I was not into comic books in my childhood but I do have vague memories of the animated television series “Fantastic 4,” and that quartet of intrepid astronauts were among my favorite characters of the era (along with “Jonny Quest” and his gang, and Major Matt Mason, which, I believe was just a coloring book character; although now there is a movie about him in production).  Anyway, despite my disinterest in many superheroes, I’ve always felt an affinity for more ordinary characters exploring space and venturing where no one has gone before.  Which is to say that I was kind of looking forward to this movie, despite the commercial and artistic disappointments which were the first four “Fantastic Four” feature film projects (the first of which, in 1994, was never even released!).

Matt Shakman’s film takes place on Earth 828 (as opposed to our own planet), and introduces to the astronaut quartet that, some four years earlier, had ventured into space only to be transformed by a cosmic cloud that bestowed super powers upon them.  Upon returning to Earth they became our protectors.  Now, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (aka “The Thing) (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and the people of Earth are threatened with annihilation from Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a being who eats entire worlds and his servant, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who leads the big fella to his stellar smorgasbords.  Can four extraordinary humans (with a fifth on the way) save the Earth from imminent death?

From the first frames, which indicate that yes, we are in the Multiverse, I was downcast.  I hate the Multiverse.  And yet, this world was intriguing.  So much like our own planet, yet different in myriad, fun ways, from the flying cars to the tapering building designs.  And yet the same, where people are merely trying to exist and raise families and find meaning and purpose.  It grew on me, reaching its pinnacle as the Fantastic Four blast off in their tri-finned rocket in New York City to meet Galactus on his turf.  That image, of the spectacular spindle of a rocket surging through the atmosphere, took me back to my childhood and the images on science fiction magazine covers and wonderful old movies that fired my imagination at the time, and won me over.  That image is what I expected the future to be, what I wanted it to be with all my heart, and the cool flying car just reinforced that feeling.  The story after that blast-off is interesting and clumsy, obvious and familiar, cloying and sentimental.

For what it is, this is pretty neat entertainment.  It reinforces family values and counsels tolerance and understanding in turbulent times.  It’s fun to gawk at and is full of visual highlights, as well as inside references and jokes for the comic book crowd.  It isn’t an origin story, and some further explanation of certain things would have been welcome (just what is it Sue can do? It’s not really clear to me).  How it will fit into the new Marvel phase, along with Doctor Doom, glimpsed at the very end, is yet to be seen.  But this is certainly the best “Fantastic Four” film to come along so far, which may not be great praise, but I enjoyed it.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  10 August 2025.