The Fantastic Four: First Steps Movie Review

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a very strange film, not only because it takes place in an alternate universe, very different from the 616 universe where all Marvel films take place, but also because it is a superhero film that tries to use the past as a way to the future and I don’t think it is very successful at it, as the script chooses to tell the classic story of Galactus’ Arrival, something that has been told several times in media, including previous Fantastic Four films. So, this new film already feels dated.

The dialogue is also quite strange, and the way the scenes are set makes it feel like a lot went missing on the cutting room floor, especially in the beginning, as the film jumps all over the place and the storytelling feels incoherent. The worldbuilding is shallow, and while the sets look great, they don’t feel like a real place at all, which downgrades the stakes considerably. At times, the film reminds you too much of The Incredibles, a film that was already an homage to The Fantastic Four.

The film also struggles to introduce the characters and give them a proper arc throughout. Like Superman earlier this month, The Fantastic Four: First Steps avoids the traps of an origin film but never does the work of focusing on the characters as people. The family feels broken, and at no point does Sue feel like a sister to Johnny or Ben and Richard feel like best friends. It is all very awkward and stiff.

The film does have the hints of a proper conflict for the characters, but it never goes full in motion with these themes or plotlines. Sadly, the end of the film just doesn’t connect with what was set up in The Thunderbolts, deflating all excitement from the apparent course correction that film was trying to accomplish. Once again, the film is only there to lead to a post-credit scene that teases, once again, something great coming, maybe.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Movie Review: Star Performance
In most Marvel films, the acting is pretty solid, even with an awful script. Most of the actors come through unscathed to the other side thanks to the strength of the performances, but not here in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, because in this film, the acting is just bad. All the actors feel stiff, there is no chemistry between them, and the delivery of the lines feels pretty weak. No one believed anything they were saying.

Joseph Quinn and Ebon-Moss feel miscast, which is a shame because they are fantastic actors, but they don’t work for their characters. Johnny Storm is supposed to be a sort of ladies’ man, but here, it’s like, no one would believe that. Meanwhile, Ebon’s voice doesn’t fit the look of The Thing, and he is only used for comedic relief, which falls flat. Vanessa Kirby and Pedro Pascal are the worst, as there is no chemistry between them, and the movie can’t sell the marriage aspect of their dynamic without it.

Matt Shakman is quite a professional director. You can look at his IMDB page and see that he has worked on some of the best TV series of the past decades, and his episodes are often highlighted in those shows. He worked as a director for WandaVision, so it made sense for him to take on this film because it would share a similar vibe in its visuals. However, Shakman could not take the script to exciting new places, and the result is a film that feels stale.

There is a fantastic sequence involving a chase in space that proves that Shakman has a talent for action, but everything else crumbles. The entire film feels like a cosplay event, and not much else. There is no weight to the events, and the rehash of this plot hurts the film because there are no surprises in it. Shakman should have pushed for more daring visuals and a better story than this.