Advertisement
American cinema
LifestyleEntertainment

ReviewThe Fantastic Four: First Steps movie review – Marvel’s original superhero team returns

Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, First Steps sees the gang finally get the film they deserve

2-MIN READ2-MIN
Listen
Pedro Pascal in a still from The Fantastic Four: First Steps (category IIA), directed by Matt Shakman. Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach co-star. Photo: 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios
James Mottram

4/5 stars

“I will eat your planet slowly while your child watches.” So says Galactus, the world-destroying entity – and enemy – of The Fantastic Four in Marvel’s latest offering.

As lines go, it is one of the better put-downs in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) history, and Galactus – aka The Devourer of Worlds – is arguably the best villain since Thanos clicked his fingers. All this adds real bite to this big-screen return for the superhero team created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.
Advertisement

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a stylish work from director Matt Shakman, who brings the same retro-cool aesthetics to this as he did to the Marvel TV show WandaVision.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Final Trailer | Only in Theaters July 25

Far superior to the two Fantastic Four films from the early aughts, as well as 2015’s previous reboot – all of which First Steps overrides without a thought – this new reboot/restart brings us a whole new cast, one that is destined to become integral to next year’s anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.

Advertisement

Set on Earth 828, an alternate to our own planet, the film begins with a rapid-fire intro that reveals it has been four years since a quartet of astronauts returned from a space mission, their DNA changed by a cosmic turbulence that has given them superpowers.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x