The First Steps - The Fantastic 4 are trying something different.

It seems that superhero cinema has been changing for the better in recent months, and the presence of films like Thunderbolts and Superman has demonstrated a desire to leave behind all the problems that had plagued the genre for several years.

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Within this trend, perhaps Fantastic Four was one of the most interesting cases, starting with the fact that despite its relevance in the world of comics (remember, they were basically the first "group" of superheroes), all of their forays into the big screen had failed to a greater or lesser extent.

However, under the direction of Matt Shakman, it seems that "Fantastic Four: The First Steps" would be a paradigm shift in a positive sense, leaving behind its inorganic connections to the MCU and telling a story that reconnected the fantastic family with its comic book origins, both in terms of aesthetics and narrative.

And while the result is far from perfect, at least we're left with a good taste in our mouths, embracing the desire to experiment and the eagerness to do something genuinely different, even if not all the ideas landed well.

First Steps could be defined as a collection of ideas, some good and some strange, and while I understand why the casting announcement was so controversial (it was quite difficult to imagine Pedro Pascal as the smartest man in the universe), after having had the opportunity to see the film in theaters, I can at least say I understand where all these decisions came from.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps follows this trend in modern superhero stories of starting in media res, dedicating a few minutes of the film to telling the origins of our protagonists and their superpowers without making the entire film revolve around them.

This may seem slightly disconcerting to those unfamiliar with the characters, but it's a decision that does wonders for the film's pacing and ironically ends up leaving more time for the protagonists' development.

On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of the fact that the first conflict we see involving these heroes is of such magnitude, literally holding the fate of their entire world in their hands. This isn't to say the execution is poor, but it ends up distracting from other, more intimate aspects that I would have liked to see portrayed more strongly.

From a technical standpoint, I really liked the visual aspect of this universe, presenting a retro-futuristic vision of New York that, as I mentioned previously, connects very well with the aesthetic of the comic's origins in the 1970s. The visual effects for the superpowers are decent, although the filmmakers are still struggling with how to make Reed Richards' powers work well in live action.

It's a solid addition to the MCU, though it's still funny that one of its greatest strengths is its distance from the MCU.

Score taken from my Letterboxd account.