Fantastic Four Movie Review:


I feel sorry for the Fantastic Four. They were Marvel Comics' first superheroes, but instead of being the revered characters who started it all, they watched Spider-Man, Hulk, and the X-Men surpass them in popularity. The X-Men sting in particular -- after all, why follow the adventures of merely four heroes with unique individual powers when you could follow a whole school of them?

As a result, the Fantastic Four get shoved off to the side when superheroes contend for extra media attention. During this current renaissance of Marvel superheroes in cinema, not only have Spider-Man and the X-Men had two movies each, but even Daredevil and The Punisher got movies before the old-school foursome did. Now they've finally gotten their own movie (if you're not counting the 1994 Roger Corman cheapie that was never planned for release), and, sadly, even before seeing it, their film feels like a side project -- and, to add insult to injury, it's easily overshadowed by the rival DC superhero movie this year, “Batman Begins.”.

Bringing up Batman drives home the important point that the bar for movies like these has been raised quite high – “Batman Begins” received lavish praise for its depth and attention to character, as did last year's extravaganza, “Spider-Man 2.” So, again, poor “Fantastic Four” -- it has the depth of a Saturday morning cartoon. Since this is the origin story, it would've been one of those three-part episodes, where the story hurries to get explanations across, knowing there's only 21 minutes per episode to cram everything in. Meanwhile, the characters don't appear to have real personalities -- they're given one-dimensional stock ones you can quickly tag a label on. The nerd. The hothead. The guy with the gruff exterior but warm interior. The smart and sexy woman.

It seems like no one wanted to give these characters a real chance. We don't detect a vision for the story -- their tale is told perfunctorily. The movie sets the tone right away when Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) meets with his corporate benefactor, Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), to convince him to fund a space mission that will "benefit all humanity" (naturally). So, without wasting time, the principles go to a space station, and a cosmic storm hits them, and they're back on earth in the hospital, and then they slowly begin to discover they've been endowed with super powers. The next thing you know, every cheesy cliché is on display, without any nuance -- Reed, since he's such a science nerd, can't communicate his true feelings to his ex-girlfriend, Susan Storm (Jessica Alba), who's seeing Von Doom only to see if that'll get Reed to snap out of it and express how he really feels. Reed's best bud, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), becomes a monster and is quite grumpy about it. Susan's brother, Johnny (Chris Evans), embraces his new power and tries to use it to gain fame and score with the ladies.

Corniness isn't bad when human elements of it are emphasized, but that's not what's going on here. Everything, from the acting to the dialogue (much of which is dreadful -- I mean, what's a reference to the Master Card "priceless" commercials doing in there anyway?), just sits on the surface. Evans plays one note, and plays it loudly. Alba is very pretty to look at, but that's because they've illogically displayed her scientist character's cleavage everywhere while dressing her in various tight outfits. Her frustrated romance dialogue with Gruffudd is less expressive than most of what's on the WB, and delivered in that spirit.

The only one who manages to make something of a character out of his role is Chiklis, all the more ironic since he's the one stuck in a big orange suit and makeup. Chiklis looks like he's trying to give more to his part than what's on the page, and it's sad to see his efforts doing battle with some very poorly written scenes. The most out-of-place moment comes in the scene where the foursome have made their public debut, and, after people had been recoiling in fear of Ben, who is now the frightening, golem-like Thing, they applaud him because of his heroic work in rescuing some imperiled firemen. But, oh no, in the midst of his moment of glory, here comes his wife whom he visited and terrified the night before, appearing literally out of nowhere, just to give a teary "I can't accept this!" look and throw her wedding band to the ground. There's no context for this moment, no congruence with the action scene that just happened before. Instead of letting the actor/character elicit emotion from his performance, we're given a cue that sticks out like a sore thumb. It feels cheap because it is cheap.

“Fantastic Four” had the potential for a few interesting themes, the most conspicuous of which is today's cult of instant celebrity. These heroes don't have secret identities, and after their public appearance, they are followed around by a curious public eager to see more of the friendly freak show. Like the "Runaway Bride," they even get their moniker, "The Fantastic Four," from the media; like many media-made personalities, they react in predictable ways -- some, like Johnny the Human Torch, revel in it; others, like Susan the Invisible Woman hide from it; meanwhile, Reed, now the elastic Mr. Fantastic, just carries on with his pursuits. Alas, the movie sets up an interesting situation here and then does nothing with it.

“Fantastic Four” is like a child of a movie, wanting to sit at the adults' table with “Spider-Man 2" and “Batman Begins,” but then told to go the other side of the room and play with its toys -- ironic because it really should be seen as a Marvel Comics granddaddy. Since no one else takes it seriously, it can't take itself seriously either; as such, it's content with being funny and shallow. The most endearing terms I might come up for this film are "dorky" and "cute," but "cute" is never what a superhero movie aspires to be.



Jeffrey Chen

Marvel Comics’s cosmic family blasts onto the big screen. But can the fabulous foursome overcome all the negative hype and do the characters justice?

