Competent entertainment, and a fun feuding dynamic between youngish heroes not quite ready for the limelight, but it's basically just the Marvel Origin Story Template applied once more. Jessica Alba can't act, but Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom is one of the better villain performances in this stable.
1,037 Reviews
Captures a time when superhero films were more joyful
StevePulaski13 August 2015
Fantastic Four is one of the last superhero films, that I can recall, that wasn't insufferably bleak or incredibly serious to a point where any shred of humor was seen as obtuse to the film's narrative. Yes, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is an indisputable breakthrough in superhero films, but it also made the seriousness of superhero films standard, something that would follow into the late 2000's and early 2010's as Marvel built up The Avengers. Fantastic Four reminds of the quirkiness superhero films were once predicated upon, and while it may get a bit too corny at times, and its focus can never really settle, it's also a very commercial film that satisfies on some level of entertainment when it gives every card in its deck a fair time to shine.
We open by looking at a physicist named Dr. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), who is convinced evolution was triggered millions of years ago by stray elements of cosmic energy in space, some of which will pass near Earth very soon. His pal, astronaut Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), works by his side on this potentially revolutionary discovery by helping him convince their old classmate Dr. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), the CEO of Von Doom Industries, to allow both of them access to his private space station to further experiment with the effects of these cosmic energy particles. While Doom agrees, he winds up walking away with most of the profits that this experiment will bring, affirming Reed's desperation to make his project work.
Still, he persists on and brings his close friends Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) and her brother Johnny (Chris Evans) along for the ride. However, when a trip to outer space goes awry, exposure with the cosmic energy results in the four receiving deformities and enhanced human abilities that have never before been seen: Reed possesses the ability to stretch every limb of his body, Susan has the ability to disappear and reappear at her leisure, Johnny can have his body engulfed in flame simply by reciting the phrase "Flame on!," and Ben turns into a hideous, orange rock monster.
Following the four's mutations, writers Michael France and Mark Frost focus a great deal of their time on the agony that these mutations bring, particularly The Thing, who experiences his wife leaving him shortly after revealing his deformity. While this agony is a solid angle (one I'd argue necessary in most superhero films), too much of the time is spent profiling The Thing and not enough on the remaining characters of the film. Reed and Ben, who are ultimately the film's main focus, wind up monopolizing too much of the picture, and any time we see Johnny is when he's right in the middle of making a smug comment or being his typical, womanizing self.
The action in Fantastic Four has a colorful commercial look to it, brilliantly bold and very vibrant in a way that makes many of the scenes pop with life. It manages to achieve a comic book aesthetic without resorting to picture-in-picture editing. One particularly involving scene takes place on a suspension bridge, where The Thing is seen pummeling everything in his sight and the remaining three members of the team must resort to either relaxing him or protecting drivers and innocent bystanders.
The goofiness in Fantastic Four, however, in an age of dark superhero films that come with slick aesthetics and brooding characters, is a delightful change of pace. Yes, there is a point when one wishes director Tim Story, France, and Frost would command a tighter grip on the seriousness of the writing, but the pulpy fun of Fantastic Four, in addition to the effects and the neatly choreographed action, keep it a moving, satisfying spectacle that is more than just colors flying around on screen, trying to find their place.
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, and Julian McMahon. Directed by: Tim Story.
We open by looking at a physicist named Dr. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), who is convinced evolution was triggered millions of years ago by stray elements of cosmic energy in space, some of which will pass near Earth very soon. His pal, astronaut Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), works by his side on this potentially revolutionary discovery by helping him convince their old classmate Dr. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), the CEO of Von Doom Industries, to allow both of them access to his private space station to further experiment with the effects of these cosmic energy particles. While Doom agrees, he winds up walking away with most of the profits that this experiment will bring, affirming Reed's desperation to make his project work.
Still, he persists on and brings his close friends Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) and her brother Johnny (Chris Evans) along for the ride. However, when a trip to outer space goes awry, exposure with the cosmic energy results in the four receiving deformities and enhanced human abilities that have never before been seen: Reed possesses the ability to stretch every limb of his body, Susan has the ability to disappear and reappear at her leisure, Johnny can have his body engulfed in flame simply by reciting the phrase "Flame on!," and Ben turns into a hideous, orange rock monster.
Following the four's mutations, writers Michael France and Mark Frost focus a great deal of their time on the agony that these mutations bring, particularly The Thing, who experiences his wife leaving him shortly after revealing his deformity. While this agony is a solid angle (one I'd argue necessary in most superhero films), too much of the time is spent profiling The Thing and not enough on the remaining characters of the film. Reed and Ben, who are ultimately the film's main focus, wind up monopolizing too much of the picture, and any time we see Johnny is when he's right in the middle of making a smug comment or being his typical, womanizing self.
The action in Fantastic Four has a colorful commercial look to it, brilliantly bold and very vibrant in a way that makes many of the scenes pop with life. It manages to achieve a comic book aesthetic without resorting to picture-in-picture editing. One particularly involving scene takes place on a suspension bridge, where The Thing is seen pummeling everything in his sight and the remaining three members of the team must resort to either relaxing him or protecting drivers and innocent bystanders.
