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Fantastic Four - If I had to bet on it, they must have felt like the Lousy 4 after this.
-
Jun 2, 2011
- by Madpenguin
- posted in Speech Bubbles: Comics & Graphic Novels
Rating:
+2
Scientist Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) turns to Victor von Doom (Julian McMahon), an old classmate who is CEO of Von Doom Industries, to allow him the use of his orbit space station in order to study cosmic radiation. Doom agrees as long as Reed grants him a majority of the profits. Along with them are their colleagues, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), and Ben Grimm (Micheal Chiklis). The group are heavily bombarded with cosmic radiation. Upon returning to earth, they soon learn that they have been changed and given extraordinary powers. -summary
It's a crying shame that Marvel's first family and deadliest villain of all time were treated like this. Directed by Tom Story and released in 2005, the Fantastic Four is a very mediocre comic book to film adaptation. Now although it's a very bland film with plenty of issues, it's no way at all as bad as Batman and Robin or Ghost Rider. Those two films are in totally different universes altogether. At the very least this is watchable, and the low violence and non existent full nudity makes this something that kids can watch.
This film suffered heavily from a severe lack of action, and what little bit it featured was pretty boring with some weak special effects for a 2005 movie. I mean nothing truly wowed me here, and the only thing that raised an eyebrow here and there was watching Mr. Fantastic wrap someone up. I didn't care for the CG at all, but I will give credit to the costume for The Thing, even though I think THAT should have went the CG route. The Torch looked pretty cool and I say the pros stop right there as far as appearance is concerned. There were also some issues with the acting, I know Alba was there only for the eye candy and she didn't disappoint, but there could have been a little more to her. Practically everyone delivered phoned in performances.
The plot had a few interesting moments and some really bland ones. I felt no connection between Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and they're little romance received too much development. On the flip side, Torch and Thing were the only interesting characters for a little while. They handled their changes in believable ways, with Johnny accepting the gift and Thing shunning the curse. It was easy to sympathize with him and hope for a cure. Now even though they managed to do some good with the character development, it was completely outweighed by the bad. Johnny Storm's arrogance and free-spirited nature was fine at first, but by the middle of the movie he became completely annoying, and the less I saw of him the better. Dr. Doom was a terrible villain, I mean wow.
I'm the type of person who encourages everyone to ignore the original source material before coming into anything that's based off of something. So I'm going to evaluate this portion from two point of views, but I'm not going to base my rating from the fan boy perspective. Now as a non fan of the comic, Dr. Doom is too cookie cutter. There is nothing that separates him from any other stock bad guy in existence. So if you're unfamiliar with the comic, perhaps you'll dig him, perhaps you won't. Personally, I didn't dig him, I need my bad guys with some type of depth. From the POV of a fan, there's no doubt in my mind that fans will despise him. First of all, I did not like the approach by using the version of Doom from the Ultimate Marvel universe. Doom doesn't need special powers, he's a genius who created his own suit and weapons. Therefore, the organic metal that's part of his body is something I never liked. Going with the abilities from Ultimate Marvel worked for Spider-Man, but it just doesn't work for Doom. And now for the thing that really bugged me. Doom came off as a mere thug who gets his hands dirty. Where is that genius intellect he's known for and fights with his brains? Lets not forget, this is the same guy who defeated the X-Men with ridiculous ease, handed the Silver Surfer's ass to him twice, and later stole Galactus power cosmic and damn near killed the Beyonder with it. I didn't see any of that from this mockery of a top level super-villain.
Fantastic Four goes down as one of those real disappointments. I remember coming into this with built up expectations. But in the end; the lack of action, uninteresting characters, pathetic villain, and comedy that was more miss than hit proved to be its downfall. After this right here, I stopped coming into these movies with high expectations. Only recommended to serious super hero fans, and the very easy to please.
Pros:
-Child friendly, The Thing
Cons:
-Lack of action, everything else.
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woopak_the_thrill
June 02, 2011
The biggest disappointment ever from Marvel Studios. Tim Story cannot direct a Superhero flick....
