Latest / the arc.fm / Fantastic Four: First Steps - A Hilarious, Nuanced Discussion of Hot People in Space on a Mission

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Fantastic Four: First Steps - A Hilarious, Nuanced Discussion of Hot People in Space on a Mission · the arc.fm

0:01
Do you want Robbie to read that quote, Cole?
0:03
Or do you want to say it?
0:05
Are you okay with me saying it?
0:06
Hottie.
0:09
Oh, I want Cole to say it.
0:10
So we're really going with.
0:12
We're certain It's Hottie Potatie time.
0:17
You have no idea.
0:19
Cole is so mad about that.
0:21
Hey, what time is it?
0:23
Say the thing That's not really something I say.
0:25
What time is it, Ben? No.
0:28
What time is it? Ben?
0:29
No! Johnny.
0:39
I'm here
0:40
because Robby was going to see it already with his.
0:45
And I want to keep them happy.
0:48
Yeah, and then we wanted to see it, and Connor wanted to see it, and I just.
0:51
I trust Robby.
1:11
You're a busy guy, Robby.
1:13
We appreciate it.
1:30
I also fell asleep in it.
1:32
And it might have been.
1:33
It might have been my day.
1:34
Like I had baked the whole bunch in the heat.
1:36
Like it was a tough day.
1:37
So perhaps, and I do.
1:40
I'm a little nervous to do this today, because I think it deserved me
1:43
seeing it twice before talking about it.
1:46
But as I told Cole, having an uninformed opinion has really
1:51
stopped me from talking, so I'm sure I'll bring something to the table.
1:55
I just don't know how much I'll need it.
2:00
When did you see it?
2:01
Cool.
2:30
They're like.
2:30
You're sad.
2:32
You're real sad.
2:33
You're like, I have friends.
2:34
I have two friends that are kind of seeing this with me right now.
2:37
They're just in different places.
2:38
This is my part. I have a podcast
2:42
with, like, every cool person out there.
2:50
But I have friends.
3:07
What have one of my accordion
3:09
player crushes sees me walking into this movie?
3:13
I'll never recover.
3:26
No, it's still a no.
3:31
Yeah, we're definitely
3:32
going to get you a shirt.
4:06
But I did text Cole, Robby,
4:08
because I do I again, as my my goals in life
4:12
and for this podcast are hang out with Robbie
4:16
keep Robbie is my friend and then the success of this podcast.
4:20
So I was like,
4:20
oh no, I don't know what I'm going to do about this one because I didn't love it.
4:24
And so I texted Cole and I was like, dude, I don't know if I have anything to say,
4:29
which, you know, I always unfortunately has anything to say.
4:32
But like, cool just wrote back, oh, I have a lot to say.
4:35
And so you may not have liked it, but you have
4:39
things to say.
4:40
Pretend she alert was even dropped.
4:42
Though.
4:44
I by Cole himself.
4:57
Oh my God.
4:58
Coffee?
4:58
It's not pretentious if you mean it in your heart.
5:02
It may be pretentious.
6:16
Oh. Yes.
6:27
This is individualistic.
6:33
Heteronormative as well.
6:38
ever have.
6:38
Dressing.
6:39
And I
6:44
You did not.
7:32
I think I think one
7:33
reason I don't want to talk about it is because it's not for me.
7:36
Like. And I don't know what the goals are.
7:37
Right? Like, is it like to totally follow the comic book?
7:40
And is it for comic book people who are like, who cares what you like?
7:43
You don't like it? Like it matches the comic book?
7:45
Or is it people who are super into Marvel movies
7:47
and they have it and like it's doing all these things like, I don't know
7:50
or I don't understand, I'm sure I'm probably missing stuff,
7:54
but my actual thing was it was so nothing happened.
7:58
Like, I was like, this is just like Mission Impossible, you know?
8:01
Like it's sort of like we're chasing a box.
8:03
Like it just was like.
8:04
Like it didn't feel like nonsense.
8:06
It felt like it just felt so flat.
8:10
And then the only and then the next layer, it also felt extremely predictable
8:14
because I knew what was going to happen from the jump.
8:16
So I was like, oh no, we're going to worry.
8:18
Mom's going to die or mom will die.
8:20
Like perhaps they will take out mom.
8:22
Perhaps we've got a lot of foreshadowing that like, moms
8:24
die and mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mother Earth, my right.
8:29
There's like this very weak metaphor of Mother Earth.
8:32
And then, like, you're not going to kill off Vanessa Kirby.
8:34
You're just not like, the baby is not going to die.
