The Fantastic Four: First Steps - MOVIE REVIEW (Spoiler-Free)

The Fantastic Four are finally back on the big screen, with Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps now out in theaters! It has been a nightmare watching some of my favorite characters in all of comics continuously get butchered in big screen adaptations, and Kevin Feige & Marvel Studios have been promising that they're finally gonna deliver a faithful adaptation of the Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four have, truly, always been some of my favorite characters in Marvel Comics. From the Byrne run of the '80s to the Jonathan Hickman run, they've also had some of my favorite long runs in all of Marvel. Even the current Ryan North run is fantastic. But for so long, film adaptations have never really understood what made the team awesome. The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been, without question, my most anticipated MCU movie of this era because all the trailers have really teased that this film will finally deliver on the intimate family dynamics, old-school optimism and whacky sci-fi of the stories I grew up loving. And the fact that this felt like the most unique movie in the entire MCU, because of it's setting and decor, was just a bonus. So, does The Fantastic Four: First Steps mark the triumphant arrival of some of the MCU's most captivating new characters, or is it another Multiverse Saga dud? Find out in this NON-SPOILER review!The Fantastic Four: First Steps:Directed by: Matt ShakmanScreenplay by: Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian SpringerStory by: Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer and Kat WoodBased on the Marvel comics by: Stan Lee and Jack KirbyProduced by: Kevin FeigeCo-Producer: Mitch BellExecutive Producers: Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, Tim LewisMusic by: Michael GiacchinoDirector of Photography: Jess HallEdited by: Nona Khodai, Tim RocheCasting by: Sarah FinnProduction Design by: Kasra FarahaniCostume Design by: Alexandra ByrneCast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah NilesSynopsis: Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.