The Fantastic Four: A Stylish but Shallow Retro Ride

Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps looks like the work of a loving fan with a comic book on one hand and a Pinterest page on the other. Fans of one of the publisher’s first superhero teams can expect a well-made adventure that’s both referential and nostalgia-heavy, but it doesn’t quite come together in an especially thrilling way.

Marvel boss Kevin Feige said the film was “a no-homework-required” experience, and he’s not far off. If you’ve followed the growing cinematic universe at all over the last decade, you’re probably exhausted by the sheer number of multiverses and infinite timelines. Marvel films are at their most successful when they take their interconnected universes and manage to feel small again. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a chance to take a break from that pressure, because it doesn’t expect or require you to be familiar with other films, shows, or spin-offs. Sure, they make a cameo appearance at the end, but they’re not the point of the story.

Unlike recent adaptations, which tried to reinvent the legacy of the Fantastic Four’s continuity, First Stepscano stands on its own because there’s less need to bring the backstory of these four heroes up to speed. It introduces Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm just like we’ve seen them before (or like they first appeared in the comics). It doesn’t get much more complicated than that—and in some cases, not complicated enough.

The film begins with an introductory talk show hosted by Mark Gatiss, who serves as a convenient way to give us the who and the why of the Fantastic Four. Four years earlier, a group of astronauts were exposed to cosmic radiation on a space mission, which changed their DNA and their lives. Reed (Pedro Pascal) was able to stretch his body like a rubber band. Sue (Vanessa Kirby) was able to turn invisible and project force fields with her eyes. Johnny (Joseph Quinn) got the power of combustion, letting him set himself aflame and fly. Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) transformed into the rock-covered humanoid known as The Thing. Their bodies were changed forever.

Now, they all live together in what could only be described as a mid-century modern architectural space compound with chalkboard equations and flying cars. Even their robot sidekick, H.E.R.B.I.E., is the toddler version of his much later iterations. We learn right away that Reed and Sue are both expecting a child, and family is a central theme to the film. As Reed nervously readies himself for fatherhood, he reminds the ever-patient Sue that he still wants her to be Sue Storm, The Invisible Woman, not just Mom. But First Steps lives up to its title, taking us only as far as Reed and Sue’s baby-making first steps. The adventures are just beginning.

The action is generally light, which fits well with a story that spends so much time establishing its playful tone. The heroes chase Galactus through space and battle the Silver Surfer, but none of the action rises much beyond what we can see in this trailer. There are bursts of light, fire trails, and stylized explosions, but nothing visually deviates from the established retro-future aesthetic. When the planet is about to be devoured, it’s as if a soft gelatinous substance is enveloping it. All of the combat is like this, which fits the generally calm visuals of the film.

As the Fantastic Four hurtle towards the Earth and the impending arrival of Galactus, they first must grapple with the herald of this coming planetary threat. The Silver Surfer, a silver-skinned humanoid, arrives to warn that our planet is on the menu. Played in motion capture by Julia Garner, she swoops into the mix with a sleek silver menace, at least until she’s put off by Johnny’s incessant staring. The action is often perfunctory, with only the cliffhanger of Sue going into labor interrupting the formulaic beats of the fight scenes.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is amiable and generally well-acted. Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach, and Quinn share fine chemistry, while Gatiss and Mark Rylance (playing a NASA executive) are delightful cameos. Despite the decent cast and modest budget, the plot is light, and many of the important emotional moments just don’t hit hard enough. This is Marvel rebooted with heart but not much juice.