The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Review
Main Character
When Pedro Pascal was cast as Reed Richards I was sceptical as I have got a bit tired of him. But he was great in this role and really delivers as Reed. He nails the intelligence and darkness of the role and I think this is the most interesting that the character has been. Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm and she is also great, the film puts her front and centre and she really delivers. This is more of a co-leadership this time around and both of the actors nail it.
Supporting Characters
Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm and he is great in the film. This is a very different performance to what we have seen in previous iterations. He really gets the chance to show his intelligence and value to the team, he also probably gets the most action scenes and it is cool to see his powers on show.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Ben Grimm and he is also very different, he probably has the least development of all of the characters. For the most part he seems to have accepted his transformation and is loved and enjoys it. It means there is less complexity but I can't help but say that this is a fun performance and a fun interpretation of the character.
Ralph Ineson plays Galactus and after a disappointing previous version of the character, I am happy to report that he is awesome as Galactus. He isn't on screen loads but they nailed the design and the voice. He is an interesting character and a character I have been waiting to see on the big screen for a long time.
Unfortunately, there is one element of the cast that I didn't care much for and that is Julia Garner as The Silver Surfer. The actress does a good enough job and the design is great but the character is super dull. They rush through her character arc and we don't spend anywhere near enough time with the character and the film doesn't give a good enough reason for me to care about her.
Story
The story is good, I really liked how this version of the characters were really sold as a Family and felt like people who have been doing this for a while. The chemistry between the actors is great and I like how the film focused on the groups relationship with the people and how they really want to save them. However, I think this plot isn't as big as it wants to be, it falls flat in terms of conveying its stakes and I wanted to see there be more peril considering Galactus is planning on destroying the planet.
Script
The Script is okay, there are some funny moments and occasionally the drama does work. However, similar to the plot I think that the writing just falls a little flat. There aren't too many memorable moments and huge character moments.
Style
The film has a very colourful style and I really liked it, the costumes are great and the action sequences are well done. Especially when the team comes face to face with Galactus which feels like something straight out of a comic book. However, this film does have a pacing issue, it feels quite long and the first act is really slow which made it difficult to get into the film.
Overall
Overall, The Fantastic Four: The First Steps is a good movie and is easily the best Fantastic Four film. It has a lot of enjoyable things and is worth a watch, but I don't think this is the ground-breaking film Marvel Studios wanted and would say it isn't one to rush out and go watch.
Rating - 7/10
