In "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," the core Four superheroes are a bit of a bore, and in a way that works to the advantage of this grounded tale of heroism and sacrifice, which is scaled properly for what it is.

More than six decades after Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created a superhero team to rival the Justice League, the Fantastic Four finally get a worthy big-screen adaption in a spiffy ’60s-era romp, bathed in retro futurism and bygone American optimism.