The goofiness in Fantastic Four, however, in an age of dark superhero films that come with slick aesthetics and brooding characters, is a delightful change of pace. Yes, there is a point when one wishes director Tim Story, France, and Frost would command a tighter grip on the seriousness of the writing, but the pulpy fun of Fantastic Four, in addition to the effects and the neatly choreographed action, keep it a moving, satisfying spectacle that is more than just colors flying around on screen, trying to find their place.
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, and Julian McMahon. Directed by: Tim Story.
I Don't Get the Hate for this Movie
caseynicholson12 August 2015
I recently watched the 2005 version of "The Fantastic Four" in preparation for the reboot that is in theaters now. This movie and its sequel, "Rise of the Silver Surfer" are 20th Century Fox productions. The Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises were both leased out to Fox prior to Marvel getting its own film production studios, and like other Marvel properties from before the MCU, this film is often bashed by comic book fans.
I personally don't see what's not to like here. Indeed, I think that this film does a great job portraying the FF's origin story. Sure, The Thing looks a bit hokey in what is clearly a rubberized suit of some sort, and I think they surely could have found an actor that looked more like Reed Richards from the comics than Ioan Gruffudd (that's quite the name, by the way!). But all in all, this is a.....fantastic....film. lol
I give it 8/10 stars. Jessica Alba does great as Sue Storm, and Julian McMahon is a superb Dr. Doom. The plot and the acting are well done, and the pace of the storytelling is good as well. To me, there's much more to like in this movie than to dislike.
Language note, though: There is one "GD" in this movie, which I wasn't expecting (it's when Ben Grimm is in the hospital bed after returning from space). I guess it just goes to show that Marvel movies were not always kid-friendly even before the recent trend in the MCU line. So heads up for that.
I personally don't see what's not to like here. Indeed, I think that this film does a great job portraying the FF's origin story. Sure, The Thing looks a bit hokey in what is clearly a rubberized suit of some sort, and I think they surely could have found an actor that looked more like Reed Richards from the comics than Ioan Gruffudd (that's quite the name, by the way!). But all in all, this is a.....fantastic....film. lol
I give it 8/10 stars. Jessica Alba does great as Sue Storm, and Julian McMahon is a superb Dr. Doom. The plot and the acting are well done, and the pace of the storytelling is good as well. To me, there's much more to like in this movie than to dislike.
Language note, though: There is one "GD" in this movie, which I wasn't expecting (it's when Ben Grimm is in the hospital bed after returning from space). I guess it just goes to show that Marvel movies were not always kid-friendly even before the recent trend in the MCU line. So heads up for that.
A pretty good film
gdinelli9 July 2015
As a reader of the comics, I was really excited to finally see a movie about my favourite characters. I've learned that a FF film was in "development hell" for some decades, so when it finally came out, obviously I rushed to the theater. And, I was not disappointed at all. Of course it's not as good as X-Men 2 or Spider-Man (the original, with Tobey Maguire), but it's good for what it aims to be: a sci-fi/action movie about comic book characters. You have to understand that the Fantastic Four are not as popular as other heroes, like Iron Man i.e., besides, their stories always covered the most strange, bizarre, far out things imaginable. And, because they are a family, there are many corny moments in the movie, but the comics too have those moments, then you just have to "let it go", to really enjoy the story. Overall, it's a very decent movie about very decent people. Relax, and enjoy the ride!
"A few days in space, what could possibly go wrong?" (minor spoilers)
jimbo-53-18651116 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Following a failed experiment in space, a group of astronauts gain super powers following exposure to radioactive energy. This exposure gives the astronauts different super powers and doctor Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) is attempting to find a way to reverse the effects of the radiation on his team. However, Doctor Von Doom (who has also been exposed to the radiation) has his own agenda and is intent on using his super powers to try to take down the Fantastic Four.
Given its rather modest 5.7 average user rating I wasn't expecting much here and was actually fearing the worst. However, whilst watching this film I was surprised by how enjoyable I actually found it. The story has quite a lot of depth to it and most of the focus is on how the team cope with the way that the radiation has caused life-changing alterations to their DNA. Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) relishes his new found gift and does everything he can to make sure he's in the limelight - this makes sense as he's painted as a rather arrogant individual right from the start. Evans puts in a good performance and despite the arrogance of his character he does still have some likability about him. On the other end of the spectrum, we've got Ben Grimm (Michael Chilkis) whose DNA has been permanently altered by the radiation due to the fact that he received the most exposure to it. There is a very tender scene with his character at the start of the film where he goes back to see his wife and she can't handle what has happened to him and basically has nothing further to do with him (it seems bizarre that she doesn't even ask what has happened to him and doesn't seem interested in standing by him or helping him out - what a b*tch). Chilkis is also excellent here and gives a nicely balance performance with a character that is ugly and gruff on the outside, but has a real heart of gold on the inside. Alba and Gruffudd make up the other two characters in The Fantastic Four (Sue Storm and Reed Richards respectively) and sadly their characters are not quite as interesting as Ben or Johnny and their performances for me weren't quite as strong. Despite this though, the film provides many funny moments (mostly between Ben and Johnny) and the wonderful camaderie and rather interesting story and exploration of their super powers made this a winner in my book.
The only weak link with this film lay with Von Doom (Julian McMahon) as the villain of the piece and his motivations; he seems to lose it and go berserk because he's jealous that something is going on between Sue and Reed. OK, that's fine, but why then decide to try and kill Ben and Johnny when his issue is with Richards and Storm. Despite a good turn from McMahon, I never really took to him as a villain as I felt that jealousy alone was a rather thin and flimsy reason to justify his barbaric behaviour.
