ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — 

“THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS” (2025, 115 min., directed by Matt Shakman)

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” isn’t bad. Compared to past efforts, like the mid-aughts films starring Chris Evans and Jessica Alba or the total misfire of the 2015 “Fant4stic” reboot, or even measured against most recent Marvel efforts, “Thunderbolts*” aside, it might even be pretty good.

The thing is – well, The Thing is the orange rock monster played in this film by “The Bear” star Ebon Moss-Bachrach – that outside of comparison with its terrible predecessors, “Fantastic Four” is only a frustratingly slight, mildly miscast, kind of fun space adventure. Nothing more, nothing less. This is not the fresh-faced genre revitalization of “Superman,” an invariable comparison point, but nor does it hit the abysmal lows of “Captain America: Brave New World.” “Fantastic Four” falls somewhere in the middle.

(Courtesy: Marvel Studios” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Fantastic three

“Fantastic Four” stars Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn as its titular four: the super-strong and invulnerable The Thing, the invisibility-wielding and forcefield-generating Invisible Woman, the smart, stretchy Mr. Fantastic and the flaming, flying Human Torch.

Though the stars have convincing chemistry together, their characterizations Marvel’s First Family have more variable success. Kirby is great and Moss-Bachrach is rock-solid, but Quinn sets the screen on fire. His Johnny Storm funny and sincere, exuding sensitivity and modern masculinity.

Pascal, meanwhile, is broadly miscast. After appearing recently in “Gladiator II,” “Materialists,” “The Last of Us” and, just last week, “Eddington,” there has been a lot of Pascal out there in the world. With so much of his star persona readily on display, it’s easy to conclude that “Fantastic Four” is not the right vessel for his talents.

Pascal cannot help imbuing Reed Richards, allegedly the smartest man in the world but a cold, analytical thinker, with his trademark warmth and approachability. While new takes on classic characters are welcome – after all, Quinn’s sensitive wisecracker is a hard pivot away from his character’s traditional womanizing reputation – Pascal stretches credulity. He makes too much sense as a fatherly figure, to the point where a scene with Kirby where she accuses him of being remote and distant is perplexingly at odds with Pascal’s portrayal.

(Courtesy: Marvel Studios) Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch, is fantastic in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

One small step for Marvel, one giant letdown for mankind

The plot of “Fantastic Four” takes major inspiration from of one of the supergroup’s most famous tales from comic book canon, the 1966 “Galactus Trilogy” storyline published in “Fantastic Four” #48–50. In both comics and film, the Silver Surfer – a game, metallic Garner – appears on Earth to herald the imminent arrival of Galactus, a massive, godlike space being with a penchant for devouring planets, whom the Fantastic Four must defeat before he can gobble up Earth.

As far as science-fiction space stories go, the film looks incredible in the second act, when the Fantastic Four journeys across the stars to seek counsel with the space deity on his distant ship. The effects evoke “Interstellar” in the space travel and “Star Wars” in the gigantic space machinery and looks about as good as both.

(Courtesy: Marvel Studios) Galactus looms over New York on Earth-828 in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

The CGI looks a whole lot worse when Galactus makes his visit to Earth. In bright daylight, it turns out that a giant purple guy in a big horned helmet is mighty hard to make convincing, no matter how many other components of Jack Kirby’s iconic 60’s artwork made a beautiful transition from page to screen.

It would be remiss to let a review of “Fantastic Four” jet off into space without mentioning the film’s wonderful production design. Kasra Farahani, the production designer, decked out this alternate New York with bright blue 60’s charm from the fonts to the floors. The costumes, designed by Alexandra Byrne, fit perfectly into Farahani’s spaces. Even if the Galactus effects didn’t always click, the Fantastic Four and their New York – set on the alternate universe of Earth-828 in an obvious reference to 828newsNOW! – always looked impeccable. “Fantastic Four” has the most unique visual language in a Marvel movie since 2018’s “Black Panther.”

(Courtesy: Marvel Studios) Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus.

The middling rendering of Galactus might have been forgivable if the character wound up an actual threat to these heroes or the planet they protect. Unfortunately, despite Ineson’s best sonorous thundering, Galactus lacked gravitas. He was as corny and unthreatening as the 60’s Saturday morning cartoons the film pokes fun at, and as a result, the save-the-world stakes of “Fantastic Four” are inert.

It turns out that a great set, good actors and a serviceable plot aren’t enough to propel a “Fantastic Four” film to anything truly fantastic. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” shoots for the moon, but lands at three stars.

Rating: 3/5