THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

While I am growing a bit tired of having to drive an hour to the IMAX theater in Dallas on a traffic-laden Thursday night, I’m only becoming more enamored with my IMAX experiences, namely because we keep picking absolute bangers to go see. This includes The Fantastic Four: First Steps—one of two 2025 superhero movies whose trailers all those months ago got me back on the superhero train—which was, predictably, fantastic.

While I already knew who the Fantastic Four were from my days as a childhood superhero fan, what drew me to this movie first was the unique, delectable retro-futuristic 60s aesthetic, and that aesthetic delivered tonight. From the sleek, slender cars to the curvy, colorful furniture and the mix of old and new technology, the world of Earth 828 roared to life.

Michael Giacchino perfectly punctuated this world with his score, too, and I may just be riding the wave coming out of the theater, but I think the score is one of his best. The theme was immediately iconic, speaking the same way that John Williams’ Superman theme does, and it nailed both the 50s/60s “Carousel of Progress” innovative energy and the whimsy of such a colorful world. Giacchino’s score oozed with personality, separating itself instantly from the music of every other Marvel film I’ve seen, save the ever-iconic Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.

With such a unique and compelling aesthetic perfectly realized, the relatively simple story of a super family against a singular, truly evil foe flourished. While Marvel has gotten lost in multiverses and confusing, timeline-hopping threats (and, relatedly, Disney can’t stop with the twist villains and the intangible antagonists), the Fantastic Four’s isolated nature allowed a singular threat like Galactus to really work. The Silver Surfer was also incorporated very well, with a backstory that both rationalized her character and connected her to the themes of family and loyalty offered by the Fantastic Four.

Speaking of the First Family, I know some had their doubts on how effective this cast would be, but they were all lovely in their roles. Vanessa Kirby’s Sue was the clear best fit—she held down the film, kept the family together, saved the world, AND gave birth? A true superhero—but I thought Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and even Pedro Pascal (though he’s in way too much these days) all worked really well. They were an insanely fun group to follow, and it was clear that they—both the characters and the actors—really cared about each other.

Given the close proximity in release dates, it’s natural to compare this to Superman, and I’m delighted that these two films are near equal in my mind. While Superman may stand as a genre-definer in the modern superhero era, The Fantastic Four: First Steps seemed more tonally consistent and was very easy to watch and to love. Superman had aspirations of being a ~film~, while First Stepshad no problem being a “movie”, and a damn good one at that. Though I know it’ll soon connect to the larger MCU starting in Doomsday, I’m so glad that The Fantastic Four: First Steps can truly stand on its own—and in my opinion, as one of Marvel’s best.