor and The Justice Gang. They help flesh out the scope of this pre-existing world yet audiences don't know much about them aside from surface-level info like what they're capable of. (Their inclusion is prominent enough to where we should know more about them.) However, everyone was perfectly casted.

James Gunn is known for incorporating a bunch of humor in his work and while it's usually balanced out that didn't seem to be the case for Superman. There were a handful of scenes that would've been improved had there not been a joke to start, interrupt or end the grounded moments.

Superman is not a bad film by any means but it's a safe albeit familiar movie that could've done more to flesh out both its characters and the universe it's trying to establish.

As much as I wanted to love 28 Years Later, I couldn't.

First, let's start off with the positives. For one, the characters, for the most part, are interesting enough. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a flawed parent trying to do right by his kid, while Jodie Comer plays the ill and often delusional mother. Their child Spike is played by newcomer Alfie Williams, who put on an impressive performance, especially when you consider how much the story revolves around him. Ralph Fiennes plays a memorable character, too, who's one of the most interesting in the franchise.

The visuals are unique and jarring, which is tradition for a 28 Days Later film; however, sometimes it felt like it was a little too blurry or shaky at times. That being said, though, the evolution of the infected was interesting. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland know how to ramp up tension and dread every time characters find themselves on the mainland.

Unfortunately, 28 Years Later has tonal and pacing issues. What starts off as a grounded story turns into a journey that features some side plots that weren't as compelling as moments from the first act. There are interesting ideas that should've been explored more here instead of being heavily reliant on future movies. Also, there were these bizarre visions, dreams, and edits involving movie/real-life footage that appeared in the beginning that didn't serve much of a purpose.

Overall, I enjoyed 28 Years Later, but I was expecting better.