The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Four years after the accident that granted them all powers, the Fantastic Four is reeling from a pleasant surprise: Sue is pregnant. But the excitement is short-lived, for a herald arrives pronouncing doom to the Earth . . . for Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, is coming. And not even this fantastic crew may be able to save the planet this time.

I liked the retro-futuristic aesthetics of the film. And it hits on important themes (sacrifice, being part of something bigger, and family). But on the whole, this one just didn't do it for me. Like the recent Superman film, we're dropped into an existing world—this is [perhaps mercifully] not another origin story, and that's okay. But the plot was so rushed that I had a hard time caring. When it scraped against important themes, it failed to deliver. Other aspects, like the music and humor, were average or ignored. And I had a hard time seeing Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic. There were certainly cool elements, and it may be the best Fantastic Four film to date. But that's not saying much.

Rating: C+