Movie Review: The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The value of family, whether found or biological, has been a major theme in many of this year’s blockbusters. From Sinners to Thunderbolts* to Superman, the strength we can receive from loving, supportive relationships and surrounding ourselves with people who value us exactly as we are has been driven home over and over again. It is not a surprise then to see it at the forefront once more in Marvel’s first attempt at bringing The Fantastic Four to the screen since Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox brought the rights to the characters back into the fold, and it proves a smart decision to both quickly endear the characters to us and add genuine emotional stakes to the fairly ordinary superhero story this movie’s five writers have cooked up.

Earth-828 is a variation of our planet with very similar but different technology and a retro-futuristic, 1960’s-inspired style. Unlike the Earth we are familiar with from previous Marvel Connected Universe stories, the only superheroes the people of the planet know are the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn).

The group of astronauts encountered intense cosmic rays during a mission which gave them each different superhuman powers that they opted to use for the greater good upon their return home. Since then, they have brought about such great peace that the nations of the world agreed to disband their militaries and leave humanity’s protection more or less entirely in their hands. So, when the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives warning that her boss Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is on his way to destroy the planet, they set about trying to devise a plan to stop him, which of course turns out to be far more challenging than they could have predicted.

The four leads are perfectly cast and share an easygoing chemistry with each other. From the moment they are introduced we believe that they have been friends for years and we can clearly see why so many people have put so much faith in them. Moss-Bachrach in particular stands out, imbuing a character composed of rock with a surprising amount of emotion, as does Kirby, whose Sue Storm is put through the wringer more than anyone else onscreen.

Director Matt Shakman has primarily worked in TV before this, helming episodes of shows as varied as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Good Wife, Succession, and the entirety of Marvel’s own WandaVision. He doesn’t really have a flashy style, but he handles the action well, and along with director of photography Jess Hall captures several memorable scenes. The movie’s more strikingly creative choices instead come from production designer Kasra Farahani and her team as well as composer Michael Giacchino, who produces one of the year’s most memorable scores.

This may not inspire the desire for an instant rewatch as some of the year’s more successful popcorn fare has, but it’s still a solid relaunch for one of Marvel’s more recognizable teams that leaves audiences eager to see where they will go next. It would have been nice to see more of the backstory for villain Galactus that is only hinted at here, but his sheer scale and power still make him an impressively daunting foe. It can’t reach the greatness of the last MCU installment, Thunderbolts*, but it’s a marked improvement over Captain America: Brave New World that sees the franchise getting itself back on solid ground. This is a surprisingly touching ode to mothers and a solid bit of superhero entertainment that is overall pretty fantastic. ★★★★½