8:37
The baby's not going to even be in danger.
8:51
Believe it or not, I would
8:52
hate to speak for all non marvel watching humans, but it it.
8:56
I can accept that.
8:57
Perhaps that's why I didn't like it.
9:00
Like perhaps it was doing a lot of things great that I like.
9:02
Did not understand.
9:12
Yeah.
9:44
I think so.
9:49
I heralds your end.
9:53
I herald.
9:59
Galactus.
10:29
Yeah.
10:56
The trolley problem.
11:10
Did call children.
11:12
What?
11:21
Yeah.
11:21
Don't answer. Don't answer that. Robbie.
11:23
That was great. That.
11:24
Did you know what I did think?
11:30
Of course.
12:34
I did like the way that Mr.
12:35
Fantastic, too, is like the problem solver
12:37
and the, like logic of it all that he like.
12:41
Like I like the way that they, like.
12:43
Sue would call him out for being like you did.
12:45
Think about what happens if we just, like, kill the baby.
12:47
Like you didn't run that equation.
12:49
You didn't think about it
12:50
like I thought that that I said that that needed to happen too,
12:52
because that is true to his character and like, at odds in their relationship.
12:57
And I also don't have children. And this is in part why.
12:59
Because I definitely would have to run that equation through.
16:05
What was the year?
16:06
I could not understand the year either.
16:08
What was the year? I.
16:19
Know to editor.
16:20
It wasn't up long enough, but.
16:56
Yeah.
17:16
The Pan Am building is the Pan Am building?
17:18
Yeah.
17:18
That's like an old.
17:57
It's very odd.
17:58
Like, g. Like these people can save me.
18:01
Yeah, yeah.
18:03
Really, like, very simplistic.
18:22
And made
18:22
you think a lot about improv and, like, long form improv and, like.
18:27
And how that, to me, informs all the things that I love.
18:29
Right?
18:30
Like callbacks and like bookends and, like, picking something up
18:33
from a different scene and, like, surprising in another scene. Right?
18:35
So it might be like there's two characters
18:37
talking about cooking, and then all of a sudden you're like, had two monsters.
18:41
And then all of a sudden, like, the monsters are the cooks, or
18:43
like some big surprise or like two things that don't go together do,
18:46
which I think the Marvel movies have done really well, where it's like,
18:48
I don't know that that thing would happen in this movie, or like,
18:51
I had no idea those were connected somehow.
18:53
It's really gutsy.
18:55
It's magic when it works, and you do have to just be constantly surprised.
18:59
But one of my favorite, I, I was texting one of the moms Lucas brother shows.
19:03
So it's like Ed Hersman and Jason Mantzoukas,
19:07
brilliant improvisers, and it was like a 1030 show.
19:11
It's like the last show at the theater.
19:12
And I was told not to like not to cut it like they would cut themselves.
19:15
They would decide when the show was over.
19:17
And I am a rule follower, so I cannot comprehend such things.
19:20
So like an hour hit and I was like, I guess I should
19:22
probably like whack them out.
19:24
And so I black them out and they were basically like, no.
19:28
No. No.
19:30
And so I like black them out and they turn on the music
19:33
and like I'm like trying to like pull them off stage. Right.
19:35
It's like the owner of the Magnet
19:36
Theater and Jason Mantzoukas is the height of his fame.
19:40
It was his league days.
19:46
And you kind of hear the audience gasp because they've done this show.
19:50
It's like this, like cult show that like, people like you have to be in the know.
19:53
But like, I think the new had been to every single one, right?
19:57
Like they'd ask you at the top of the show, like,
19:58
how many of you, how many shows have you been to?
20:00
And it was like this whole thing anyway, so everybody knew that I had messed it up.
20:03
And you just hear them go, oh, I think the electricity went out.
20:07
Oh no, the radio is on.
20:09
And so I like turn the lights back up and you just see like as I'm doing it,
20:12
Mandzukic hits the lights like a little fake light switch and it clicks back on.
20:17
And then he starts hitting the space like stereo and like turns off the music.
20:22
And I was like, oh God, I
20:24
but it's hilarious, right?
20:26
It's so like I totally messed up and like I'm mortified.
20:30
But they just were.
20:30
And then they played for like another hour
20:33
and I just was like, I'm I'm obviously not here to like,
20:36
block the show out, but like, it's like such like they worked with the mistake,
20:40
you know, and it's like such a surprise.
20:42
And I think of that one just because like I was involved in like the mess up of it.
20:46
But like when you can do that kind of like improv bravery in film
20:51
or like major pop culture stuff, I just think it's so cool.
