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Update: July 22, 2025
Dragonlord’s Review of THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: After many failed attempts, Marvel’s First Family is finally done right. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a fun, charming, heartwarming adventure that focuses on sci-fi and family with absolute gorgeous retro-futuristic aesthetics and terrific performances by the cast.
Despite being one of the very first comics and the first superhero team Marvel has published in 1961, the Fantastic Four is the only premier Marvel comic book property that doesn’t have a good movie adaptation. Almost every popular Marvel superhero or team has at least one good live-action movie under their belt from Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Avengers to the X-Men.
Not counting the 1994 Roger Corman’s low-budget Fantastic Four movie which was unreleased and served just to retain the film rights, there have been three Fantastic Four movie adaptations. First were the two mid Fantastic Four movies by 20th Century Fox in 2005 and 2007 that weren’t outright terrible but were just unremarkable for the most part. And then there was Fox’s dreadful reboot of Fantastic Four in 2015 that had a bleak sci-fi tone with body horror vibes which was interesting in concept but atrocious in execution.
So when Disney bought Fox in 2019, the Fantastic Four movie rights reverted back to Marvel. Fans were excited and optimistic that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios will finally do the property right. Well apparently, four is the magic number because fourth time’s the charm!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in the 828 universe (the main MCU is in the 616 universe) where it’s set in the 1960s with a gorgeous retro-futuristic aesthetics like the Jetsons. Setting it in an alternate universe was a smart move because it gives the film the freedom to do whatever it wants without being burdened by the interconnectedness of the rest of the MCU. Plus it saves us from fussers’ complaints about why the Fantastic Four didn’t help out when the MCU world was in trouble.
The film wisely skips over retelling how the team got their powers. Instead they cleverly presented an archival footage to give the audience a brief history of the team and a quick montage of their adventures with a lot of callbacks from the comic books. The world idolizes the team as rock stars and look up to them as saviors. As the team celebrates their fourth anniversary and Sue Storm’s pregnancy reveal, the new Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal arrives on Earth to announce the imminent destruction of the planet with the impending arrival of the devourer of worlds, Galactus.
The rest of the first arc is a space mission that felt fantastical but grounded. It had a little Apollo 13 and Interstellar vibe going for it. As a fan of one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, The Expanse, I had a small, personal gratification watching zero gravity being "accurately" presented inside the F4’s spaceship, which is aptly named Excelsior btw (R.I.P. Stan Lee). One of the highlight is a thrilling chase sequence through space that also reminded of me of Terminator 2 due to the silver metallic pursuer chasing the protagonists.
The second arc slows the pace down, focusing on the aftermath of the space mission and the ramifications of their decisions. The second half’s slower pace might put off some viewers but I thought this was necessary to drive home the stakes and build up the threat of Galactus. It also shows our heroes at a low point, how they overcome these challenges and the inspiring message that it is the world’s shared humanity that will shine through even at their darkest hour. The final act is an action-filled bonanza on a gigantic proportion.
One thing that this new film does very well compared to past F4 versions is the family dynamic which is so charming, naturalistic and mature. Gone are the childish bickering and immature pranks. You immediately buy into their family bond and friendship. It helps that the main actors have great chemistry with each other and each have their own distinct, pleasing personalities.
Though he may not look like the character he is portraying, Pedro Pascal was nonetheless a good Reed Richards. He ably conveys the intelligence, the dignified aura and neuroticism that we’ve come to expect from the character but injects a newfound self-doubt and uncertainty due to being a father for the first time. For consolation, Pedro's Reed does look and act like he is from the 1960s.
My biggest disappointment about the film is the way they portrayed Reed’s elasticity powers. It was so unimpressive. It felt like he could only stretch his limbs to 15 feet only. I swear he feels more like Stretch Armstrong than Mister Fantastic. There was no creativity in the way he also used his powers. They missed a great opportunity to give him a tag-team maneuver with Thing. Even Sue and Johnny had a little combo attack thing going on at the end.
Vanessa Kirby was magnificent as Sue Richards. The English actress gave an Oscar-nominated level type of performance. Longtime comic book fans already know that Sue is the most powerful member and the emotional center of the team and that she is a force to be reckoned with when her family is threatened, and we see all of those finally played out in live-action. Not really a deal-breaker for me but her powers seem to be light-based only with some sort of telekinesis with the use of hard light? Gone are her ability to create force fields.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach was great as Ben Grimm. Even underneath all that rocky exterior, Ebon’s warmth and perceptiveness stood out in his performance. The Thing was too small in the first two F4 movies. Then he was too big in the 2015 reboot. Just like Goldilocks, this Thing is just right, and with the best physical design out of all of them. The gravel voice that fans have come to expect from the character is a non-issue once you watch the film. It helps that Ebon has a nuanced and versatile voice. The gravel voice is just outdated and this new direction for the voice opens up the character into a more well-rounded character rather than just a gruff caricature. I’m also glad that they didn’t dwell into his woe-is-me attitude of being turned into a rock.