Madpenguin
June 02, 2011
Biggest disappointment but far from the worst.
woopak_the_thrill
June 02, 2011
what is the most recent-worst comic book movie for you? It may be "Ghost Rider" for me, and "Superman Returns" was also a huge let down.
Madpenguin
June 02, 2011
You just knocked them both out right there. Those are the worst two in recent memory.
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FM_ALEX
June 02, 2011
I went in already knowing what was up so my expectations were low, so I guess I liked it a bit more than you. Excellent review.
Madpenguin
June 02, 2011
Unless it's by Micheal Bay, I hardly ever come into a movie with negative expectations. I was looking forward to this actually and I was disappointed. I even gave it a few more watches and it got no better.
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More Fantastic Four (movie) reviews
review by Stephanie_Smith19.
December 19, 2010
Out of all the superhero franchises, this one gets the biggest shaft. It's a shame, because Fantastic Four is a popular comic series and seems to have a strong fanbase. I was never really into them, but I still knew who they were, and I actually wanted to see this film when it came out. Fifteen minutes into the film, I was incredibly disappointed. I could see that it was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek approach to one of the most famous superhero teams in existence, but it tried, and failed. … more
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FANTASTIC 4 When this film first came out there was a lot of high hopes for the film, and why not it is one of the most beloved comics of all time. There has been a lot said about this movie some being positive some negative, I think for the most part that both sides are right. This movie is flawed especially if you are a fan of the comic series but if you a casual viewer I see no reason why you would not like this film. I have been a fan of Marvel … more
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Showed us all how a family can work together (even if one of them is stretchy, another invisible, another composed of rocks and one is highly combustible)!
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Quick Tip by TheJohn.
May 10, 2010
Silly and almost actionless superhero movie showcasing one of Marvel's earliest hero teams. They deserved better.
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I really hoped this movie would resemble the X-Men Trilogy (X-Men/ X2 - X-Men United/ X-Men - The Last Stand), which I thought was a model of how to transform a comic book into a movie. Unfortunately, Fantastic Four falls a bit flat. That casting is part of the problem. I thought Chris Evans was funny as Johnny "Torch." However, Jessica Alba as a scientist? I'm sorry, that's just casting so against type that it doesn't work. There's also no plot or emotional depth. The film … more
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review by TheJohn.
July 15, 2009
Fantastic Four I always looked at as the sunny side of X Men. This is the world where mutated humans are loved by the rest of mankind instead of being obstracized from society and feared. Reed Richards is a brilliant but bankrupt scientist and his associate Ben Grimm need funding for a scientific discovery in space and resort to turning to an old aquaintence, Victor VonDoom. (wonder if he's a bad guy?) Doom approves of the project provided he get a juicy … more
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Pros: Cool to see the Fantastic 4 in action Cons: Basically a movie for character development (sort of); Jessica Alba The Bottom Line: I can understand why it didnÂ’t sit so well with the public, hence it could have been dealt with a little better. Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot. When I saw the previews for The Fantastic 4 I was excited. I didn’t know much about them aside from the … more
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Based upon the comic book series of the same name, FANTASTIC FOUR is a sci-fi action movie about a group of scientists who gain superpowers from a powerful cosmic ray while aboard a laboratory and observation space station above Earth. Their powers aren't apparent immediately and are dormant upon re-entry. However, towards the end of their quarantine upon re-entry the five individuals become aware of changes in their bodies: Dr. Richard Reed (Ioan Gruffudd) has the ability to stretch his body into … more
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review by vemartin.
January 04, 2006
Pros: Great special effects, Jessica Alba looks good in a VictoriaÂ’s Secret garb. Cons: Too much time spent on back-story and emotional stuff. The Bottom Line: While Fantastic Four is not something I would run to the theater to see, it is perfect for those rainy, cloud shrouded, lazy SaturdayÂ’s in between work days. I grew up in the age of Marvel and D.C. comics; at a time when the thin colored wonders were a mainstay of the … more
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review by MzJen_2_review.
