The best thing about First Steps is the aesthetic. It’s far and away my favorite part of this film, and that’s a problem because as much as I do enjoy a solid retrofuturistic aesthetic, it’s not enough to make a mediocre movie worth watching. This is all style over substance.

Critics seem to at least agree that Fantastic Four is a visual feast and way better than the first three movies Fox made. As someone burnt out on the MCU since Thor: Love and Thunder, I’ll take clearing the low bar over getting walloped in the face by one higher up. Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

First Steps" brings a new supergroup into the MCU while a post-credits scene gives a taste of an iconic supervillain. Spoilers!

But that all changes in the movie's post-credits scene, when the vibe shifts and suddenly there's a metal-masked stranger hanging out in the living room of the Baxter Building. If you've seen The Fantastic Four: First Steps and need some Reed Richards–level tutoring to figure out just what the heck is going on,