It's...fantastic?
A few months ago I went to see Thunderbolts and was surprised to find it actually wasn't bad at all. And now, having seen Marvel's next movie offering, I can safely say they're on a two-film streak. Fantastic Four: First Steps isn't groundbreaking, but it's perfectly fine entertainment with some really standout elements.
Talking about the positives, the biggest has to be the design of the Fantastic Four's world. Separating it from the mainline MCU allows the creation of a stunning retro-futuristic world that feels straight out of a 1960's Stan Lee/Jack Kirby FF comic. Glad to see comic book movies have begun to embrace their roots more confidently, instead of being afraid general audiences can't deal with the wackier side of superheroes.
Continuing on the best elements, I have to mention Galactus and the Silver Surfer. They're both epically brought to the screen, and as sad it might be that the Surfer in this film isn't Norrin Radd, it ends up having some story importance that justifies it for me. Galactus is portrayed in an amazing fashion, similar to the Death Star from Star Wars or V'Ger from the first Star Trek movie. He is a force of nature, a looming evil that creates a great sense of tension. That's one of the other great parts of this film: it actually has stakes. Since this takes place on an alternate Earth, while we know the Fantastic Four will inevitably survive, there are no guarantees for the rest of the world.
My biggest negative for the film is actually the Fantastic Four themselves. All members are portrayed well, with a surprisingly good performance by Pedro Pascal. However, with a 1 hour, 55 minute runtime, we don't get to see as much of the FF family dynamic as I'd like. What we do see is great, but I can't help but 30 extra minutes with The Thing especially could've been very nice. The breakneck pace of the second and third acts could've benefitted from a little bit more character work to pad it out.
Overall though, very good movie. Gives me hope for a more consistent MCU quality heading into Doomsday. Just wish we had gotten this Fantastic Four team earlier.
Talking about the positives, the biggest has to be the design of the Fantastic Four's world. Separating it from the mainline MCU allows the creation of a stunning retro-futuristic world that feels straight out of a 1960's Stan Lee/Jack Kirby FF comic. Glad to see comic book movies have begun to embrace their roots more confidently, instead of being afraid general audiences can't deal with the wackier side of superheroes.
Continuing on the best elements, I have to mention Galactus and the Silver Surfer. They're both epically brought to the screen, and as sad it might be that the Surfer in this film isn't Norrin Radd, it ends up having some story importance that justifies it for me. Galactus is portrayed in an amazing fashion, similar to the Death Star from Star Wars or V'Ger from the first Star Trek movie. He is a force of nature, a looming evil that creates a great sense of tension. That's one of the other great parts of this film: it actually has stakes. Since this takes place on an alternate Earth, while we know the Fantastic Four will inevitably survive, there are no guarantees for the rest of the world.
My biggest negative for the film is actually the Fantastic Four themselves. All members are portrayed well, with a surprisingly good performance by Pedro Pascal. However, with a 1 hour, 55 minute runtime, we don't get to see as much of the FF family dynamic as I'd like. What we do see is great, but I can't help but 30 extra minutes with The Thing especially could've been very nice. The breakneck pace of the second and third acts could've benefitted from a little bit more character work to pad it out.
Overall though, very good movie. Gives me hope for a more consistent MCU quality heading into Doomsday. Just wish we had gotten this Fantastic Four team earlier.
- tjmm-10565
- 4 ago 2025