Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: Tonight's Movie: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Sunday, July 27, 2025

Tonight's Movie: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Following the release of THUNDERBOLTS* (2025) this past spring, Marvel continues its 2025 resurgence with the terrific THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025).

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, was directed by Matt Shakman, who also directed Marvel's outstanding WANDAVISION. I loved WANDAVISION and wrote about briefly here (scroll down at the link).

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is simultaneously big and intimate: It's a superhero story about saving the world and a small family story in one. It's funny, moving, visually gorgeous, and it all takes place in a spry-for-Marvel 115 minutes.

It's a film I'm already contemplating seeing again soon, and that's a rare thing for "new" movies of late, even those I've enjoyed. In short, I liked it tremendously.

The movie dumps viewers right into the lives of the titular characters, who live in the Baxter Building in New York City. It's a "retro-futuristic" '60s-style world which is familiar while also filled with things like cooking robots and flying cars. Very JETSONS, in fact!

The foursome, who gained superhero powers during a previous space mission, are scientific genius -- and very "stretchy" -- Reed Richards, aka "Mister Fantastic" (Pedro Pascal); his wife, "Invisible Woman" Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby); Sue's brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), the "Human Torch"; and their close friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the rock-like "Thing."

As the movie begins, Reed and Sue have just learned they are expecting their long-hoped-for first child. Then the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives on earth to herald the news that giant being Galactus (Ralph Ineson) will soon be arriving and literally devouring the earth.

The Fantastic Four, as earth's protectors, head into space to find and stop Galactus. They find him, but if he is to leave earth alone, he insists on being given Reed and Sue's child.

That's obviously a no-go for our heroes, and they make their escape, with Sue giving birth to baby Franklin (Ada Scott) in their spaceship as they flee. Once back home, they'll need to come up with another plan to save the world.

Although several people worked on the story and script, too many cooks didn't spoil it in this case; it's a delightful, well-paced film with richly defined characters in a fascinating world we'd all like to visit. I especially loved that the movie was about people who had highly functional, positive, and loving relationships at the outset; it's about how they use that part of their lives, along with their skills, to deal with outside problems.

Pascal does a good job delineating a man who's so smart that it sometimes makes him emotionally awkward, as his mind plays out all potential options, even those he will discard. Having the ability to investigate so many things, including his unborn child's potential superpowers, can make him preoccupied and anxious, yet he never loses sight of his love for Sue and their son and his responsibility to protect them...and his body's ability to stretch gives him the ability to do that in unexpected ways.

Vanessa Kirby has become a favorite in films such as MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT (2018), and I would venture to say she's the center of this film as the fierce mama protecting her baby. I loved her combination of strength, intelligence, bravery, and feminine vulnerability as the precious cargo she's carrying -- whether inside her body or in her arms -- is threatened.

Quinn, as the hotheaded, funny Johnny, has the most unexpectedly moving line in the movie ("Tell Franklin his Uncle Johnny loves him") and also shows his smarts, establishing communication with the Silver Surfer which leads to a greater understanding -- and potential help -- with what's at stake.

Despite his bulky rock suit, Moss-Bachrach conveys the understanding and sad acceptance that while his superpowers give him great abilities, including flying and lifting huge objects, his current form possibly prevents a normal romance with a pretty teacher (Natasha Lyonne) from his old neighborhood.

I'll add that the baby is adorable, and my hopes for Franklin to have a sort of "Baby Yoda" moment showing off his powers (think Grogu from Pascal's THE MANDALORIAN) were met in the best way.

The movie's world, filmed by Jess Hall, is gorgeous; I could have spent a long time simply exploring the Four's home, with its colorful kitchen, arresting crescent-shaped bathroom counter, and more.

I liked the score by Michael Giacchino (THE INCREDIBLES) very much, while also admitting that I mourn the absence of hummable Williams-esque scores in modern movies. Are scores with truly memorable melodies gone forever?

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13 for some foul language and non-graphic violence. It's a positive story of about hardworking people and their love for family and community.

A trailer is here.

Thumbs up!