The biggest surprise is probably Joseph Quinn who was wonderful as Johnny Storm. This Johnny is extremely likable from the get-go. He is still a little immature but he displays a lot of admirable qualities and performs a lot of cool heroic feats. Johnny is still a little brash and inferred as still a playboy, but they also made him more intelligent who contributed a great deal to the team. His flirty interactions with Shalla-Bal were amusing also.
Ralph Ineson and his distinguished voice were perfect for Galactus. After being depicted disappointingly as a space cloud in the 2005 film, Galactus is finally done justice and he’s utterly terrifying in scope and size. Shalla-Bal (played by Julia Garner), the Silver Surfer of the 828 universe, worked. She was a good antagonist and also a tragic figure. Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man was a grounded take on the character but lacked sufficient screen time to make a stronger impression. Playing Ben's love interest, it was weird seeing Natasha Lyonne playing a normal, well-adjusted character. H.E.R.B.I.E. is an adorable little scene-stealer.
Rounding up my thoughts: Director Matt Shakman, who fabulously recreated the period-specific sitcom styles in WandaVision, gives the same immaculate treatment to First Steps with this retro futurist world. From the exquisite practical sets to the stylish costumes to the stunning visuals, everything about this world is nostalgic and beautiful. This is one of the best visually-looking films Marvel has ever done. One little criticism of mine is the finale, though as magnificent as it looked, lacked some creativity and didn’t have that OMG-type action sequences that audience would normally clap for. Michael Giacchino’s F4 theme is brilliant and memorable, and his score is simply amazing and the secret MVP of the film. First Steps is a loving tribute to legendary artist Jack Kirby whose influence hangs over the movie. The 828 universe is based on Kirby's birthday. There are two post-credits scenes.
As I said in my Thunderbolts* review, the MCU on the movie side is back (in terms of making quality films). Though the movie didn’t make money at the box office, Thunderbolts* was a critical success and a stepping stone to rehabilitating the MCU. It then passed the baton to The Fantastic Four: First Steps which will carry whatever goodwill it gained and build upon it further. Now it’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s turn next year to finish strong before handing the baton to Avengers: Doomsday to carry it all the way to the finish line.
RATING: 8.5/10
IS WORTH WATCHING IN THEATERS: Yes. If you are a Fantastic Four comic book fan (all six of you), this movie is for you. The Galactus scenes alone are worth the price of admission. But if you saw the trailers and didn’t like the look, the setting or the actors, it might be best to sit this one out.
(Please leave a Like if you appreciate my reviews and want to see more movie reviews in the future. Thanks.
)
Dragonlord’s Review of THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: After many failed attempts, Marvel’s First Family is finally done right. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a fun, charming, heartwarming adventure that focuses on sci-fi and family with absolute gorgeous retro-futuristic aesthetics and terrific performances by the cast.
Despite being one of the very first comics and the first superhero team Marvel has published in 1961, the Fantastic Four is the only premier Marvel comic book property that doesn’t have a good movie adaptation. Almost every popular Marvel superhero or team has at least one good live-action movie under their belt from Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Avengers to the X-Men.
Not counting the 1994 Roger Corman’s low-budget Fantastic Four movie which was unreleased and served just to retain the film rights, there have been three Fantastic Four movie adaptations. First were the two mid Fantastic Four movies by 20th Century Fox in 2005 and 2007 that weren’t outright terrible but were just unremarkable for the most part. And then there was Fox’s dreadful reboot of Fantastic Four in 2015 that had a bleak sci-fi tone with body horror vibes which was interesting in concept but atrocious in execution.
So when Disney bought Fox in 2019, the Fantastic Four movie rights reverted back to Marvel. Fans were excited and optimistic that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios will finally do the property right. Well apparently, four is the magic number because fourth time’s the charm!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in the 828 universe (the main MCU is in the 616 universe) where it’s set in the 1960s with a gorgeous retro-futuristic aesthetics like the Jetsons. Setting it in an alternate universe was a smart move because it gives the film the freedom to do whatever it wants without being burdened by the interconnectedness of the rest of the MCU. Plus it saves us from fussers’ complaints about why the Fantastic Four didn’t help out when the MCU world was in trouble.
The film wisely skips over retelling how the team got their powers. Instead they cleverly presented an archival footage to give the audience a brief history of the team and a quick montage of their adventures with a lot of callbacks from the comic books. The world idolizes the team as rock stars and look up to them as saviors. As the team celebrates their fourth anniversary and Sue Storm’s pregnancy reveal, the new Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal arrives on Earth to announce the imminent destruction of the planet with the impending arrival of the devourer of worlds, Galactus.
The rest of the first arc is a space mission that felt fantastical but grounded. It had a little Apollo 13 and Interstellar vibe going for it. As a fan of one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, The Expanse, I had a small, personal gratification watching zero gravity being "accurately" presented inside the F4’s spaceship, which is aptly named Excelsior btw (R.I.P. Stan Lee). One of the highlight is a thrilling chase sequence through space that also reminded of me of Terminator 2 due to the silver metallic pursuer chasing the protagonists.