Taking everything into account this is a good film. It's fun, there are some interesting characters here, the exploration of their super powers are interesting and of course the special effects are incredible. It's definitely worth a look.
Given its rather modest 5.7 average user rating I wasn't expecting much here and was actually fearing the worst. However, whilst watching this film I was surprised by how enjoyable I actually found it. The story has quite a lot of depth to it and most of the focus is on how the team cope with the way that the radiation has caused life-changing alterations to their DNA. Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) relishes his new found gift and does everything he can to make sure he's in the limelight - this makes sense as he's painted as a rather arrogant individual right from the start. Evans puts in a good performance and despite the arrogance of his character he does still have some likability about him. On the other end of the spectrum, we've got Ben Grimm (Michael Chilkis) whose DNA has been permanently altered by the radiation due to the fact that he received the most exposure to it. There is a very tender scene with his character at the start of the film where he goes back to see his wife and she can't handle what has happened to him and basically has nothing further to do with him (it seems bizarre that she doesn't even ask what has happened to him and doesn't seem interested in standing by him or helping him out - what a b*tch). Chilkis is also excellent here and gives a nicely balance performance with a character that is ugly and gruff on the outside, but has a real heart of gold on the inside. Alba and Gruffudd make up the other two characters in The Fantastic Four (Sue Storm and Reed Richards respectively) and sadly their characters are not quite as interesting as Ben or Johnny and their performances for me weren't quite as strong. Despite this though, the film provides many funny moments (mostly between Ben and Johnny) and the wonderful camaderie and rather interesting story and exploration of their super powers made this a winner in my book.
The only weak link with this film lay with Von Doom (Julian McMahon) as the villain of the piece and his motivations; he seems to lose it and go berserk because he's jealous that something is going on between Sue and Reed. OK, that's fine, but why then decide to try and kill Ben and Johnny when his issue is with Richards and Storm. Despite a good turn from McMahon, I never really took to him as a villain as I felt that jealousy alone was a rather thin and flimsy reason to justify his barbaric behaviour.
Taking everything into account this is a good film. It's fun, there are some interesting characters here, the exploration of their super powers are interesting and of course the special effects are incredible. It's definitely worth a look.
Way better than Fant4stic (2015)
randyfromscream5 August 2017
This movie is very enjoyable like it don't need a dark tone and Dr.Doom looks better. I'd wish I watch the 90s one even though it didn't age well but still I want to. At least the characters are likable then Fant4stic because the characters in the movie are lifeless while in this film there not boring. I know the film is not the best but I have a good time with it
So-So Superhero Film
christian1236 July 2006
During a failed experiment in space, Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue and Johnny Storm (Jessica Alba and Chris Evans), Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) and Dr. Victor Von Doom are bombarded by cosmic rays, changing their molecular systems and giving them superpowers. Four of them become the superhero team, the Fantastic Four, while Doom becomes their new enemy.
The Fantastic Four is far from fantastic but it does make for decent entertainment. The movie is very light-hearted and it isn't complex at all. This is good news and bad news. The good part is that the film doesn't take itself so seriously and the movie ends up being mildly enjoyable. On the other hand, it becomes silly and cheesy with laughable acting and events. Also, the movie is actually kind of dull. There are some fun spots (like the bridge scene) but there is really no spark to the film. The blame should go to Tim Story and his lack of imagination. He keeps the film bland and dull but he shouldn't get all the blame. He is working with a cheesy and weak script courtesy of Michael France and Mark Frost. If the writing had been a little better and the direction a little sharper then the film could have been better but it stands as a mediocre one.
The acting is a mix bag with some good performances and a couple of bad ones. Chris Evans gives the best performance as Johnny Storm. He seems to be having a blast and his performance is contagious. It's also nice to see something different. Usually in super hero movies, the superheroes are moody and they just want a normal life, which isn't a bad thing. However Johnny Storm actually wants to show off and he considers his new powers to be a blessing and not a curse. On the opposite side of Johnny Storm, you have Ben Grimm played by Michael Chiklis. He is the exact opposite and he wants to give rid of his powers. His situation is pretty sad since his fiancé leaves him and it's hard for him to really live a normal life. Chiklis gives a good performance and it was a little heartwarming. Jessica Alba gives a bad performance as Sue Storm. She is unconvincing as a scientist and her emotions feel fake. Ioan Gruffudd is actually somehow worse and he can't really act. His chemistry with Jessica Alba is almost non existent. The only other person worth mentioning is Julian McMahon and he plays Dr. Victor Von Doom. I think he makes a good bad guy and he gives a decent performance.
