Review: 'The Fantastic Four' Goes Beyond 'First Steps'

HOLLYWOOD, CA — With raison d'être ablaze, Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” ascends in a cinematic supernova of mythic weight — carved with reverence and celestial conviction. The film is not an origin story, or a mindless reboot, but a radiant reimagining of the legendary quartet, set against the iridescent glow of midcentury modernism.

Rather than hand-holding viewers through another tired origin tale, the film plunges straight into the retro-futuristic tapestry. It’s a storytelling risk that pays off in spectacle, skipping the cosmic-ray backstory and diving into a family already formed, already famed. The immediacy immerses us in a world that thrums with textured detail and evocative style — Marvel’s most earnest leap into something bold in years.

Welcome to Earth-828! A sparkling dreamscape of 1960s-stylized futurism where vinyl thrums with AI, and flying cars zip through chrome skylines. Towering above it all, the Baxter Building gleams as a beacon of cosmic genius, home to Marvel's First Family of superheroes.

Leading the quartet of paragons is Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Mr. Fantastic, a superhero who stretches the bounds of possibility. His wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), the Invisible Woman, bends invisibility with quiet celestial conviction, guarding both her family and their future against the celestial bargain. Her brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) flames through the skyline as the Human Torch. And Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), cloaked in indestructible stone, anchors the group as the indomitable Thing. Together, they're global icons, wielding powers to defend the world they call home.

But cosmic peace proves fleeting when a shimmering figure cuts across Earth-828's skies — the Silver Surfer, herald of the fearsome Galactus, arrives with a chilling ultimatum: the Devourer of Worlds is headed straight for the planet.

The big twist? Galactus will spare the world, but only if Reed and Sue surrender their unborn child. What follows is a crucible of morality as Marvel’s First Family weighs the fate of their world against the future of their own — a decision forged through interstellar grit.

The core four light up “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” with a palpable chemistry that is both elemental and earned. Pascal brings gravity and grace to Reed Richards, a mind stretched thin by fatherhood and fate — his starlit defiance steadying the team when the stars seem to fray. Kirby radiates quiet strength as Sue Storm, turning restraint into raw emotional power. Quinn ignites Johnny the Human Torch with reckless charm. And Moss-Bachrach grounds it all — his Ben Grimm is more than brawn, aching with humanity beneath the stone. Together, they don’t just play heroes — they make them feel “lived-in,” and authentic.

The villains bring gravitas. Julia Garner stuns as the Silver Surfer, delivering a hauntingly hypnotic performance. Ralph Ineson brings restrained menace to Galactus, a towering, armor-clad cosmic force whose presence looms like mythology in motion — godlike yet grounded.

Visually striking and tonally rich, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” blends retro-futuristic design with expansive IMAX visuals. Shakman’s direction and Jess Hall’s cinematography craft a sci-fi world that feels tactile and timeless — like “WandaVision” meets “The Incredibles,” with a dash of “Mad Men.”

The action bursts with kinetic energy and kaleidoscopic style — and is not self-aggrandizing or excessive. Still, midway through, the film stumbles a bit when exposition weighs it down right when tension should build to a crescendo.

Regardless, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” delivers cosmic spectacle and emotional resonance in spades. And in its scope and soul, it doesn’t just take first steps — it transcends them entirely, propelled by a cosmic resolve that won’t fade, even as the stars realign.

Be sure to stay through the end credits, as when you think it’s over… the stars realign. A silver echo lingers, a masked destiny flickers, and Marvel’s cosmic path to “Doom” begins.