Fantastic Four: First Steps (Theatrical) 2025

Set in an alternate reality, steeped in 1960s retro futuristic aesthetic, FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS was easily the best on-screen interpretation of the titular quartet, not just among movies but I would be so bold as to say among cartoons as well.  It was a briskly paced plot but its focus on the Four never wavered, giving us some surprising depth as we accompany our main characters through life changing events. 

 A quick in-universe montage got us up to speed on the world of the Fantastic Four: Scientists Reed Richards and Susan Storm, her brother Johnny Storm and Reed’s ace pilot pal Ben Grimm are caught in cosmic rays during a space expedition and granted super powers. They quickly become the heroes of earth protecting the world from super criminals, sometimes with force as a last resort, but often times through diplomacy.

 Fast forward 4 years later, the world is at peace, former villains are reformed (somewhat), and now Reed and Sue are expecting their first born son! Lo and behold a new threat rears its ugly head, this time from deep space: Galactus, devourer of worlds, and his herald The Silver Surfer. 

What follows is a rip roaring adventure through wormholes, beyond the solar system, and back again as the Fantastic Four race against time to find some way to stop this impending threat. 

 The visuals were the first thing that struck me about this movie. It had that distinctive 1960s retro futuristic vibe: gleaming saucer shaped spires, blocky cars with dome shaped roofs, sleek curvy space ships, vintage clothing and hairstyles, all of it a triumphant tribute to the science fiction stories of the time and the era the Fantastic Four first entered the comics scene. 

 Yet the plot itself was far from the cartoony feel of the setting. With a more serious tone , a focused narrative, and a countdown to extinction, there was little time for the usual quips and jokes that tend to plague MCU movies (and increasingly in DC movies). 

Partway through the film, things took a much darker turn with the F4 left without a plan and the world slowly turning against them suspecting they were the ones who doomed the Earth to Galactus. The stakes had never been higher since Avengers Endgame, which made the climax all the more earned when our heroes had to unite an entire world, and call on former enemies, in a last ditch plan against Galactus. 

Having watched most of the cartoons and all the movies, I would concur that FIRST STEPS gave us the Fantastic Four that behaved the most like an actual family. They are lovable individuals with their distinct personalities and quirks, but also their flaws. While they do clash, they ultimately care for each other and got each others back in times of trouble. 

Surprisingly, it was Johnny Storm, typically portrayed as a bit of a shallow self centered jerk, who got a surprising about of depth here. Not to be overshadowed, every one of the 4 get their crowning moments of awesome to show why they are indispensable to the team and why their greatest strength comes from each other. Every actor here delivered a masterful performance and shared great cast chemistry.

 The visual effects? Flawless. The various powers, Galactus’ ship? The different planets and the wild colorful depths of the universe all rendered in a living tribute to the art of Jack Kirby, the co creator and artist of the Comic. All beautiful, and set to a magnificent rousing score by composer Michael Giacchino. 

 If there was only one nitpick it would be that the movie felt too short. Events breeze past and while that certainly helps keep the energetic pacing, there were times when everything felt like a montage. I would have liked more time spent on how our heroes deal with the world turning against them. 

I would have liked more time spent on Reed dealing with his new role as a father, or on Ben reconnecting with his roots down in the neighbourhood he grew up in. 

 Nonetheless I loved FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Visually spectacular, surprisingly emotional and heartwarming. It was epic without losing its sense of character intimacy. The scale was large without forgetting the little moments that matter. It was fun without being childish or superficial. It took itself and its characters seriously, giving them depth and gravitas.

 In a word: Fantastic.