Despite the lack of quality in the film, Fantastic Four is pretty harmless. There is nothing here that should really offend anyone and it works better with kids than with adults or teenagers. The film has some things going for it though. The special effects are at least above average and the movie provides decent eye candy. As previously noted, there are some performances that stood out so the whole experience isn't a complete waste of time. However, The Fantastic Four is still a disappointment. In the end, the movie is worth a rental at the most, in my opinion. Rating 5/10
The Fantastic Four is far from fantastic but it does make for decent entertainment. The movie is very light-hearted and it isn't complex at all. This is good news and bad news. The good part is that the film doesn't take itself so seriously and the movie ends up being mildly enjoyable. On the other hand, it becomes silly and cheesy with laughable acting and events. Also, the movie is actually kind of dull. There are some fun spots (like the bridge scene) but there is really no spark to the film. The blame should go to Tim Story and his lack of imagination. He keeps the film bland and dull but he shouldn't get all the blame. He is working with a cheesy and weak script courtesy of Michael France and Mark Frost. If the writing had been a little better and the direction a little sharper then the film could have been better but it stands as a mediocre one.
The acting is a mix bag with some good performances and a couple of bad ones. Chris Evans gives the best performance as Johnny Storm. He seems to be having a blast and his performance is contagious. It's also nice to see something different. Usually in super hero movies, the superheroes are moody and they just want a normal life, which isn't a bad thing. However Johnny Storm actually wants to show off and he considers his new powers to be a blessing and not a curse. On the opposite side of Johnny Storm, you have Ben Grimm played by Michael Chiklis. He is the exact opposite and he wants to give rid of his powers. His situation is pretty sad since his fiancé leaves him and it's hard for him to really live a normal life. Chiklis gives a good performance and it was a little heartwarming. Jessica Alba gives a bad performance as Sue Storm. She is unconvincing as a scientist and her emotions feel fake. Ioan Gruffudd is actually somehow worse and he can't really act. His chemistry with Jessica Alba is almost non existent. The only other person worth mentioning is Julian McMahon and he plays Dr. Victor Von Doom. I think he makes a good bad guy and he gives a decent performance.
Despite the lack of quality in the film, Fantastic Four is pretty harmless. There is nothing here that should really offend anyone and it works better with kids than with adults or teenagers. The film has some things going for it though. The special effects are at least above average and the movie provides decent eye candy. As previously noted, there are some performances that stood out so the whole experience isn't a complete waste of time. However, The Fantastic Four is still a disappointment. In the end, the movie is worth a rental at the most, in my opinion. Rating 5/10
The title is half right
RogerBorg5 October 2006
In that there are Four of them. But Fantastic? More like "Mediocre", or "Barely Adequate", or "Contractually Sufficient".
For once, the reviewers were right. This film is a big, rambling, poorly conceived, sloppily scripted, shoddily acted pile of orange rubble. Avoid it, or suffer the consequences.
It's hard to know where to begin, there's so much wrong with it. For a start, the acting "talent" is AWOL. TV performers don't inevitably get lost on the big screen, but this cadre evited it. Alba turns in the exact same performance that she always does, going through her entire range, from "pouty and petulant" to "petulant and pouty". Evans is either a strutting superannuated fratboy poseur, or for some reason is deliberately playing one so well that it's hard to tell the difference - either way, his character is thoroughly irritating and utterly unsympathetic. Chiklis is adequate, but is let down by the plain fact that he's a round little man in a big rubber muscle suit. This was a role for Ron Perlman, not Wimpy. Gruffudd is a huge disappointment; he has no screen presence, and his slightly out-of-his-depth portrayal of Hornblower is apparently the man, not the character. It would have been better if he had been invisible, as he manages to fade into the background with ease in every scene. McMahon is the only actor who appears to be enjoying himself, but as he's barely in the film, he can't rescue it.
The script was apparently in development for ten years. I can't see why, as it's one scene, repeated ten times. If this is the refined version, I shudder to imagine what the raw cut would have been like. I find it hard to believe that the lines were written by, or for, adults. There's no real plot to the film, or even a story beyond "Nasty self absorbed un-credible astronauts become nasty self absorbed un-credible 'super' heroes, then argue with each other for a while, take their clothes off for no reason, then beat up some poor disfigured guy apparently because he didn't join their little gang, roll credits." Direction and cinematography was Filmschool #101, the score was instantly forgettable, and the editing was appalling, with the pacing in particular being random and rushed.
The effects were only what we've come to expect from a hundred million dollar movie, which brings me to the big question: what on earth did they spend all that money on? It wasn't on the "talent", either on-screen or off, it certainly wasn't on the rubber suit, and the effects couldn't have cost that much - or if they did, they were seriously over-charged.
I have an idea where at least some of the budget went. From IMDb's Trivia section: "Contains over 25 cameos from real life employees of Fox television affiliates." And I strongly suspect that the IMDb records for this movie contain about 2,5000 comments and ratings and mutual approvals from about five of those real life employees. Reading the top recommended comments, most of which have 10 ratings, reveals a depressing pattern of almost identically styled raves from the likes of "top10dude" and "BigTenPower" with embarrassingly obvious track records of enthusing about, you guessed it, other shoddy Fox movies. When someone rates Elektra a 10, you have to just snort in disbelief at the audacity of it.
I guess it's a pretty good investment for Fox, but this kind of astroturfing drastically reduces the usefulness of IMDb as an early review source. With time, this awful, foul mess of a movie will no doubt settle to its rightful place near the bottom of the ratings pile, but it's likely that the shill reviews will stay stubbornly at the top of the recommended pile for a long time to come. Beware; consider the source.
[2013 update] To this day, the top 'recommended' comment is an early 10 rating from a member who signed up to IMDb just to rave about this one film using the minimum allowed size of review, and then never contributed again. What dedication!