20:54
And I felt like Marvel did that, like it had this real, like bravery and surprise
20:59
and the like it would be like, this doesn't work, but it's got it does.
21:02
And we can't like something greater than us.
21:04
Some magical alchemy has happened.
21:06
And now here we are.
21:08
And like, I think that is so cool and exciting.
21:12
And I saw Thor Ragnarok.
21:15
With a with a boy I was dating.
21:17
Shout out Hunter!
21:20
You have no idea.
21:21
I got so mad about that.
21:47
I, I just gonna say that's
21:53
why I didn't like it is because nobody grew like that's.
21:56
Exactly.
21:56
There's like.
21:57
No, nothing changed and nobody grew.
22:00
And you could argue that, like the uncle,
22:02
Human Torch,
22:06
like he grew a little, like I'm not impervious to pathos.
22:09
Right? So, like, the end did get me.
22:11
I might have cried a little. The end.
22:13
Because you can't have a baby, and I'm not going to have tears
22:15
like I fell to the monster.
22:17
That is pathos at the end.
22:19
And I did like it when when Human
22:21
Torch, like, went to go save the beat, you know, he was like, tell.
22:25
So Franklin, the uncle, the Human Torch loves him.
22:28
Whatever the name was, the Uncle Johnny loves him like that game it did.
22:32
Even though I knew what was going to happen.
22:33
It got me and like, heat her. Maybe a little maybe.
22:36
But they didn't really set him up as like an irresponsible, dumb
22:40
dumb entirely, but like that, that he had some growth.
22:43
But the rest of them, nothing changed and nobody grew.
22:46
And that's that's always when a story falls
22:48
really flat to me when there's just like, no.
22:50
So they have this thing, the genie, like, yeah,
22:52
they had this like problem to solve.
22:54
But like, really there wasn't any real conflict.
22:57
And there was like nobody had like a real arc.
22:59
There wasn't really a hero's journey.
23:01
Like they were heroes and they stayed heroes.
23:04
When those things are lacking
23:06
in a story,
23:08
I find I often find them flat and it it.
23:10
I am a big fan of formula and like I mean I literally study
23:14
stories to exacting points to see what works.
23:17
But in this case, I think formula got so in the way.
23:20
And then the I just, I felt like there was no real character
23:23
journey.
24:07
Yeah.
24:08
That's what made it. And that's.
24:09
I mean, all of that is still alive and well today.
24:12
Do not get me wrong,
24:14
but it had a very like the idea of the sort of like, almost
24:17
of that middle class and it being so aspirational
24:20
or upper middle class being so aspirational,
24:22
had that felt to me very retro like, like I,
24:26
I feel like we at least now know that that's like a myth that doesn't exist
24:31
and no one's inspired, like aspiring to it anymore,
24:33
because the stratification of wealth is so dramatic.
24:36
They had like a real nuclear family, even though there's four of them
24:40
and one's like a rock man and like one's an uncle.
24:43
So I had this weird, like, nuclear family, heteronormative 1950s.
24:48
And I think it's because, like, the car also looks like a station wagon to me.
24:51
Like, and you have these, like, heroes who go on TV and talk about it.
24:54
And everybody kind of does trust and believe them.
24:57
Like there's a lot of trust given to the fantastic Four that we just don't
25:00
I don't know, it's interesting calling your interesting points.
25:35
Did you.
25:36
Because you do.
25:36
Because here's what I'm hearing from call is you saw like this worker unrest.
25:40
And you saw poverty.
25:42
I didn't either, but I slept through half the movie.
25:44
So I've just been assuming that I missed this, like, poor undercurrent.
25:50
But, Robbie, it sounds like you didn't necessarily see it either.
25:52
Am I? I'm.
26:51
I it did feel to me a little bit more utopian.
26:54
And it did feel like there was a working class.
26:57
And like, the Fantastic Four was not.
26:59
You know, they were more, you know, but there was like, a huge, like, trust
27:02
in, like, the systems.
27:04
And there was a clear hierarchy and I didn't see it as like extreme poverty.
27:08
But I again, I may miss things, but I did see it as like a working class,
27:11
but like a working middle class in which they were like all nicely dressed.
27:15
They all look like they were fed.
27:17
They didn't seem like
27:17
they were like unhappy about not eating or their kids were in danger.
27:22
It felt like they were really happy.
27:24
And part of and that the Fantastic Four was additive and had help save them,
27:29
you know,
27:30
it was like very propaganda heavy, but it felt like
27:32
the people were very like, willing.
