By Emanuel Velez –
With the success of superhero movies skyrocketing, Fox has now taken their shot once more with a reboot of the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s first and longest-running superhero team. But this film is not that fantastic. It was doomed (no pun intended) from the beginning because of Fox.
A superhero movie that is only 93 minutes should not feel like three hours. These films should be at least two hours, full of the action and suspense that makes superheroes the draw that has made Marvel studios billions.
The Fantastic Four returns with a reboot. But unlike the two previous wacky and absurd films, this one presents a darker story and a different origin based on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics. However, there is only enough suspense to hold the audience in the first half of a very short movie. The story may be dark, but it is very weak and not likeable.
The cast definitely resembles the team just fine, but their dialogue is idiotic and as characters the audience cannot relate to them one bit. While the cast is actually playing the youngest Fantastic Four ever made, younger audiences cannot relate to them!
Reed Richards (Miles Teller) is probably 18 or 19, since he gets into Baxter during high school. Even the younger portrayal of the Fantastic Four in the Ultimate Comics were legal adults in their twenties! They had compelling stories and were likable. Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), were a disappointment with the “adoption” story. The audience needs to see more to be pulled into the plot. Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), was impressive, and Fox did well deciding to go CGI for his alter ego, “The Thing.”
Costuming was actually a problem, Reed Richards and Johnny Storm had non-believable costumes. Sue Storm’s was just fine, but the Thing really needed some pants! These were supposed to be beta costumes, but they never got around to showing the final costumes.
Why must there be “setups” for a sequel?! It was a little presumptuous to assume that there would be a sequel, considering how bad this film was, and how badly it did in the box office.
As for Dr. Doom (Toby Kebbell), he was a disappointment. The origin of his costume is confusing and his character was not compelling, although his glowing was great.
After their dimensional incident, the Fantastic Four and Doom wake up in fear of their altered bodies. Fear might be a more realistic emotion but after Reed leaves, one year passes, yet he masters his powers better than Sue and Johnny who were still in training. They should have mastered their powers within weeks! Later, the team reunites (for once) to stop Doom from blowing people’s heads up and bring our dimension into his. Yes that is Doom’s power, which was way too powerful, but he was my favorite character nonetheless.
The Four eventually stop him, and get a laboratory, but that is the end of the film. Fantastic Four as a superhero team was not even mentioned! How dare you, Fox!
Fantastic Four is nothing but lame, poorly productive and the complete opposite of fantastic. It makes Doom be the best character, it makes the poorly executed previous two films look even better, and it’s just a franchise waiting to go back to Marvel Studios to reboot yet again. Stan Lee did not even make a cameo appearance! Furthermore, the story was not discussed with him for consultation.
The creator would usually bring some light into the movie, but there is no light-heartedness. This franchise is “doomed” (pun intended) unless Fox gives it back to Marvel.
