Vanessa Kirby in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.' 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment The pleasing back-to-basics feel in The Fantastic Four: First Steps suggests Marvel has learned valuable lessons from its recent box office under-performers. There's a fresh willingness to prioritize character over the usual barrage of interchangeable CG action sequences that often overwhelm them, instead giving us relatable folks to invest in. Equally important is the decision to make this a legitimate standalone requiring no homework. The expectation that audiences would have intimate knowledge of a sprawling multiverse covered in a glut of features and TV series no doubt contributed to the perception of genre fatigue. Related Stories Movies Joseph Quinn Wants a Marvel Team-Up With Tom Holland: "He's Our Best-Ever Spider-Man" General News 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps': First Reactions From the Premiere A quote on the end credits from Jack Kirby, who created the comic book series with Stan Lee in 1961, reads: "If you look at my characters, you will find me. No matter what kind of character you create or assume, a little of yourself must remain there." Director Matt Shakman and screenwriters Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer appear to have taken that to heart. The eponymous quartet may have superpowers, but they are also a family, struggling like most of us to handle the most daunting responsibilities life throws our way. The Fantastic 4: First Steps The Bottom Line Clobberin' time with a welcome light touch. Release date: Friday, July 25Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Nyles, Mark GatissDirector: Matt ShakmanScreenwriters: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, based on the Marvel Comics created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby Rated PG-13, 1 hour 55 minutes Despite the popularity of the long-running comics, The Fantastic Four has an undistinguished history as a screen vehicle. The dismal 2015 reboot, which attempted to give the property the dreaded gritty overhaul, had the distinction of being worse than the mediocre 2005 feature and its sequel two years later, in which the leads had all the relaxed camaraderie of people who had just met on the set that day. Two very funny 2013 episodes of Arrested Development revolved around a parody musical inspired by the never-released 1994 Roger Corman movie (its stars make cameos here). But for many of us who are not avid comic book readers, any surviving fondness for The Fantastic Four is thanks to distant memories of the 1967 Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon series that ran on ABC for just 20 episodes but resurfaced for decades in reruns. That would appear to be the case also for the filmmakers, who give First Steps a delightful 1960s retro-futuristic look and feel, echoed in Michael Giachhino's rousing orchestral score, as well as Kasra Farahani's production design and Alexandra Byrne's costumes. The interpretation of New York City around the time the comics were born yields great visual charm - from Times Square to the Lower East Side - with amusing period-specific product placement for brands like 7Up and Canada Dry. Even the origin story elements are handled in vintage style in an ABC special celebrating four years of the Fantastic Four, hosted by the ingratiatingly square Ted Gilbert (Mark Gatiss). We learn that scientific genius Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) led a space expedition with his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), piloted by their good friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). When their rocket ship encountered a cosmic storm, it altered their DNA, returning them to Earth with superpowers, and in Ben's case, a vastly different physique. Reed has elastic limbs and can stretch like a rubber band; Sue is able to become invisible and can generate powerful forcefields and blasts; Johnny is a cocky overgrown kid also known as the Human Torch, who can engulf himself in flames and fly; and Ben is a massive boulder-like hulk with superhuman strength to match. Their achievements in disaster intervention and peacekeeping - shown in grainy news footage that includes them thwarting the attempt of the Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser) to destroy the Pan Am building - have made the Fantastic Four media darlings and the planet's most adored protectors. Stranding an actor as magnetic as Moss-Bachrach behind motion-capture technology that makes him look like the rock monster from Galaxy Quest might seem a limiting choice. But it's remarkable how much warmth and sensitivity he injects into the character - also known as The Thing in the comics. Despite his stony features and musclebound body, he's th