Film Review — The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Fantastic Four: First Steps carries a heavy burden and an undeniably important mission: to make people feel excited about Marvel movies again. For Marvel — a studio that has long been hesitant to try anything new and has been struggling to satisfy its own fans — this feels like a last chance to prove itself. So, did it succeed? Well… I guess. That’s what everyone seems to be saying, right? And if that’s the consensus, I’d rather not be the one grumbling on the sidelines.

Of course, Fantastic Four: First Steps is not a bad film. On the contrary, it’s a very entertaining one, clearly crafted by sharp minds. But the film’s responsibility isn’t limited to rekindling excitement for Marvel movies; it also has to fulfill its narrative role within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe and carry us toward the next installment. Because of that, it tries to convey far too much within a very short runtime, and that ever-present feeling of “rushing through everything” becomes impossible to shake off — seriously diminishing the overall viewing experience.

Even though it reimagines the 1960s through a futuristic lens and is full of inventive touches, its determination to fulfill its Marvel-mandated duties keeps it…