The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review - Fourth time is the charm

After a long anticipation and a long list of controversies the fourth Fantastic four movie finally released and it was indeed FANTASTIC. Set in the retro futuristic settings of 1960s on an alternate world it stands out for its distinct aesthetic appeal and striking visual design. Along with being a visual masterpiece it delivers solid storytelling grounded in heartfelt emotions making us deeply connect to the family and each of its characters. All the 4 characters have been given justice but Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm shines the brightest

Positive Aspects
Fantastic Cast: the casting for the fantastic four was a long talked about topic and came under a lot of fire, Pedro Pascal as Reed richards and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm were questioned the most for their roles. But they did justice to their characters proving the critics wrong. However Vanessa Kirby was the true highlight, giving her all to the role and portraying a mother’s strength and rage beautifully
Fantastic Visuals: It is one of the most visually appealing movies in the MCU. The visual effects and CGI involved in the scenes with Galactus and The Female Silver Surfer is some of the best work in MCU post endgame and makes it worth to watch on the big screen.

Fantastic Tone : It has a distinct and mature tone which feels quite different from other Marvel movies and fits perfectly to this alternate world. They intentionally made it more serious and less comedic which raises the stakes as they made the threat of galactus feel very real

Fantastic Villains: Galactus is epic and feels ripped straight out of the comics . His introduction on the big screen is a treat and feels like a dream come true for comic fans. He feels grand and threatening in every scene. Ralph Ineson’s deep and menacing voice compliments his appearance well and adds to his threat
The secondary antagonist the female silver surfer aka Shalla Bal was the surprise of the movie and stole every scene she was in. Even her story has more depth than was expected

Fantastic Space Sequence: The Highlight of the movie was the “interstellar” style space sequence in the 2nd act. The breathtaking visuals, the Grand introduction of Galactus, The thrill of Silver Surfer chasing them , the epic score and the ending on a emotional note with the birth of franklin made it a perfect scene

Fantastic character work: This is the most important aspect they got right, which was neglected for quite some time post endgame. While there isn’t huge character development all four of them are nuanced and have depth to them.

Sue and Reed: They are the heart of the movie and carry most of the emotional weight. The little nuances in their relationship and even their arguments make them feel like a very real couple. Makes it easy to develop an emotional connection to them. Reed Richards is portrayed pretty accurately: A brilliant and burdened scientist carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders , who often thinks with logic over emotion ,at times to his own detriment. Yet at his core is a devoted family man who will do anything to protect his loved ones Sue Storm is finally given the treatment she deserved. She is portrayed as a powerful, capable woman ,who is not afraid to be vulnerable She has a crucial role- specially in the scene addressing the angry crowd , restoring the faith in the four, Spreading the message of empathy, humanity and the need to unite and look after each other in times of crisis like a family. Her portrayal as a mother is another deeply important aspect of her character, showing the willingness to sacrifice to keep her child safe along with not letting down the people who trusted her

Johnny Storm: This is easily the most nuanced and well-written version of Johnny Storm to appear in any Fantastic Four film. He isn’t reduced to just the immature, ladies’ man archetype. Instead, he’s shown as someone genuinely intelligent, struggling with the frustration of being dismissed as a joke, and wanting to prove his true worth. He had the most surprising and well done character arc out of all, his unexpected connection to The silver surfer was one of the highlights of the movie. Particularly the scene with him figuring out Shalla Bal’s home language and her story tells a lot about his intellect , taking everyone by surprise. Him being ready to sacrifice himself for saving Franklin perfectly captures his big hearted character. He is always the first to check out any danger with zero hesitation

Negative/ underwhelming aspects

Short run time and Editing: Yet another marvel movie which could not reach its full potential due to being 15- 20 minutes short. Some scenes in the trailers w were edited out of the final version. They could have added more depth to the characters which felt a little underdeveloped like Ben and The silver surfer and some relationships , making it an even better rounded projeect overall
The Serious and mature tone: While this aspect of the movie is received well by the majority of the audience it is not liked by everyone. Its not for those people who do not like serious vibes and mature themes like couples getting ready for parenthood , it can feel uninteresting to them

3) Ben Grimm aka The thing: while Ben has the least developed storyline and has the least to do in the movie , he has a great presence. He looks ripped right out of the comic pages. Ebon Moss as the thing is a another great casting and brings real depth to Ben portraying his different layers with nuance. His friendly banter with johnny is very sibling coded, balancing humor with heart . While for Reed he is a literal and figurative Rock – someone he can totally depend on without any doubt. The quiet kindness which shines through his eyes add extra depth to his character: reminding us that beneath the rocky exterior there lies a deeply compassionate man. is dependability extends into him being a trusted pilot for their space ship

The Mixed/ Divisive

There are some scenes which are not negative but are divisive in reception by fans

The Sue Storm Speech: this was a crucial moment of the film, with the four facing public outrage for choosing their child over saving the earth from galactus. Sue storm steps up with her big speech swaying the public opinion back in their favor ,delivering a heartfelt message reminding people the importance of viewing each other as a a part of one big family and being united in times of crisis. Vanessa kirby’s earnestness shines through and she is effective and impactful for many ,but some people had trouble with its believability as for them it seems far from reality

Superverse Guardian’s Opinion: what people tend to forget is that this is an alternate world where the fantastic four are more than just heroes- they are leaders , often making major diplomatic decisions (Sue as the diplomat) . In four years they gained the trust of the people and thus regaining it wasnt going to be implausible. Moreover, this world also seems more harmonized and agreeable in comparison thus such a moment resonates within its context

The Ending scene : The climax scene with Sue Storm pushing Galactus into the portal also divided audiences For those who know about Sue’s power levels and bought into the idea of mother’s rage fueling her strength it worked emotionally and thematically . While others couldn’t digest the idea of a cosmic being being overpowered by a single human. What really works well is her willingness to sacrifice her life for her child and also keeping her word of protecting the world. Vanessa’s intensity in the scene really helps to sell the emotion

Final Verdict : despite its flaws the crew were successful in finally making a good fantastic four movie which does justice to the characters and makes the audience care for marvel’s first family. It is definitely steps in the right direction for the mcu ,not afraid of embracing some bold choices ,mature themes and distinct serious tone. They also finally realized the importance of creating good characters first ,other things being secondary. The big post credit scene teasing Dr doom hints at bigger things to come for the fantastic four , setting them up as important characters for avengers doomsday. Their Mcu journey has just become and it will be exciting to see where it goes next

Fantastic Four Review Scorecard