The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)★ 7.2/10

This review contains SPOILERS!:

This film is an ode to the golden age of Marvel Comics; visually, narratively and thematically.

The fantastic four is known for being the first family of marvel and within reason since they are the creation of two guys who wanted to change the way comic stories were told back in the 60s (from where this movie takes the retrofuturistic style to heart).

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are felt all over the movie, even with a special cameo of sorts; when Silver Surfer, The Herald of Galactus comes to earth you can see briefly two comic artist watching her and those are supposed to be Lee and Kirby. The way the story goes is very reminiscent of the stories the duo did for the F4 back in the day, very sci-fi, goofy and fun to interact with.

These are thoughts from a bud that has a nostalgic love for the F4 of the early 2000s movies, but you can feel some of the old flicks contributed, in specific Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer (2007) that one of the team connects to The Herald to try to convice them to help them save their planet, in the 2007 movie was Sue with Norrin Rad and in 2025 is Johnny with Shalla-Bal but what also happens in the movie is that Sue sacrifices herself and dies in the process with Norrin bringing her back and now was baby Franklin showing to the audience how powerful is the little bud even now.

With now this being the third movie the MCU has released this year I gotta say that early in the year I've had my doubts with the Captain America movie not being very good and kinda dissapointed 'cus it was very obvious it changed from being a political thriller to...dunno something that felt it wanted (and needed) The Hulk since the villains of that film are principally enemies to Bruce Banner and conflict was very mid.

Then with the Thunderbolts having to expectentions what-so-ever I was really impressed with their thight story about found family and asking for help when you feel the void sinking in, combined with a rogue gallery of misfits that won the heart that prevoiusly most of them didn't even stayed on the mind of the spectator. Even with some bumps it was a very good MCU movie.

Now with this one even with all the praise I can give it I want to share some nickpicky things: This being the second short movie de MCU has done; the first being The Marvels under 1 hr and 45 min and this one being under 1hr and 54ish min makes me wonder that it's not what they thought it needed but what ended being. In some part I felt that stuff was cut (and we know they did it like with The Red Ghost character John Malkovich did filmed for this movie to ending up cut and just a mention), like what The Cosmonaut Variety Hour said on their review; makes it look like they (The Studios Executives) wanted sooo bad the movie to not be bad or at least be percived as bad since this one is the prelude to what will be Avengers: Doomsday this one needed to work in all the shapes and forms.

In the end you will have a good time watching the first family and their message of community, family and chivalry the world needs now.