For once, the reviewers were right. This film is a big, rambling, poorly conceived, sloppily scripted, shoddily acted pile of orange rubble. Avoid it, or suffer the consequences.
It's hard to know where to begin, there's so much wrong with it. For a start, the acting "talent" is AWOL. TV performers don't inevitably get lost on the big screen, but this cadre evited it. Alba turns in the exact same performance that she always does, going through her entire range, from "pouty and petulant" to "petulant and pouty". Evans is either a strutting superannuated fratboy poseur, or for some reason is deliberately playing one so well that it's hard to tell the difference - either way, his character is thoroughly irritating and utterly unsympathetic. Chiklis is adequate, but is let down by the plain fact that he's a round little man in a big rubber muscle suit. This was a role for Ron Perlman, not Wimpy. Gruffudd is a huge disappointment; he has no screen presence, and his slightly out-of-his-depth portrayal of Hornblower is apparently the man, not the character. It would have been better if he had been invisible, as he manages to fade into the background with ease in every scene. McMahon is the only actor who appears to be enjoying himself, but as he's barely in the film, he can't rescue it.
The script was apparently in development for ten years. I can't see why, as it's one scene, repeated ten times. If this is the refined version, I shudder to imagine what the raw cut would have been like. I find it hard to believe that the lines were written by, or for, adults. There's no real plot to the film, or even a story beyond "Nasty self absorbed un-credible astronauts become nasty self absorbed un-credible 'super' heroes, then argue with each other for a while, take their clothes off for no reason, then beat up some poor disfigured guy apparently because he didn't join their little gang, roll credits." Direction and cinematography was Filmschool #101, the score was instantly forgettable, and the editing was appalling, with the pacing in particular being random and rushed.
The effects were only what we've come to expect from a hundred million dollar movie, which brings me to the big question: what on earth did they spend all that money on? It wasn't on the "talent", either on-screen or off, it certainly wasn't on the rubber suit, and the effects couldn't have cost that much - or if they did, they were seriously over-charged.
I have an idea where at least some of the budget went. From IMDb's Trivia section: "Contains over 25 cameos from real life employees of Fox television affiliates." And I strongly suspect that the IMDb records for this movie contain about 2,5000 comments and ratings and mutual approvals from about five of those real life employees. Reading the top recommended comments, most of which have 10 ratings, reveals a depressing pattern of almost identically styled raves from the likes of "top10dude" and "BigTenPower" with embarrassingly obvious track records of enthusing about, you guessed it, other shoddy Fox movies. When someone rates Elektra a 10, you have to just snort in disbelief at the audacity of it.
I guess it's a pretty good investment for Fox, but this kind of astroturfing drastically reduces the usefulness of IMDb as an early review source. With time, this awful, foul mess of a movie will no doubt settle to its rightful place near the bottom of the ratings pile, but it's likely that the shill reviews will stay stubbornly at the top of the recommended pile for a long time to come. Beware; consider the source.
[2013 update] To this day, the top 'recommended' comment is an early 10 rating from a member who signed up to IMDb just to rave about this one film using the minimum allowed size of review, and then never contributed again. What dedication!
Truly enjoyable.
write_to_ellen18 July 2005
This film was well put together, fun, and didn't take itself at all seriously. I am not sure where the negative hype comes from, but I find when a good film gets bad reviews, that means most people just didn't get it. In this case, perhaps from the last few comic book films that attempted to "mean something," I think people forgot how to enjoy themselves. Laden with kitsch and tongue-in-cheek humor, this movie embraces that it comes from a comic book and allows itself to be big and a little silly. Yes, Jessica Alba wears an impossibly tight jumpsuit. Yes, the Human Torch is so slick and charming that, if you met him in real life, he'd get a solid smack for his arrogance. But this isn't real life, people, in case you forgot-this is the Marvel Universe, where clothes are tight and the dialog...isn't. Who cares? This movie is so fun that you wish these people did exist and would take some media focus off the jerks that are in the public eye.
Somebody Finally Got it Right!!!
TomAW30 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Wow! Just WOW! Let me start by saying I'm not a regular Fantastic Four reader, but I am a huge superhero fan and I've been reading comic books and watching superhero movies since the mid seventies. Spider-Man's my favorite, so I'm familiar with the FF characters from team-ups, crossovers etc. A few days ago I was visiting a friend in NYC and he treated me to a special advance showing of the Fantastic Four.
Now I've been watching superhero movies since the original Superman, and year after year, film after film, they've gotten close, but there always seems to be something missing. With Spider-Man, for example, I liked it, but I thought the Goblin could have been much better and Toby M. made a great Peter Parker, but mediocre Spider-man.
But the Fantastic Four . . . this one seemed to finally put it all together. The good guys were good (without being goody-goody) the bad guy was bad (without being a caricature) the setting was grounded and realistic (not an altered reality like the early Batman films) allowing just enough suspension of disbelief where it was really needed. Sure there were moments that could be questioned: "Would that really happen? Would he really say that?", but it's just about impossible to make an ambitious film like this without a few moments like that. What I really loved is they had POWERS, and they used them. You didn't get the feeling (as you did with X-Men for example) that they were being held back. They looked like they were coming right off the comic page.
