Film: Fantastic 4: First Steps

Like Superman, this iteration of the Fantastic 4 centres on family and friendship. I have a faint interest in the Fantastic 4, but having not particularly rated previous films, I went into the cinema with an open mind.

The longed-for baby parented by two of the Fantastic Four is now wanted by a faraway - although nothing is far in the Marvel universe - cosmic overlord. If he doesn’t have it, the world will end - as is the norm. So the Four have to come up with a plan, and for some strange reason, they are ridiculed by the global population for not simply giving their child away for the sake of humanity.. It's a classic selfish case of let's just go with the simplest option and then get on with our lives, rather than thinking of a solution that works for all.

And I have a soft spot for the Silver Surfer since childhood, perhaps from the comics of my childhood, so I enjoyed them surfacing, especially as they arrived as a female this time.

The main draw of this film, however, isn’t the humans or even the robots; it’s the interior design. Set in the 1960s, the film reflects the original vision of what people in that era imagined the future would look like. While searching for images from the film, I found an armchair and footstool that remarkably resemble my reading chair: mine is orange with a blue footstool, whereas their set is all blue. I didn’t spot this in the movie itself, but I came across it in a behind-the-scenes film, which led me to spend far too much time searching for it

And I love the kitchen; the bright colours, the rounded edges and that everything is in its place - the only kind of storage organisation that works. It’s similar to what I refer to as a ‘Muji Kitchen’. This is because I saw a kitchen that spans one wall entirely behind sliding doors in a Muji in Hong Kong. I have wanted it ever since. Well, the Fantastic Four have clearly been influenced by it in their communal home. And their’s is a glorious bright reddy/orange colour.

On top of all this interior love, there are the ever-present loyal robots, providing plenty to admire.

7½/10 - an extra half point for the interiors.

Image: a lot of time editing this image of all the bods standing around The Chair