The Fantastic Four review: Pedro Pascal leads Marvel's emotional return to form

The three previous Fantastic Four movies under 20th Century Fox are not so fondly remembered.

So when Disney purchased the rights and handed them over to Marvel Studios, hope reignited that the First Family could finally be done justice... and we're pleased to report that is finally the case.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set on Earth-828, an alternate reality to the Earth-616 that most MCU movies take place in.

This universe is 1960s retro-futuristic, which is very much in keeping with the superhero team's comic book debut.

And just like James Gunn's Superman reboot, this blockbuster fully embraces the campy weirdness of the source material, and ends up feeling like a live-action version of Pixar's The Incredibles.

This is a sunny, feel-good film with a 1960s optimism led by Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) with effortless chemistry and charisma. It's one of Marvel's most emotional outings to date, fixed firmly on family, as Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Woman welcome the birth of their child, Franklin. That is, until New York City is invaded by the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who heralds that a giant cosmic being called Galactus (the booming Ralph Ineson) is on his way to eat planet Earth.

What follows is a fun Fantastic Four debut with some of the best visuals in a Marvel movie for years. This is especially the case during the intergalactic introduction of the towering Galactus. After a couple of dull sidekick outings from Marvel this year (Captain America Brave New World and Thunderbolts), Fantastic Four is very much a return to form for the MCU ahead of the team's multiverse crossover with Earth-616 in next year's Avengers Doomsday.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is out in UK cinemas on Thursday.