As told in the comic from 1961, The Fantastic Four came to be when scientist Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), best-friend Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) and Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) were struck by a cosmic storm while on an exploratory space mission.

Upon returning to Earth, the foursome found themselves with unexplained extraordinary powers which were a blessing and a curse. Each member struggles to adapt to their new way of life.

In the feature film, Reed’s nemesis from the comic series Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) is also on the space mission.

This new version of “Fantastic Four” has a lot of great moments and is a lot better than the rumors make it out to be. The performances of Evans, Chiklis and Gruffudd are excellent and compliment the legacy of the characters.

I found the weakness of the film to come from performances of Alba and McMahon as well as the film’s story arc. I really think that if the film had forgotten the whole Von Doom angle and actually told the characters true origins then it would have been a better film. Doom just doesn’t work here.

My favorite part of the film is Chris Evans. The film version of the character is probably one of the richest and closest comic superhero adaptations out there. This movie is owned by Evans. The shame is that it’s called “Fantastic Four” and I think director Tim Story forgot that.

“Fantastic Four” isn’t a glowing success but as a lot of superhero films come out we are starting to see the genre develop. You have awful superhero films like Catwoman, Elektra and to some, Daredevil. Then you have the mediocre films like Hulk, Fantastic Four and to some, Blade. Finally you have the bona-fide hits like Batman Begins, Spider-Man and X-Men. I had a lot of fun with Fantastic Four even if it isn’t perfect.



So Says the Soothsayer

Dean Kish

Note: Just for nostalgia sake below is my original review for the unreleased 1994 version of the Fantastic Four. Please also take into account this was written over 4 years ago.....

Fantastic Four (1994)

(unreleased, directed by Roger Corman)

By Dean Kish

The Mystery:

Back in 1994, a very small and ambitious project was scheduled to be launched. The project excited comic book fans as a possible hidden gem in the release schedule. The promo-tapes were issued, the posters hung, the costumed heroes graced a magazine cover and even some star interviews were concocted. The movie was “The Fantastic Four”.

During the week leading up to the film’s release, the movie was pulled from the release schedule only two days before opening. This is very rare and what’s amazing is that this was the 2nd Marvel movie adaptation to have this occur. The first being 1992’s “Captain America” (which did make it to video). Comic fans heard rumblings that the film would eventually end up on video. The small $2 million dollar Fantastic Four movie never had that happen. Those were the facts.

What came after was purely speculation. Some people linked to the film have stated that director Chris Columbus stepped in and halted the film from being released at all so that he could prep his $80 million dollar adaptation. Studios were impressed with Columbus and what he wanted to do with the film.

Others speculate that Marvel Comics was so embarrassed by the film that they approached Roger Corman to pull the plug. Marvel’s fear emulated that maybe the film would hurt their chances of cashing in on a block-buster adaptation. What is the right account? Someone inside must know the facts.

Recently I have been able to acquire this film through the miracles of the Internet. I was so curious to see what all the fuss was about. So I decided to start off this new film review series with this film.

My Review:

In this Marvel Comic adaptation, two friends Reed Richards (Alex Hyde-White) and Victor Von Doom (Joseph Culp) create a scientific device that will aid them in trying to harness the energy of this stellar phenomenon called the Colossus. A freak mishap occurs killing Doom and cursing Richards with his friend’s death.

Ten years pass and Reed teams up with Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Benjamin Grimm to continue Victor’s memory. The foursome is able to acquire a huge diamond that will allow them to reach Colossus via spaceship. The four astronauts get bombarded with cosmic rays when an accident occurs. The four of them acquire special powers.

They are quickly taken in by a military division for study. Convinced that they can cure themselves they escape the military. The film’s subplot deals with a mysterious armored man (Dr. Doom) and a creepy underground freak (The Jeweler) trying to acquire Reed’s giant diamond.

Ok on the surface the film’s beginning and attempt at following the Fantastic Four mythos is impressive. I liked how the filmmakers did explore the huge age gap between eventual lovers Reed and Susan. I liked how the film didn’t forget that Doom and Reed were in fact colleagues. It was a pretty good beginning for this first adaptation.

I really think the film fell apart when the Jeweler character was introduced. His character was just too campy. He belonged in a 1960’s Batman episode not in this film. It seems that as soon as he appeared every other part of the film became campy. One scene in particular is the rocket crashing to Earth and then you have the foursome wandering around looking for each other as you have really bad sets. If a rocket hit ground coming from space these people would be dead even if they do have superpowers.

Throughout the rest of the film, I did see signs that tried to redeem this film. I really liked actress Rebecca Staab who played Susan Storm. She was a perfect cast and sadly the only one. I liked the film’s look for Doctor Doom it was done quite well.

Aside from these redeeming qualities, you can see exactly why there was a cover-up to pull the plug on this one. What I learned from unearthing this film was that it isn’t impossible to make a film on this subject.

In television a lot of television series have unreleased pilots that are horrendous. In this film’s case, I would have to state that this film did excite me for the $80 Million dollar adaptation looming for release in 2002.

I think with a more modest budget, a half-dozen script re-writes and the public execution of the Jeweler this film could have delighted fans.