The second arc slows the pace down, focusing on the aftermath of the space mission and the ramifications of their decisions. The second half’s slower pace might put off some viewers but I thought this was necessary to drive home the stakes and build up the threat of Galactus. It also shows our heroes at a low point, how they overcome these challenges and the inspiring message that it is the world’s shared humanity that will shine through even at their darkest hour. The final act is an action-filled bonanza on a gigantic proportion.
One thing that this new film does very well compared to past F4 versions is the family dynamic which is so charming, naturalistic and mature. Gone are the childish bickering and immature pranks. You immediately buy into their family bond and friendship. It helps that the main actors have great chemistry with each other and each have their own distinct, pleasing personalities.
Though he may not look like the character he is portraying, Pedro Pascal was nonetheless a good Reed Richards. He ably conveys the intelligence, the dignified aura and neuroticism that we’ve come to expect from the character but injects a newfound self-doubt and uncertainty due to being a father for the first time. For consolation, Pedro's Reed does look and act like he is from the 1960s.
My biggest disappointment about the film is the way they portrayed Reed’s elasticity powers. It was so unimpressive. It felt like he could only stretch his limbs to 15 feet only. I swear he feels more like Stretch Armstrong than Mister Fantastic. There was no creativity in the way he also used his powers. They missed a great opportunity to give him a tag-team maneuver with Thing. Even Sue and Johnny had a little combo attack thing going on at the end.
Vanessa Kirby was magnificent as Sue Richards. The English actress gave an Oscar-nominated level type of performance. Longtime comic book fans already know that Sue is the most powerful member and the emotional center of the team and that she is a force to be reckoned with when her family is threatened, and we see all of those finally played out in live-action. Not really a deal-breaker for me but her powers seem to be light-based only with some sort of telekinesis with the use of hard light? Gone are her ability to create force fields.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach was great as Ben Grimm. Even underneath all that rocky exterior, Ebon’s warmth and perceptiveness stood out in his performance. The Thing was too small in the first two F4 movies. Then he was too big in the 2015 reboot. Just like Goldilocks, this Thing is just right, and with the best physical design out of all of them. The gravel voice that fans have come to expect from the character is a non-issue once you watch the film. It helps that Ebon has a nuanced and versatile voice. The gravel voice is just outdated and this new direction for the voice opens up the character into a more well-rounded character rather than just a gruff caricature. I’m also glad that they didn’t dwell into his woe-is-me attitude of being turned into a rock.
The biggest surprise is probably Joseph Quinn who was wonderful as Johnny Storm. This Johnny is extremely likable from the get-go. He is still a little immature but he displays a lot of admirable qualities and performs a lot of cool heroic feats. Johnny is still a little brash and inferred as still a playboy, but they also made him more intelligent who contributed a great deal to the team. His flirty interactions with Shalla-Bal were amusing also.
Ralph Ineson and his distinguished voice were perfect for Galactus. After being depicted disappointingly as a space cloud in the 2005 film, Galactus is finally done justice and he’s utterly terrifying in scope and size. Shalla-Bal (played by Julia Garner), the Silver Surfer of the 828 universe, worked. She was a good antagonist and also a tragic figure. Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man was a grounded take on the character but lacked sufficient screen time to make a stronger impression. Playing Ben's love interest, it was weird seeing Natasha Lyonne playing a normal, well-adjusted character. H.E.R.B.I.E. is an adorable little scene-stealer.
Rounding up my thoughts: Director Matt Shakman, who fabulously recreated the period-specific sitcom styles in WandaVision, gives the same immaculate treatment to First Steps with this retro futurist world. From the exquisite practical sets to the stylish costumes to the stunning visuals, everything about this world is nostalgic and beautiful. This is one of the best visually-looking films Marvel has ever done. One little criticism of mine is the finale, though as magnificent as it looked, lacked some creativity and didn’t have that OMG-type action sequences that audience would normally clap for. Michael Giacchino’s F4 theme is brilliant and memorable, and his score is simply amazing and the secret MVP of the film. First Steps is a loving tribute to legendary artist Jack Kirby whose influence hangs over the movie. The 828 universe is based on Kirby's birthday. There are two post-credits scenes.
As I said in my Thunderbolts* review, the MCU on the movie side is back (in terms of making quality films). Though the movie didn’t make money at the box office, Thunderbolts* was a critical success and a stepping stone to rehabilitating the MCU. It then passed the baton to The Fantastic Four: First Steps which will carry whatever goodwill it gained and build upon it further. Now it’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s turn next year to finish strong before handing the baton to Avengers: Doomsday to carry it all the way to the finish line.
RATING: 8.5/10
IS WORTH WATCHING IN THEATERS: Yes. If you are a Fantastic Four comic book fan (all six of you), this movie is for you. The Galactus scenes alone are worth the price of admission. But if you saw the trailers and didn’t like the look, the setting or the actors, it might be best to sit this one out.
(Please leave a Like if you appreciate my reviews and want to see more movie reviews in the future. Thanks.
)
