August 2, 2025 – After four tries to make a successful Fantastic Four film, filmmakers finally got it right on the fifth try and we finally have a good Fantastic Four movie in theaters, and it is a box office success as well.

It's too bad Stan Lee is not around to see this, because I think the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer were among his favorites, and all five characters have important roles in this movie. I think Stan would have been pleased with this movie. This is a reboot, which picks up the story sometime after the Fantastic Four have already gotten superpowers during a flight into space.

This story includes the birth of a fifth superhero. The baby, named Franklin, becomes the center of the story when super villain Galactus comes to Earth to abduct Franklin. Galactus wants Franklin to become his successor. Franklin's parents, Reed Richard (played by Pedro Pascal of “Gladiator II”) and Sue Storm (played by Vanessa Kirby of “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One”) won't let Galactus have the baby, even if this would save the earth from destruction.

In order to escape this dilemma, the Fantastic Four must come up with a scheme to save Franklin and also save the earth from Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner of “Wolf Man”). Although Sue Storm is very powerful, she and Reed will also need the help of the other two members of the Fantastic Four, the powerful and indestructible Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach of “The Bear” series) and the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn of “A Quiet Place: Day One”). The Human Torch (AKA Johnny Storm) is also Sue Storm's brother.

Galactus is a destroyer of worlds, and he possesses almost god-like powers. The fact that the earth could be saved if Reed and Sue gave up Franklin to Galactus causes a major problem for the Fantastic Four because most people want them to do just that to save the earth. This is a planet-sized public relations problem.

Reed is a genius inventor who has created a teleportation device, so he comes up with really crazy plan to save the earth with his teleportation system. I won't give away the plan, but it is really far out. I mean it is just totally nuts. While the plot is pretty crazy, the character development is pretty good. The movie does a good job of bringing out the human side of these superheroes, including the Silver Surfer. There is also a cute robot.

The movie works pretty well because it provides heroes you can root for and a monster villain you can root against. The Silver Surfer is a character who is enigmatic, caught between the two sides of this conflict. The visuals are good, as expected in a top level Marvel production. Director Matt Shakman, whose background is in TV, succeeds here where others have failed. This movie rates a B.

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