Here's a little breakdown: Chris Evans/Human Torch - Amazing. I think a lot of credit has to be given to whoever did the casting on this one. No offense to Mr. Evans, but I got the feeling that playing an over-the-top superstar thrill seeker wasn't much of a stretch for him - if it was I really owe him a tip of the hat, but he seemed completely natural in the role. If Sam Raimi had thought to put Chris E. in the Spider-Man suit and let Toby M. play Peter P., we might have had a very interesting film. And kudos to the special effects department on this one, when the Torch "Flames On" you can practically feel the heat coming off the screen.
Michael Chiklis/Thing - Again, the casting was perfect on this. Michael C. WAS the Thing. He made you feel his pain, but he didn't wallow in it. While I thought they might do this with CGI, I'm glad they didn't. MC brought a depth and realness to the character that no computer could hope to match. There were a few moments when the suit didn't look quite right, but it was never enough to destroy the moment.
Ioan Gruffuld/Mr. Fantastic - Ioan G. did a good job, but he didn't have as much to work with as the other characters. He was believable and likable, but not a standout with everything else that was going on. The special effects were well done, but since your brain knows people can't actually stretch, it never quite looked "real". Still, to the filmmakers credit, they didn't hold back, and there were scenes (such as a fight with the Thing) that had me sitting slack jawed and amazed.
Jessica Alba/Invisible Woman - Jessica A. is simply breathtaking to look at. Now that I've said that, I feel a little less guilty saying her acting, while not bad, was a little flat. Still, she brought a special quality to the character, and many, many men and boys will walk out of the theater in love with her. The invisibility/force field effects were generally well done, but not quite what I expected, and at times I found myself wishing they had done them a bit differently.
Julian McMahon/Dr. Doom - Like many fans, I had been hoping for Doctor Doom - RULER OF LATVERIA, but in the context of this film, you can see that it wouldn't really have worked. This is an origin piece. The Fantastic Four aren't really the Fantastic Four yet. They're just a bunch of confused geeks trying to figure out who and what they are. Doctor Doom - RULER OF LATVERIA would have dispatched with them before breakfast. The ending, however, perfectly sets up a sequel (and I'm almost certain there WILL be a sequel - this film is too good not to get one) in which the a mature Fantastic Four can face a mature Dr. Doom. For this film, Julian M. was subtle yet powerful. He wasn't a cartoon bad guy, but a real bad guy. The kind you've met before who will shake your hand and look you in the eye while he's sticking a knife in your back. His relationship with Sue is creepy and it really defines his character. Everyone in the audience can see that he doesn't even understand what love is. To him, love is possession. Toward the end, he becomes truly frightening, but it's not a jump like some villains. You could see the evil smoldering below the surface from his first on-screen moment.
Overall, the film was well balanced and a LOT of fun. It was very funny at points, it was very heart rending at other points. Dramatic, intense and exciting. Remember that moment in Star Wars when Han Solo came back to help Luke blow up the Death Star. Remember how you just cheered an celebrated with the heroes? That's how this film made me feel.
I'm afraid I'm not eloquent enough to describe just how much I loved this movie. While not perfect, the sum total of the parts created a great, memorable experience.
Now I've been watching superhero movies since the original Superman, and year after year, film after film, they've gotten close, but there always seems to be something missing. With Spider-Man, for example, I liked it, but I thought the Goblin could have been much better and Toby M. made a great Peter Parker, but mediocre Spider-man.
But the Fantastic Four . . . this one seemed to finally put it all together. The good guys were good (without being goody-goody) the bad guy was bad (without being a caricature) the setting was grounded and realistic (not an altered reality like the early Batman films) allowing just enough suspension of disbelief where it was really needed. Sure there were moments that could be questioned: "Would that really happen? Would he really say that?", but it's just about impossible to make an ambitious film like this without a few moments like that. What I really loved is they had POWERS, and they used them. You didn't get the feeling (as you did with X-Men for example) that they were being held back. They looked like they were coming right off the comic page.
Here's a little breakdown: Chris Evans/Human Torch - Amazing. I think a lot of credit has to be given to whoever did the casting on this one. No offense to Mr. Evans, but I got the feeling that playing an over-the-top superstar thrill seeker wasn't much of a stretch for him - if it was I really owe him a tip of the hat, but he seemed completely natural in the role. If Sam Raimi had thought to put Chris E. in the Spider-Man suit and let Toby M. play Peter P., we might have had a very interesting film. And kudos to the special effects department on this one, when the Torch "Flames On" you can practically feel the heat coming off the screen.
Michael Chiklis/Thing - Again, the casting was perfect on this. Michael C. WAS the Thing. He made you feel his pain, but he didn't wallow in it. While I thought they might do this with CGI, I'm glad they didn't. MC brought a depth and realness to the character that no computer could hope to match. There were a few moments when the suit didn't look quite right, but it was never enough to destroy the moment.
Ioan Gruffuld/Mr. Fantastic - Ioan G. did a good job, but he didn't have as much to work with as the other characters. He was believable and likable, but not a standout with everything else that was going on. The special effects were well done, but since your brain knows people can't actually stretch, it never quite looked "real". Still, to the filmmakers credit, they didn't hold back, and there were scenes (such as a fight with the Thing) that had me sitting slack jawed and amazed.
