Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps Beats All Past Versions on RT, But Critics Say “Don’t Get Too Excited”
Fantastic Four Scores a Fresh 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, But Critics Still Sound Unconvinced Beneath the Cheers (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has taken its inaugural stride toward potential triumph. Despite superhero movies struggling to replicate their former box office dominance, this marks the third consecutive well-received entry in the genre this year, following fellow MCU flick Thunderbolts* and DCU’s Superman.

As the review embargo lifted on Tuesday, July 22, this prelude to Avengers: Doomsday — with no other Marvel films scheduled before December 2026 — now carries the responsibility of maintaining MCU momentum during this interim period.

The Fantastic Reboot Scores Higher Than All Previous Iterations Combined

Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87% score after 119 reviewers weighing in, most of them praising the dysfunctional family sitcom dynamics of The Fantastic Four. This rating also beats the aggregated score of all three theatrical Fantastic Four films to date.

The first Hollywood adaptation, released 20 years ago, carries a 27% “rotten” rating. Its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, achieved 37%, highest in the series. The 2015 reboot, arriving 10 years later, earned a dismal 9% and ranks among the worst films of the century.

Additionally, the current iteration has also outperformed lead actor Pedro Pascal’s two concurrent theatrical releases: Eddington (68%) and The Materialists (79%).

Fantastic Four Films on Rotten Tomatoes

  • The Fantastic Four: First Steps — 87%
  • Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer — 37%
  • Fantastic Four (2005) — 27%
  • Fantastic Four (2015) — 9%

Positive Reviews Carry Subtle Skepticism — Good But Not Great?

While Matt Shakman’s directorial effort delivers on most of what fans expected, a more nuanced apprehension raises a caveat that critics’ opinions should be taken with a grain of salt.

Scarcely any major publication has declared The Fantastic Four: First Steps phenomenal, instead describing it as an adequately entertaining flick that meets basic expectations. Critics’ assessment is in the semblance of how they would praise Marvel’s weaker entries in the past, solely focusing on the “fun” aspect.

The Fantastic Four Gets an Alarming Metascore

This discretion is also exemplified in the Metacritic score of The Fantastic Four: a modest 64, contrary to the RT percentage. One could argue Rotten Tomatoes benefits from critics extending goodwill despite lukewarm reviews — a pattern observed with another recent Disney release, Lilo & Stitch (Metascore, 53). Not only such designations categorize the average ratings in the positive zone at Rotten Tomatoes, they also potentially set up polarizing audience reactions.

What’s particularly noteworthy is that among Metacritic’s 39 critics, only assigned negative verdicts. A whopping 14 reviewers gave mixed assessments — the movie scarcely escaping the average zone — all of which translated into “positive” Rotten Tomatoes ratings since the site only deals in binary figures. With less than 60% of critics awarding it an unambiguous thumbs up, “First Steps” objectively fails to align with its superficial “fresh” status.

Superman and Fantastic Four Share Similar Critical Reception, Will They Share Similar Box Office Fate?

The divisive audience reception of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is becoming conducive, considering early social media praise focusing on visuals and performances while sidelining plot and thematic substance — elements imperative for lasting success that Marvel previously delivered with consistency.

This reception mirrors its competitor Superman (83%), with critics again fawning over retro-styled comic book fidelity and commitment to embracing its 1950s comic book origins. How this translates to broader audience appeal remains uncertain, particularly when accounting for Superman’s milquetoast box office performance outside North America.

The question now becomes whether audiences will embrace this nostalgic trip to comics, much like Superman, or demand more contemporary sophistication to complement those visuals, like Barbie pulled off a couple of years ago.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in cinemas on July 25.

For more such stories, check out Hollywood News

Must Read: Brad Pitt Almost Starred In This Mind-Bending Cult Classic That Launched Christopher Nolan’s Hollywood Career

Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News

RELATED ARTICLES

Check This Out