27:34
And I think
27:35
you can only come from a willing place if you're like, meet needs are being met.
27:39
Like I was in Russia for like three weeks a few years ago,
27:43
and I was surprised by talking to so many people who were like,
27:47
I know everybody thinks we want democracy, but we actually like socialism
27:52
because at least I knew my basic needs would be met.
27:55
Like, maybe it wasn't great.
27:56
Like maybe like maybe these, like darker years that were dark
28:01
weren't ideal and aren't what we would want.
28:03
But like, democracy is even worse for us.
28:06
Like, I would rather be guaranteed like a house,
28:08
a car, education and food, even if it's not great.
28:12
But like, everybody had needs met and so they were okay.
28:15
And then like their biggest problem was like, oh no, the ship is failing
28:20
and it's going to hit my kid, or this thing is falling from the sky,
28:22
it's about to hit my kid.
28:23
Or these like, strange, weird monsters are showing up that aren't in our world.
28:27
And the Fantastic Four comes in helps.
28:29
But it didn't feel like anybody was like asking,
28:32
like more food, higher wages, you know, like I didn't see it.
28:37
But again, I slept through a lot of it.
28:38
Which isn't to say that you didn't read something in the text call that was there.
28:42
And I just like my own middle class blindness.
28:45
Missed it.
29:14
That was it.
29:15
That's.
29:15
Yeah.
29:51
Yeah.
29:51
I still don't get that. Oh.
29:59
I want to hear what Ravi had to say.
30:11
I wanted to introduce you to someone.
30:14
This is our son, Franklin.
30:20
You know my story.
30:23
Sure.
31:20
I've never seen a pregnant superhero
31:22
that felt new.
31:45
That's a I.
31:46
One of my favorite stories you've ever told, Robbie, is about, Connor's birth.
31:51
And so I love. I love that that, like.
31:54
Like the Emily would see that, like, sort of like rocket ship falling apart.
31:58
Intense insanity.
31:59
She's like, yes, that is.
32:01
That's what it's like.
32:04
I was glad I thought that they were going to keep her pants on,
32:08
and I like, I really thought like Disney was just going to be like,
32:10
well, we're just going to keep that.
32:12
And so I, I don't know why, but I really appreciated it.
32:14
When you see her little pants split off.
32:16
So yeah. Okay. Good. Good.
32:17
That was really bothering me. Guys.
32:21
I was also.
32:21
Kind of disturbed by it because I was like,
32:23
I also didn't need to see that, but I also did
32:26
a little bit go floating away
32:28
and I was like, okay, now the baby can arrive.
32:31
No, I mean, I there's still a few things.
32:33
Yeah, it's a very big baby.
32:37
Anyway,
32:38
yeah.
32:47
I, I have that in my notes to say.
32:53
I mean, Vanessa Kirby
32:55
is in my favorite movie, which is Hobbs and Shaw.
32:59
A absolute banger classic of a movie.
33:05
Which I love.
33:06
And we will watch and review and I, I'll say it again,
33:09
my favorite movie subs to, And Nessa Kirby is in it.
33:13
Shout out to Hobbs and Shaw and Vanessa Kirby.
33:19
Yeah.
33:23
But but but this one is just good.
33:28
It's not.
33:28
It's not unique to me.
33:29
It's just it's a it's an excellent movie.
33:36
So we're definitely.
33:38
I can't believe I haven't brought it up yet.
33:40
I don't know why I didn't bring it. I haven't pitched it.
33:42
We've got to watch it.
33:44
Have you not seen it, Robbie?
33:45
Oh, wait.
33:46
You are in for a ride.
33:56
Well,
33:58
ready yourself.
34:25
Perfect.
34:28
It's a it's a great movie.
35:00
No, it's a what?
35:01
It's a it's a it's a what?
35:04
It's a it's a.
35:16
I did like when she said.
35:17
I don't think talking is the most important part.
35:19
I thought that's what you're going to say.
35:58
Sundays at seven on the dot.
35:59
No matter. What was.
36:01
And that's how they knew they were preggers.
36:03
Right?
36:23
Johnny, uncle Johnny says that Uncle Johnny.
36:26
Silver Surfer and uncle.
36:29
And so, yeah, Silver Surfer was like.
36:31
Because Silver Surfer says that
36:32
because she did that for her village and that's why she's still alive.
36:36
But now she's like going around murdering.
36:39
Yeah. This is strong quote.
36:40
That's kind of the thesis of the movie.
36:43
I'm not sacrificing my son for this planet, but I won't sacrifice
36:47
this planet for my son.