This iteration of the Fantastic Four has a standalone adventure without all the burden of the MCU's history and cast of characters.

Speaking of connections… During one of my recent fits of insomnia, I discovered a strange factoid that connects The Fantastic Four: First Steps with Saved by the Bell, at least an early version of the popular high school-centric sitcom many of us grew up watching. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since, and I have to talk it out.

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.