A “Fantastic Four” movie where Dr. Doom isn’t the main antagonist? That’s allowed?
Apparently it is, because good ole Victor isn’t the big bad of “First Steps.” Instead, the family of heroes including Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue (Vanessa Kirby), brother-in-law Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and colleague Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) face something from the depths of space.
Having picked up their powers a few years ago, the four have become celebrities, known for their contribution to science and several heroic moments. Things are going well, but that’s about to change. In addition to Sue getting pregnant with a potentially super-powered child, a planet-eating threat known as Galactus is on its way to Earth.
In the past 20 years there have been two “Fantastic Four” films showing how the heroes received their unique abilities. So, leapfrogging that and picking up with them already as the heroes was a nice move.
The film still gets into what each character can do and how they act with a nifty, 60s-style montage, allowing the audience to still get to know them, but without rehashing what’s been done before. In a way, it’s similar to how “Spider-Man: Homecoming” handled the webslinger after a brief appearance in “Civil War.”
On top of getting right into the thick of it, the four have a nice dynamic and are all rather likable. There’s definite chemistry with the cast, allowing them to all interact believably as a proper family, and they each have distinct personalities. Now, their actual adventure in this movie on the other hand, is more up and down.
Along the journey of this Fantastic Four, there are a few good set pieces. From a confronation in the second act to the climax in the third, there’s solid action for the audience to enjoy. However, it’s what’s in between, and how the movie rolls out that come into question.
The pacing feels off rather often in “First Steps.” Sometimes it’s like it’s in hurry-up mode, others it slows down to a surprising degree. It leads to some plot threads feeling drawn out and others not being fleshed out enough. There’s simply a noticeable lack of narrative cohesion at times.
Clocking in at just under two hours, it’s a movie that could have benefitted with tweaking how things unfold. This is especially true with a sequence of events based around a plan the Fantastic Four initiate late in the second act that feels like filler because of how it plays out.
Still, it remains mostly satisfactory thanks to the time spent with a good group of characters. As previously stated, they have a good rapport with each other, and Pedro Pascal is especially good as Reed Richards. He gets the character right, in how he’s a bit out of touch because of his intelligence but is still deeply caring.
It’s also great seeing an on-screen version of The Thing that’s not always moping. Kirby and Quinn round out the four nicely, with the latter being the right level of arrogant and cocky, while still acting like a team player. Kirby, meanwhile, balances her character’s heroic side with her new maternal instincts. The supporting characters, though, are less memorable.
Action-wise, there are a couple good sequences. One standout is the first encounter the Four has with Galactus. The final battle, meanwhile, isn’t one of Marvel’s best, but it’s serviceable.
“First Steps” is certainly the best “Fantastic Four” movie out there. That’s not the highest bar, but this is a group of characters that can be a bit more tricky to pull off, and the team did so with this one. The action isn’t quite a home run, but it still entertains and watching the journey this quartet go on together compels. 3.65 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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