द फ़ैंटॅस्टिक 4: फ़र्स्ट स्टेप्स

The movie was bland. Story and action both were meh.. As a fan of the superhero genre I was hugely disappointed both by the movie and by the critics hyping it up.

You hardly see anything "heroic" being done that gets your heart pumping nor are you invested in any of the Fantastic Four. The power scaling makes zero sense at different parts of the movie, Galactus is nerfed to the max (to the point of being silly) and this universe has the stupidest / most gullible NPCs ever. This is exactly how the conversation goes with them, NPCs - "oh no the world is going to end, you can't save us" F4 - "we will save you don't worry" NPCs - (panic over and tears in their eyes) "ok"

Save the money, buy something on the Steam sale. I left before end credits.

When it comes to adapting The Fantastic Four for the big screen, there have been 4 previous failed attempts (including the unreleased 1994 rights retaining film). So with the bar already pretty low, the MCU had a big challenge not only in these characters' interpretation but also the step off entry for Phase 6. Because if even Marvel Studios couldn't faithfully adapt this family for the silver screen, then no one honestly can. And I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed First Steps.

What's really refreshing about the film is that you can jump into this movie without prior MCU knowledge as this film stands on its own in Earth 828 (numbers used as an homage to Jack Kirby's DOB). Even with the aesthetics of the 1960's, director Matt Shakman throws us into an intrepid and exciting universe with little time spent on the Fantastic Four's origin story. The origin story still gets the exposition hand out there but within the confines of a news montage celebrating the team's heroics early on.

The Fantastic Four here, feel very fleshed out and realized with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss Bachrach's portrayals all uniformly coexisting with excellent banter that the other films tried but skipped out on. Their family dynamics are also on full display in the both quieter moments and the action sequences.

Galactus was the character I was the most worried about. Because thai could have easily been another MODOK situation. Thankfully that's not the case as Ralph Ineson's iteration as the planet harvester. For one, he's not a damn cloud, and two he is very menacing and can cause some serious damage. His herald Silver Surfer is also great and has the best action sequence in the whole film.

The music from Michael Giacchino is great as well as another great superhero score. Alongside the brooding tune for The Batman, his cheery tune for the Fantastic Four is instantly synonymous with them and recognizable.

With Thunderbolts, Superman and now Fantastic Four First Steps, I feel more hopeful than ever before for superhero flicks especially with Marvel back on their winning streak and DC starting their fresh new universe.

This was one of my most anticipated movies but it was disappointing for me.

Now for pros

1. It had some really good CGI at some points. Atleast it did The Thing right. He is being done dirty for a long time.

2. There was chemistry between the cast. The chemistry was better than 2015 version but it wasn't better than the 2005 one.

3. Galactus was done right you could feel his presence in IMAX.

4. I liked Joseph Quinn. He kept the legacy alive of good human torches.

Now for cons

1. Pedro was such a miscast. He played himself. He is not right for Reed.

2. It has more wacky shots than the good ones. The CGI looks unfinished at some points.

3. It was poorly edited. We know they cut 15 to 20 minutes and you could feel it. Something was missing.

4. CGI baby. I think it's about time they stop using the CGI baby. It was giving uncanny vibes.

5. Reed was really underwhelming. He barely used his powers.

6. Although it was only 1 hour 55 minutes long yet it felt longer than other movies which are longer. The pacing was horrible.

7. Most of it was spoiled in the trailers. If you saw all promotional videos and trailer you just saw 50 percent of the movie.

8. The last act was horrible. It felt like that Yelena scene from Black Widow.

9. This movie felt like it was missing a whole act. They should have given creative control to the director.

10. They could have done the post credit better.

This was a misfire by marvel and they should be worried beacuse it is directly related to Doomsday. It is really average. It places at 2nd last in the ranking of 2025 CBM.

I am really disappointed. Fantastic four are one of my favourite characters and they missed another time. When we will get a good F4 film? That's the question.

I mean I went to theater with quite high expectations. But honestly was a bit disappointed.

Movie tried to explore characters and their depth more but collectively as whole it went bit shallow and mediocre storyline.

It was definitely better than previous ones. But calling it one of the best MCU films? Um nope. Not at all.

Visually, this film was a standout with stunning cinematography, impressive CGI, and a unique retro aesthetic that felt refreshingly different from the usual superhero fare. The story was fairly basic and the short runtime didn't allow enough depth to fully explore the villain's motivations. The casting was nearly perfect, with every actor bringing their character to life in a way that made you love the team not just as a whole but as individuals. Overall, I'd rate it a solid 7.2 out of 10. It's a fun, visually rich ride and I'm genuinely excited to see where the story goes next. The post-credit scene was a 9 out of 10, one of the most dramatic and thrilling I've seen in years.