This review contains spoilers for Fantastic Four.
A literal family of superpowered individuals who go on adventures to fight mole people, giant planet-devouring creatures, and megalomaniacal dictators. Simple enough concept for a comic, but an idea that hasn’t had as much success on the silver-screen. Unlike many of their fellow Marvel franchises that have been big box office draws over the years, the Fantastic Four have been a tough sell for filmgoers, with an infamous cancelled mid-90s film by Roger Corman and two less-than-stellar films in the new millennium under their belt.
Marvel Studios has hit it big with their Cinematic Universe, causing other studios to follow suit, and this new reboot of the Four represents 20th Century Fox’s attempts to keep the few Marvel concepts under their license (along with the X-Men roster of characters) prolonged for a potential franchise. Enter Josh Trank of Chronicle, the acclaimed found-footage film focusing on a young man with superpowers, who was tapped by Fox to give his spin on the Fantastic Four. That being said, the execution is less than stellar. It is, however, not as ungodly awful as some have made it out to be – with said negative buzz surrounding the film helping it to a flop of an opening weekend.
The story follows the brilliant Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and his experimental attempts to teleport objects from one place to another. While said experiments have earned him the mockery of his peers, it’s gotten the attention of Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), who is more than happy to stick around with his buddy. Said experiments have also brought the two to the Storms – Franklin (Reg E. Cathey) and Susan (Kate Mara, another of the cast who worked well with what they got) – brilliant scientists who want Reed and Ben to help them complete an upgraded version of the former’s teleporting projects. Along the way, we’re introduced to cocky hotshot Johnny (A more-than-game Michael B. Jordan) and the villain of the piece, apparent computer hacker Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell).
Speaking of the man otherwise known as Dr. Doom, let it be known that the film pretty much does him a great disservice. Early versions of the film’s script featured a portrayal of Doom as a malicious hacktivist – a far cry from the comics’ iconic depiction of the character as a mad despot who rules with an iron fist. To the film’s credit, that depiction is nowhere to be found in the finished version, but what we’re left with could be conceivably seen as much worse. His final armored form is not a great look for Doom, and he ultimately ends up being a non-threat to our heroes. All in all, it’s not a great outing for a man who has defeated some of the world’s mightiest heroes and has conquered the world on a few occasions.
The film is also unbelievably boring, with its first half-hour feeling like an eternity before we get to what can be considered as the “interesting” aspects of the plot. The hero’s origin story has been done before – many, many, many times and practically in every superhero film made to date – and even those didn’t feel as needlessly dull as it is in Fantastic Four. The visuals are also as dull as the film’s pacing, with a distinct lack of vibrancy to it. Earth isn’t too exciting a setting, and the so-called “Planet Zero” – the environment that gave the Four and Dr. Doom their powers – is an unceasing landscape of rocks, rocks, and more rocks.
Still, the outlook is miraculously not all gloomy for Trank’s vision of Marvel’s First Family. That’s largely thanks in part to the efforts of our lead actors. Jordan and Mara are the notable standouts of the cast – despite apparent rumors of Trank not being very pleased with the latter – but bless Teller and Bell for being somewhat convincing in their roles. On top of that, the film begins to sort-of feel like an honest-to-goodness Fantastic Four film once the team truly forms to take on Dr. Doom. Sure, it’s not perfect, but the last half of the film somehow feels more watchable than everything that happens beforehand. Unfortunately, that seems a bit too little, too late by then for the film.
Ultimately, the film’s undoing is how much “in name only” things feel as the story progresses. The characters seem to exist in an unfamiliar world that has little connection to the comics that Fantastic Four is based on – but that may be largely due to the unceasing rights issues between Marvel and Fox.
To sum up, the film is nowhere near as bad as the very negative reception would have you to believe. If anything, this would be a decent science fiction film if it wasn’t meant to be based on a beloved Marvel Comics series. The film is bad, yes, but it’s not the worst superhero movie ever made, as some claim it to be. It’s largely inoffensive, is what I’m trying to say here.
Grade: 4/10
Notes
- While I appreciate the attempt at explaining the Thing’s iconic catchphrase, “It’s clobberin’ time”, the reason for why (Ben Grimm’s older brother says it as a precursor to wailing on his younger sibling) was not needed, especially since it never really comes up at all other than the opening flashback and the film’s climax.
- The fact that the fateful test voyage that grants Reed, Ben, Johnny, and Victor (also affecting Sue in the process) their powers was a result of the four having a drink is kind of hilarious.
- My screening had a trailer for 2016’s Deadpool, which looks like a real winner.
- Believe it or not, said screening was also kind of packed, which legitimately surprised me.
- It may be technically a Marvel film, but don’t bother staying during or after the credits for this film. Nothing to see.