(2 of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer

Dean Kish

There's so much potential in this comic book that it came as a serious shock when Tim Story was named as director; after making an OK comedy (Barbershop) and a truly awful action romp (Taxi), he's handed the archetypal Marvel Comics movie? Alas, there's no surprise: Despite a good cast, this is a badly made film that only barely works as brainless filler.

Reed Richards (Gruffudd) is a scientist who needs the help of rich businessman Victor Von Doom (McMahon) to launch a study trip in space with his sidekick (Chiklis). Von Doom adds his own assistant, Reed's ex (Alba), to the team, as well as her cocky brother (Evans). Then a freak space storm changes their DNA, creating four superheroes (earth, wind, fire and, erm, rubber) and a super-villain (electricity), who square off for control of the city. Or something.

You don't expect credibility from this kind of movie, but this script, which feels patched together from various drafts, doesn't even try to be coherent or logical. Or to touch on any themes in the story. It feels like it was written and directed by and for 10-year-olds. The direction is haphazard and lacklustre; the film is only watchable because the cast visibly strains to add charm whenever they can, despite the corny dialog. Only Chiklis succeeds in creating a believable character; Gruffudd is blandly handsome, Alba is annoyingly lovelorn and Evans is mere eye candy. McMahon is interesting until the script turns him into a pointless megalomaniac then senselessly covers his face with an expressionless mask.

Some sequences are fairly enjoyable, but the film lurches and struggles to maintain any sense of momentum, throwing in irrelevant action (like a meaningless snowboard sequence with a dud punchline), endless groan-worthy puns in the dialog and on screen, and a turgid love triangle. Even the effects feel rushed and simplistic. As a B-movie it does have its pleasures, mostly in Evans' thoughtless enthusiasm and the durable premise itself. Which certainly deserved a much better movie than this. But if you hire hack filmmakers, this is what you get.

Rich Cline

While studying cosmic phenomena on Victor Von Doom’s (McMahon) space station, scientist Reed Richards’ (Gruffudd) miscalculation leads to Sue Storm (Alba), her brother Johnny Storm (Evans) and Reed’s best friend Ben Grimm (Chiklis) been exposed to a cosmic rays. When they return to Earth, the four start to exhibit strange new abilities. Reed can now stretch his body, Sue can become invisible, Johnny can control fire and Ben transforms into a super strong creature made of rock. As the press and public become aware of their new powers after they work together to save people involved in an accident, they become known as ‘The Fantastic Four’.

One of biggest comic book series hits the silver screen but can ‘Fantastic Four’ be as good as ‘Spider-Man’, ‘Batman Begins’ or the ‘X-Men’ movies?

Since ‘Blade’ made comic book movies viable again after they were virtually killed off by the old ‘Batman’ franchise, the genre has been getting better and better. Now we have respected big name directors and stars getting involved with these adaptations to produce not only great comic book movies but films that redefine how big budget commercial blockbusters should be made. Bryan Singer’s ‘X-Men’ movies, Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins’ and Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ movies are exceptional pieces of entertainment that embrace the stories and most importantly the characters, to take you into the comic book universe. It is a shame that ‘Fantastic Four’ forgets about all this.

For a series that lives on larger than life characters to be so devoid of any kind of development is almost criminal. The script by Michael France and Mark Frost lacks action and totally misses the mark were the five major characters are concerned. Mr Fantastic/Reed Richards, played by Ioan Gruffudd is a dull science geek with absolutely no charisma or leadership qualities. Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, played by the beautiful Jessica Alba, does nothing but look pretty and whinge all the time. Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom, played by ‘Nip/Tuck’ actor Julian McMahon, is nothing like his comic book counterpart and shows no real motivation why he would turn so evil. The only two main characters that come off well are Ben Grimm/The Thing, played by ‘The Shield’ star Michael Chiklis and Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, played by Chris Evans. They both bring something more to the production, with Ben Grimm struggling with his new appearance and Johnny Storm the only one thinking that his new powers are cool. These two are not enough to save the movie however.

The major falling down point is the story. With only three action main action sequences in the entire film, you’d be mistaken in thinking that the rest was given over to character and story development. Instead we have the Fantastic whingers, with the exception of Johnny Storm, moaning constantly about having these new abilities and trying to find a way of getting rid of them. With no scientific explanation of how Reed Richard who go about this or where he got the money to fund his research, we are lead to believe that he can recreate the accident in the lab. It is points like this and the exceptionally bad dialogue that make the movie such a chore to watch, even for fans of the comic and the cartoon series.

Comic book fans expect more from these adaptations and this movie is a return to the bad old days. The choice of Tim Story as director, the man who gave us ‘Barbershop’ and the awful ‘Taxi’ remake is probably the worst decision producer Avi Arad and Marvel Comics have made, as it is pretty obvious that he can’t handle a film of this magnitude. When you throw in some dodgy visual effects that make the movie look cheap and the fact that the film was made for a younger audience and not the fans, ‘Fantastic Four’ is a decidingly average take on what could have been a fantastic movie.

Jamie Kelwick

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