Jessica Alba/Invisible Woman - Jessica A. is simply breathtaking to look at. Now that I've said that, I feel a little less guilty saying her acting, while not bad, was a little flat. Still, she brought a special quality to the character, and many, many men and boys will walk out of the theater in love with her. The invisibility/force field effects were generally well done, but not quite what I expected, and at times I found myself wishing they had done them a bit differently.
Julian McMahon/Dr. Doom - Like many fans, I had been hoping for Doctor Doom - RULER OF LATVERIA, but in the context of this film, you can see that it wouldn't really have worked. This is an origin piece. The Fantastic Four aren't really the Fantastic Four yet. They're just a bunch of confused geeks trying to figure out who and what they are. Doctor Doom - RULER OF LATVERIA would have dispatched with them before breakfast. The ending, however, perfectly sets up a sequel (and I'm almost certain there WILL be a sequel - this film is too good not to get one) in which the a mature Fantastic Four can face a mature Dr. Doom. For this film, Julian M. was subtle yet powerful. He wasn't a cartoon bad guy, but a real bad guy. The kind you've met before who will shake your hand and look you in the eye while he's sticking a knife in your back. His relationship with Sue is creepy and it really defines his character. Everyone in the audience can see that he doesn't even understand what love is. To him, love is possession. Toward the end, he becomes truly frightening, but it's not a jump like some villains. You could see the evil smoldering below the surface from his first on-screen moment.
Overall, the film was well balanced and a LOT of fun. It was very funny at points, it was very heart rending at other points. Dramatic, intense and exciting. Remember that moment in Star Wars when Han Solo came back to help Luke blow up the Death Star. Remember how you just cheered an celebrated with the heroes? That's how this film made me feel.
I'm afraid I'm not eloquent enough to describe just how much I loved this movie. While not perfect, the sum total of the parts created a great, memorable experience.
Better Than Daredevil, Not As Good As Either Of The X-Men.
BigHardcoreRed8 July 2005
The Fantastic Four was a pretty good superhero movie but it lacked something. I do not think it truly lived up to it's endless hype from early this year. Aside from a few scenes that stick out, most are in the trailer, there is not much there other than some slick special effects sprinkled about. It is understandable, however, due to the fact that this film is about the origin of 5 different individuals and how they gained their super powers. I imagine the next one (of course, if there is a next one) will be more action packed.
As for a quick rundown of the story, 5 people are sent into a space ship to gather information that would be helpful in curing diseases and other good stuff. The crew consists of Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), Reed Richards, (Ioan Gruffudd), Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) & Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). While in the space station, the super cosmic storm hits hours earlier than expected and all 5 are caught in the storm, forever altering their DNA (or something like that). The one that got it the worst was Grimm.
The standouts from this movie are The Thing/Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm/Human Torch & Sue Storm/Invisible Girl. The Thing & Torch stand out because of both their characters and personalities & Jessica Alba stands out pretty much just because she is Jessica Alba.
I feel that Reed Richards was more of an annoyance in the movie and not as likable a character as, say, the Human Torch. Also, I fear that Dr. Doom will probably forever be compared to the Green Goblin from Spider-Man, due to the hokey masks and all. Also, the voice for Doom did not quite fit for me. I am not sure if his voice is supposed to be that docile or not, but I always pictured a deeper, more menacing voice for him.
I do hope this movie is not as criticized as movies such as Hulk or Daredevil. This movie was not that bad, probably not even as bad as I have made it seem. I would rate it somewhere in between X-Men and Daredevil. 7.5/10
As for a quick rundown of the story, 5 people are sent into a space ship to gather information that would be helpful in curing diseases and other good stuff. The crew consists of Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), Reed Richards, (Ioan Gruffudd), Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) & Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). While in the space station, the super cosmic storm hits hours earlier than expected and all 5 are caught in the storm, forever altering their DNA (or something like that). The one that got it the worst was Grimm.
The standouts from this movie are The Thing/Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm/Human Torch & Sue Storm/Invisible Girl. The Thing & Torch stand out because of both their characters and personalities & Jessica Alba stands out pretty much just because she is Jessica Alba.
I feel that Reed Richards was more of an annoyance in the movie and not as likable a character as, say, the Human Torch. Also, I fear that Dr. Doom will probably forever be compared to the Green Goblin from Spider-Man, due to the hokey masks and all. Also, the voice for Doom did not quite fit for me. I am not sure if his voice is supposed to be that docile or not, but I always pictured a deeper, more menacing voice for him.
I do hope this movie is not as criticized as movies such as Hulk or Daredevil. This movie was not that bad, probably not even as bad as I have made it seem. I would rate it somewhere in between X-Men and Daredevil. 7.5/10
Great Movie
comics@webtv.net22 January 2006
these have always been my favorite comic book characters. it is a very entertaining movie and fun to watch. the audience laughed out loud a few times. i call this a set up movie because in the movie they explain all about the fantastic four, who they are and they develop their characters.. i am sure that there will be at least two more movies and maybe more. i hope in the future they fight doctor doom, the mole man galacticus, and i would love to see them do a cross over with the x-men. i predict the fantastic four will become the all time favorite comic book movie series outdoing superman,batman,x-men and even spiderman. i say this because i know all about what and who they are.
Very good - satisfying
jim-12568 July 2005
I don't know why some people wanted more action. That has been the bane of many movies lately - focusing too much on action and special effects and forgetting how to tell a good story.
