I’ve been to Marvel films where people walk out of the theater dumbfounded. I’ve been to Marvel films where people talk about how much they hated it on the way to their car. And I’ve been to Marvel films where people have applauded once the credits roll. After Fantastic Four: First Steps was over, the audience cheered. My kids and I were among those clapping.
The Fantastic Four are back on the big screen, and Marvel finally got them and their story right. The story picks up after the team already has their superpowers, and there’s a TV show that brings us up to speed. This was a great way to tell their story, because we’re all aware of their origin by now. The cast is great, but almost anything with Pedro Pascal is great. Almost.
This version of the Fantastic 4 is terrific, and I don’t think this way because the bar was set so low. It’s a Marvel film with heart, and the 4 main actors put on fantastic performances. Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman) steals the movie with several powerful scenes. Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn, offers a different and entertaining version. Everyone’s favorite cousin, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, plays The Thing (Ben Grimm) with a humbling perspective. Each one might be your favorite version ever of that character.
The four heroes take on the Eater of Worlds, Galactus. Galactus has marked this version of Earth as his next target to satiate his hunger. If the Fantastic Four do not stop him, everyone on Earth will die. Galactus is Marvel’s biggest villain to date (villain in size) and the enormous conqueror wants Sue and Reed’s baby.
Marvel parents want to know before seeing the movie: is the new Fantastic 4 appropriate for kids?
It is a superhero movie, so you can expect the normal amount of violence and chaos. The violence isn’t as severe as in more recent Marvel films, but there is some there. I can only remember one curse word, and it was one of the lesser ones. There’s no sex or nudity, but Sue is expecting a baby, so there is a reference to how it got there. As far as Marvel superhero movies go, Fantastic Four is one of the safer ones.
That being said, if you have a sensitive viewer, they might be scared during the fights with Galactus. He is big and menacing, not to mention he has eaten many worlds before he arrives on the scene.
There’s another superhero movie out right now, Superman, and that film was more violent than Fantastic 4. If they saw Superman, they should be fine with this film.
Lastly, I loved this version of the Marvel superheroes, and I’m looking forward to seeing where they go from here and how they’ll fit in with other Marvel heroes and villains.
There is a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene. The post-credits scene isn’t that important, just a fun little thing. The mid-credit scene is important, so stick around for that.
Fantastic Four: First Steps is rated PG-13 for action/violence and some language.