Director: Matt Shakman
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 114 mins

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a reboot of the famous superheroes and marks the first time the quartet are integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be fair to say that previous efforts to bring these superheroes to the big screen have struggled. Tim Story’s 2005 film and 2007 sequel were high on cheese but low on substance and Josh Trank’s grimdark 2015 update was panned as one of the worst superhero films of all time. Although Trank’s Fantastic Four was undeniably flawed (and was subject to endless meddling by the studio), I found a lot to like in its first half, and I especially appreciated how Trank channeled David Cronenberg with the superheroes expressing disgust over their newfound powers.

Matt Shakman, who is best known for directing the MCU mini-series WandaVision, takes the helm. Like this month’s Superman, Shakman forgoes telling an origin story, instead throwing us straight into the action after a brief introduction in a retrofuturistic 1960s world. The Fantastic Four are well-established, with Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) learning she has a baby on the way, but all hell breaks loose when the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives on Earth, announcing the planet has been marked for destruction by the cosmic devourer Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a rousing effort and it’s a hard film not to like with its warm tone. It’s eerily similar to Superman in its story structure and themes, but Shakman’s film does a much better job of establishing its heroes, giving us a brief rundown of their adventures to date rather than just dropping us in the middle of the action. I loved the retrofuturistic 1960s colour palette, which really stands the film apart from other Marvel Cinematic Universe films which are tied to a certain house-style aesthetic. Since the film is set in a different reality in the Marvel multiverse, it’s also freed from the shackles of having to tie itself to other Marvel properties – which is all for the better. While First Steps has typical end-of-the-world antics in its final act which really hurt Superman, I didn’t mind this here because this film has real stakes and earns its climax.

There’s a lot to like with the central quartet, with Vanessa Kirby and Ebon Moss-Bachrach the standouts as Sue Storm and The Thing. Kirby brings a real humanity and pathos to Storm and I really got on board with The Thing’s multi-layered character arc as someone who just wants to fit into society and not be seen as an other. Pedro Pascal also puts in a strong performance as Reed Richards, but it’s a shame that his character’s powers of flexibility are often ignored and he doesn’t go through much of an arc. Say what you want about Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four, but at least Miles Teller really nailed the role of Richards. Finally, while Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm’s powers are properly showcased, I found Quinn’s performance quite shallow and not as charismatic as the rest of the quartet.

Outside of the superheroes, Ralph Ineson makes for a great villain as Galactus with a real commanding presence. However, it’s a shame that a villain so powerful hasn’t been saved for a later film because this will be a hard antagonist to top. Julia Garner makes for a solid Silver Surfer with an atypical arc, but it’s Ineson that steals the show here on the villain front. It’s a shame John Malkovich’s role was cut as Red Ghost to improve the film’s pacing, though.

The score by Michael Giacchino is also strong, and I particularly liked the theme for Galactus, even if it’s not the best composer’s best work in the superhero genre – that accolade would go to The Batman. Jess Hall vibrantly shoots the action and there’s a real range of colourful setpieces that distinguish themselves from one another.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a really admirable entry in the Marvel canon and succeeds with its likeable cast and tone. It might be a little light on plot but it’s brilliantly paced and the economical 114 minute run time flies by (even if it’s at the expense of John Malkovich). This is certainly the strongest Marvel effort of the year – I enjoyed it more than Captain America: Brave New World and it’s streets ahead of Thunderbolts* – and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Fantastic Four are integrated into the wider canon with Avengers: Doomsday next year.