Tuesday, July 22, 2025
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Set in a vibrant 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, the film introduces Marvel's First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach)—as they face off against Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic god intent on consuming Earth, and his mysterious messenger, Shalla-Bal /Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). The stakes become heartbreakingly personal when Galactus offers to spare Earth, only if Reed and Sue surrender their newborn child.
As expected in a superhero movie, the visual design is often impressive. Chrome-heavy laboratories, neon-lit spacecraft, and space-age-inspired interiors give the film a distinctive look that feels pulled from vintage comic book pages. But the highly stylized aesthetic lacks texture, making the world feel artificial rather than immersive. The environments may be vivid, but they rarely feel real.
That same flatness affects the characters. While the cast is strong on paper, their performances are undercut by thin writing and shallow dynamics. Reed and Sue share little chemistry, and their scenes lack dramatic weight, even given the gravity of the dilemma they face.
The film hints at themes of sacrifice, duty, and the strain of balancing heroism with family, but rarely allows these ideas to land. Even the central moral crisis is rushed through, treated more as a plot device than a character-defining moment. What should be deeply unsettling ends up feeling oddly procedural.
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" reboots Marvel's First Family with confidence in its style but a lack of storytelling depth. The characters may be familiar, but this version struggles to make them matter. It's bold in appearance, but emotionally under powered.
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" opens in theaters on Friday, July 25, 2025.