December 02, 2005
It's a good movie but also has room for improvement. One of the pluses of this movie is the cast. Not only is it a good cast but one filled with fresh faces. Each person also brings an impressive resume to the movie. Jessica Alba is really coming into her own with this movie as well as having a starring role in this year's earlier hit, "Sin City". Chris Evans is also an up and comer having appeared in last year's flick, "Cellular" Ioan Gruffudd from "Titanic" and the "Horatio Hornblower" series … more
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Madpenguin
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About this movie
Fantastic Four (titled Fantastic 4 on the DVD/Blu-ray release) is a 2005 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. This is the second live-action Fantastic Four movie to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the purpose of retaining the film rights, was never intended for a theatrical release.
The film was released in the United States on July 8, 2005. It was the third superhero film of the year, after Elektra and Batman Begins.
Marvel Comics' first family of superherodom, the Fantastic Four, hits the big screen in a light-hearted and funny adventure. It begins when down-on-his-luck genius Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd,Horatio Hornblower) has to enlist the financial and intellectual help from former schoolmate and rival Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon,Nip/Tuck) in order to pursue outer-space research into human DNA. Also on the trip are Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis,The Shield); his former lover, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba,Dark Angel,Sin City), who's now Doom's employee and love interest; and her hotshot-pilot brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans,Cellular). Things don't go as planned, of course, and the quartet becomes blessed--or is it cursed?--with superhuman powers: flexibility, brute strength, invisibility and projecting force fields, and bursting into flame. Meanwhile, Doom himself is undergoing a transformation.
...
Cast:
Jessica Alba,
Chris Evans,
Kerry Washington,
Gina Holden,
Kevin McNulty,
Ioan Gruffudd,
David Richmond-Peck,
Nicole Muñoz,
Tony Alcantar,
David Parker,
Dave Holmes,
Peter Bryant,
Brian Deegan,
Leonard Thomas,
Stan Lee,
Daniel Bacon,
Andrew Airlie,
Doug Abrahams,
Michael Chiklis,
Julian McMahon,
Hamish Linklater,
Laurie Holden,
Maria Menounos,
Penelope Corrin,
Aonika Laurent,
Paul Belsito,
Morgan Reynolds,
Danielle Dunn-Morris,
Bobbi Bysouth,
Marlaina Mah,
Tre Verhoeven,
Juanita Mirehouse,
Stefanie Singer,
Jamie Little,
Barbara Christabella,
Sanja Banic,
Jason Kaufman,
Preston Peet,
Steven Fulani Hart,
Maurice Tyson,
Jaimie Mcvittie,
Jenni Squair,
Lia Salmond,
Ellen Ewusie,
Ylenia Aurucci,
Michelle Kulas,
Kate Mullan,
Georgia Dewson,
Sienna Rose,
Hector A. Leguillow,
Benedict Mulroney,
Jon Brady,
Taryn Winter Brill,
Sara Edwards,
Heidi Eng,
CB Hackworth,
Sam Hallenbeck,
Mike Waco,
Marian Etoile Watson,
Richard Ho,
Andrew Hunsaker,
Taylor Johnson,
Bonnie Laufer-Krebs,
Lisa Fuller Magee,
Bret Martin,
Liam Mayclem,
Scott Patrick,
Shaheem Reid,
Maria Salas,
Devon Soltendieck,
Anthony Toscano,
Terry David Mulligan,
Kenny Bartram,
Sam Rubin,
Patrick Stoner,
Lorena Gale,
Jason Schombing,
Michael Kopsa,
Colin Lawrence,
Mark S. Allen,
Douglas Weston,
Brenda Crichlow,
Jim Ferguson,
Peggy Gormley,
Ed Hodson,
Deejay Jackson,
Ron Chartier,
G. Michael Gray,
Ronnie Renner,
Donavon Stinson,
Bethann Schebece,
Jason Diablo,
Jennifer Lothrop,
Pascale Hutton,
Louise Lemoine Torres,
Lauren Sanchez,
John Speredakos
Director:
Tim Story
Genre:
Action,
Adventure
Release Date:
July 8, 2005
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
DVD Release Date:
December 6, 2005
Runtime:
1hr 46min
Studio:
20th Century Fox
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