Fantastic Four: First Steps had a lot riding on it. The "first family" of Marvel Comics, the team had a rocky cinematic history so far -- although, you can fight me on it, but I still believe the 2005 movie starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the fantastic foursome was pretty darn good. (The less said about the 2015 version starring Miles Teller, Jamie Bell, Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan, the better.)

Now, the Fantastic Four is finally appearing in the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, although the Earth in this movie is not the same Earth as has been featured in other MCU movies to date. In other words, the Avengers, Spider-Man and other Marvel heroes that have graced our screens since the franchise kicked off in 2008 do not, so far as we can tell, exist in this world.

And director Matt Shakman has done his job in making this Earth seem different from previous movies. It has a futuristic aesthetic, but it's viewed through a mid-20th century lens befitting the original comic-book origins of the team. And, rather than starting at the beginning and taking viewers through yet another origin story, the movie begins with the team already empowered and established as Earth's superheroes, with their origins explained briefly through a flashback newscast.

The team this time around consists of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/the Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch. Ralph Ineson is the cosmic force known as Galactus (now appearing much like he does in the comics, rather than the big space cloud featured in the 2007 movie). Julia Garner is Shalla-Bal, aka the Silver Surfer, who acts as his herald and warns the Earth that Galactus is coming to destroy it. Natasha Lyonne is Rachel Rozman, replacing the usual Alicia Masters character as Ben Grimm's potential love interest, and Paul Walter Hauser is Harvey Elder, aka Mole Man, a villain turned sorta-ally at a turning point in the film.

When the movie begins, the team has been around for four years and is globally adored for their superheroics. Reed and Sue are married and, we learn early on, expecting a child. Then a shiny alien woman appears on a cosmic surfboard and warns the planet that Galactus is coming to devour it, and nothing can be done to stop him. Undeterred, the Fantastic Four travels into space to confront him; when they fail to dissuade him or halt his progress, they return home and prepare to defend the Earth when he arrives -- or move it before he gets there.

Things don't go as planned.

For the most part, it's a fun movie. Pascal gives us an appropriately cerebral scientist and team leader, although he's less convincing as a stretchy superhero and he seems joyless in the role. Kirby makes for a better Sue, mostly in the way she ties the team together and reacts as an outraged (and powerful) mother would. Ben and Johnny are comfortable with their roles on the team; Ben has eased into his rocky persona, and Johnny is the more outspoken and flamboyant member. The special effects are mostly good, and the overall look of the movie is sleek and retro-stylish.

That said, there are issues.

For instance, Johnny Storm -- never before portrayed as an especially analytical character -- somehow manages to translate and become fluent in an alien language in a matter of days, using nothing more than one brief phrase, a pencil and paper. Reed Richards -- who is a brain, admittedly -- solves the equation for planetary teleportation, designs massive "bridges" to accomplish the task and manages to get them built all over the world within that same short span.

And Galactus, an awe-inspiring, super powerful being that travels the galaxy and consumes worlds, seems surprisingly vulnerable to attacks that, realistically, he should shrug off -- if he noticed them at all. Elements of the final encounter require stretch the limits of credulity, even in a superhero movie.

Also, while I understand the decision to avoid yet another origin story, that leaves viewers with little to no character development. The team is already established and settled in their roles, and they've already mastered their powers. Where's the growth?

I enjoyed First Steps, but it wasn't as good as it could have been with a little more script polishing. Moving forward, I'm curious to see how the Fantastic Four will be used in upcoming MCU projects; their appearance in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday has already been confirmed, along with many of the usual MCU actors and some from the 2000-2006 X-Men movies. It should be interesting.