“First Steps, Giant Leaps - But Not Quite Interstellar” The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18QQWa5MEcs

I walked into The Fantastic Four: First Steps, popcorn in hand, fully prepared to salute Earth's newest stretchy geniuses - Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Ebon Moss‑Bachrach - as they veer into orbit defending Earth from edible space gods (yes, that’s Galactus). And for a while I thought, “Hey, maybe this will finally be the Fantastic Four origin tale our nostalgia‑thirsty hearts deserve.” But let's be real: the goosebumps I was chasing were hiding in the last 25 minutes - because before then, it’s Marvel standard fare with a side of ambition, not goose‑flesh.

Why the Cast Works (Mostly)

Pascal is… safe. Mister Fantastic is brainy, button‑down, let’s‑solve‑cosmic‑mysteries kinda guy. He’s like Oppenheimer meets Steve Jobs meets Comic‑Con panel moderator. Solid? Check. Traditional movie star energy? Still missing. Vanessa Kirby steals every scene as Sue Storm - even more so when she’s visibly pregnant with Franklin. I didn’t expect tears at a comic book movie, but here we are. And Moss‑Bachrach as Ben Grimm grounds the whole thing - chunky, sentimental, and punch‑heavy enough that you forget you squint to see the comic‑accurate Thing in fan art forums. Also, shout‑out to Ebon - your makeup game is strong - even if some fans called him “not comic‑accurate”

The Plot

We don’t get a deep dive on how they got their powers; there’s zero time spent on backstory - apparently Marvel thought we don’t care to meet these characters. Which is hilarious, given we’re also asked to care about them deeply as family, all in a two‑hour runtime. So the first 90 minutes feel like we’re watching a brisk tutorial on “how to be heroes in Earth‑828 - which in turn is felt like a calendar tribute to Jack Kirby’s August 28 birthday → Earth‑828. Adorable. Subtle. Except it feels like the film remembered the origin stories midway.

Midway through, Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny hop into the Excelsior rocket (named after Stan Lee’s tagline - nice touch), crash‑land into space, and we’re suddenly thrown into the family vs cosmic predator storyline. The Surfer code language decrypt? Jenny from the block - or rather, Johnny - cracks it before Reed? Come again? Reed Richards, genius? Folded like origami before Johnny? That’s like letting your toddler beat Kasparov in chess because… flaming pyro visuals alone, maybe? Not believable.

Here’s what they utterly nailed: the visuals. It feels like 1960s Tomorrowland smeared on cosmic paintbrushes. Monorails, HERBIE robots built with wood puppetry, animatronics and CGI - they went full retro. That Jetsons‑meets‑Kubrick vibe is legitimately refreshing. Even Galactus’s realm has an HR Giger tilt - and yes, that’s a compliment in Marvel‑review speak

The big fight scene - about where they parked the budget - finally lights up. Every stretch, punch, cosmic blast oozes money and ambition and makes you forgive the pacing up until then. You start thinking, “Maybe the movie’s just loading up points for this showdown.” And it delivers.

What I Liked

The big fight scene? Absolutely great. Looks fantastic. Clearly, this is where the budget hugged the screen.

Retro visual aesthetic: Jetsons, monorails, HERBIE puppets - and it feels unique in this sea of glossy CGI sameness.

It’s a movie I liked, I just didn’t love. It hums along as standard Marvel fare until the last 25 minutes when it clicks - and yet… still no tingle down the spine.

What I Disliked

They skimmed the origin story as if they assumed we already knew it. If you’ve never met these guys before, tough luck.

Too much dialogue, not enough action - or emotional stakes - until late in the game.

Come on, Johnny cracking the Surfer language before Reed Richards? That’s shelf‑breaking fan‑fiction territory.

They depend on us caring about characters we've barely met, in a world we’re barely shown.

Galactus felt like a planet‑eating shapeshifter mascot - not a cosmic threat.

The villains lack weight. Shalla‑Bal’s betrayal arc and Galactus’s hunger are undercooked. That retro‑future charm? Doesn’t save the emotional calorie deficit.

Lore and Easter Eggs: Nerd Candy

Matt Shakman drops the Earth‑828 reveal like a cosmic mic drop - tribute to Jack Kirby’s August 28 birthday. Fans eat that up like limited‑edition oreos

Throw in Shalla‑Bal, first created in that magical Stan Lee / John Buscema 1968 Silver Surfer series, now embodied by Julia Garner, and you’ve got fans googling “who was Shalla‑Bal again?” next day. The classic cast cameo Easter eggs - Hyde‑White, Underwood, Staab, Michael Bailey Smith - are nice wink‑winks for longtime fans. Combines charm and camp, but only if you’re looking; otherwise, it slips by.

Also: that HERBIE robot? It's legendary tech - puppetry plus animatronic puppetry mixed with CGI. A retro nod that actually works as practical effect, not nostalgia bait

Final Thoughts

So here’s the verdict. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is stylish, often charming, occasionally heartfelt, and visually expressive. But it’s also cautious, over‑talkative, and sometimes feels like a checklist - family dynamics ticked, cosmic threat ticked, retro aesthetic ticked - without delivering the raw hero magic.

There’s no doubt: the last 25 minutes are the salvation arc of a movie that needed more torque earlier. But they got the big fight right, and I appreciate the ambition - even if it doesn’t quite land massive emotional punches until you start counting credits.

Ranking: 6.8 / 10

It’s a step in the right direction for Marvel’s First Family, but still just shy of fantastic.

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