Brave New World”, which is quite encouraging. The stakes are high for “First Steps”; four past attempts have been made to bring these characters to life on the big screen, with one never released, another a pair of Tim Story films that were at best mediocre, and a third that might be the worst superhero movie ever produced.
It appears that “First Steps ” has managed to get it right according to critics, and we’ll delve into the aspects they seem to concur upon. To maintain a balanced perspective, we’ll steer clear of specific plot details, instead focusing on the film’s perceived flaws and strong points in general.
It’s the Best Fantastic Four Movie
Even Johnny Oleksinski from the New York Post, despite not particularly enjoying the movie, kick-started his review by stating that this is the superior Fantastic Four film so far. Similarly, Matt Singer of ScreenCrush penned down that it was “essentially the best Fantastic Four film to date due to having no competition.
Although these two critics didn’t seem to be overly fond of the film, those who liked it expressed their modest praises more enthusiastically. Brian Truitt from USA Today commented that “at last, the Fantastic Four movie has its heroes perfectly portrayed, following numerous attempts.” Similarly, Nell Minow from Movie Mom asserted, “After three unsuccessful attempts, Marvel Studios finally nailed it…
The Film Has Gorgeous Production Design
From the inception of “First Steps” promotion, Marvel Studios has consistently conveyed a nostalgic ambiance for the movie. The attempt to create a 1960s-inspired atmosphere appears to have resonated favorably and is regarded as one of the film’s strongest aspects. Some viewers even liken it to a blend of “The Jetsons” and “Mad Men”.
William Bibbiani from The Wrap expressed that the movie’s retro style creates a mesmerizing aura throughout its entirety. Dan Jolin of Empire found the setting so delightful and skillfully made, it almost seemed a pity for Reed, Sue, and their companions to depart from it for the escapades of Avengers: Doomsday on another Earth (Earth-616), as hinted in the Thunderbolts* tag scene. The characters will indeed be moving away from Earth-828, which we’ve been familiar with through 36 movies.
The Thing Feels the Most Human of the Quartet
Despite being completely computer-generated, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s character, Thing, surprisingly portrays the most complex and realistic human among the Four. As Maureen Lee Lenker from Entertainment Weekly puts it, “Thing expresses the greatest humanity of the four, despite his rocky exterior.
Generally speaking, most critics concur that Moss-Bachrach, Pascal, Kirby, and Quinn deliver outstanding performances in their respective roles, but it’s Moss-Bachrach who particularly shines. This might seem surprising since The Thing is one of Marvel’s more challenging characters to portray convincingly on screen. Despite Michael Chiklis’ impressive acting in Tim Story’s two films, his interpretation of The Thing frequently appeared more like a comical rubber suit monster rather than a fully realized character.
The More It Leans Into Its Wackiness, the Better It Is
Considering the vintage ambiance and aid-robot theme, it’s reasonable to anticipate that First Steps will generally possess a charming and slightly whimsical tone, and indeed, it appears this film boasts the comedic elements typical of many Marvel Cinematic Universe productions.
Similar to how the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies shine when they embrace their unique setting and tone that distinguishes them from the broader franchise, it appears that “First Steps” is most endearing when it fully immerses itself in its distinctive environment and atmosphere. As Maureen Lee Lenker of “Entertainment Weekly” noted, it “delights in the campy charm embedded within the source material, doing so with enthusiastic exuberance…
Michael Giacchino’s Score Is Sublime
Michael Giacchino is well-versed in composing music for superhero stories. He’s worked on projects like The Incredibles, Sky High, Doctor Strange, Jon Watts’ Spider-Man series, Incredibles 2, Werewolf by Night, The Batman, and Thor: Love and Thunder. With the exception of The Batman, his contributions to this genre have been characterized as upbeat and lively. It appears that his finest work in this style can be found in First Steps.
Maureen Lee Lenker from Entertainment Weekly described the score as “the delightful final touch” to this comic book treat, noting that the “sparkling 1960s tone” of his work on The Incredibles is “enhanced here with more profound, grand melodies.” Additionally, Jake Coyle from Associated Press labeled Giacchino’s score as “powerful,” while Matt Zoller Seitz from RogerEbert.com referred to it as “innovative and entertaining.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25th.
Read More
- xAI’s $300/month Grok 4, billed as a “maximally truth-seeking AI” — seemingly solicits Elon Musk’s opinion on controversial topics
- Anime’s Greatest Summer 2024 Shonen Hit Drops New Look Ahead of Season 2
- How Much Does a PS5 Equivalent PC Cost in 2025?
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Microsoft has a new way to use AI in OneNote — but a “dumb” feature excites me more
- Ryan Lochte Gets Cozy With New Woman Amid Kayla Reid Divorce
- Why Stephen Baldwin Is “Blessed” By Justin & Hailey Bieber’s Marriage
- Bill Gates says AI will replace humans for most things — but coding will remain “a 100% human profession” centuries later
- Twilight Director Details “Earth-Shattering” Lesson From the Movie
- Xbox’s Forza Horizon 5 Sold an Outrageous 2 Million Copies on PS5 in a Month
2025-07-24 01:45