This movie remembered to use the special effects to help tell the story and not focus on them. The effects were really good and many of them were used for humour instead of action. The only effect that looked a bit computerish or fake was the flame effect on Johnny Storm.
The acting is decent and all the characters seem to fit the roles. They have the right attitudes and lines.
There were a few scenes that were a bit contrived and we weren't sure why/how the character ended up there - for example, Johnny Storm is suddenly in a bike jumping show - but maybe he knows someone on the inside - so we will just let it go. Besides, it's a comic book.
It seemed very true to the feel of the comic books. I really enjoyed this show and would recommend it.
This movie remembered to use the special effects to help tell the story and not focus on them. The effects were really good and many of them were used for humour instead of action. The only effect that looked a bit computerish or fake was the flame effect on Johnny Storm.
The acting is decent and all the characters seem to fit the roles. They have the right attitudes and lines.
There were a few scenes that were a bit contrived and we weren't sure why/how the character ended up there - for example, Johnny Storm is suddenly in a bike jumping show - but maybe he knows someone on the inside - so we will just let it go. Besides, it's a comic book.
It seemed very true to the feel of the comic books. I really enjoyed this show and would recommend it.
Forget The Naysayers, The Fantastic Four ROCKED!
TheMovieeGuy10 July 2005
Okay, so Fantastic Four wasn't Shakespeare, heck, it wasn't even the best Marvel film yet. However, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with the results of this silly, but ultimately fun movie.
Fantastic Four, as everyone knows is about five scientists who travel into space to study a space comet, when the comet hits the shields of the station they are on.
Each of the scientists returns to earth with a new power. Reed Richards becomes Mr. Fantastic, and can make his body stretch like rubber, Susan Storm becomes the invisible woman, who can turn invisible and can create shields, Ben Grimm becomes The Thing, a superhuman of enormous size with incredible strength, and Johnny Storm becomes The Human Shield who can "flame on" at any time and fly! Also on board is the evil Victor Von Doom who eventually becomes one of the greatest villains in Marvel history, Doctor Doom who can generate massive amounts of energy and whose body becomes the hardest metal on Earth. He's definitely my favorite character in the film! Of course with this being an origin story, it takes time for things to get moving, but once the chips are firmly in place, the film takes adventure to new heights.
Sure, it's not the best film of the summer, but I did enjoy it throughly. If you go in with reasonable expectations, you'll pleasantly enjoy this movie.
Ignore the critics, Fantastic Four is fantastic!
A 7 on a scale of 1-10!
Fantastic Four, as everyone knows is about five scientists who travel into space to study a space comet, when the comet hits the shields of the station they are on.
Each of the scientists returns to earth with a new power. Reed Richards becomes Mr. Fantastic, and can make his body stretch like rubber, Susan Storm becomes the invisible woman, who can turn invisible and can create shields, Ben Grimm becomes The Thing, a superhuman of enormous size with incredible strength, and Johnny Storm becomes The Human Shield who can "flame on" at any time and fly! Also on board is the evil Victor Von Doom who eventually becomes one of the greatest villains in Marvel history, Doctor Doom who can generate massive amounts of energy and whose body becomes the hardest metal on Earth. He's definitely my favorite character in the film! Of course with this being an origin story, it takes time for things to get moving, but once the chips are firmly in place, the film takes adventure to new heights.
Sure, it's not the best film of the summer, but I did enjoy it throughly. If you go in with reasonable expectations, you'll pleasantly enjoy this movie.
Ignore the critics, Fantastic Four is fantastic!
A 7 on a scale of 1-10!
What a bad movie!
PeteRoy21 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was all over the place, the story was stupid, the character development was crap, the action scenes doesn't make sense, the editing of the movie is horrible.
The movie failed to make you feel sympathy with the characters, you can't identify with any of them, it felt as if you started watching from the middle of the movie.
The action scene on the bridge was amazingly stupid and pointless, the thing causes terrible car wreck on the bridge trying to save someone from killing himself and then the fantastic four all use their powers to save people, that action scene felt all wrong and ridiculous.
The scene with the motocross and the human torch was also pointless.
The movie suffers this tough criticism because it disappointed so many people so much.
The movie failed to make you feel sympathy with the characters, you can't identify with any of them, it felt as if you started watching from the middle of the movie.
The action scene on the bridge was amazingly stupid and pointless, the thing causes terrible car wreck on the bridge trying to save someone from killing himself and then the fantastic four all use their powers to save people, that action scene felt all wrong and ridiculous.
The scene with the motocross and the human torch was also pointless.
The movie suffers this tough criticism because it disappointed so many people so much.
Solid effort
limejockey12 July 2005
What we really have here is a solidly put together superhero movie of the popcorn variety which will more than likely get the sequel it deserves, which unfortunately suffers from timing issues, having come out a whole three weeks after a movie named Batman Begins, which seems to be considered as one of if not the best superhero movie ever made. Since this is a different movie you can't really compare the two in my opinion. Performances are fair to excellent but this being the first movie of a possible series the various relationships have to be set up, and characters have to make sense within whatever story is presented. Origins of the heroes and villains need to be explained, which when you have 5 major characters plus the supporting people takes a whole load of time and you don't want your movie running much more than two hours. Writing seemed to make sense for what was there, but I'd be interested to see what happens in the next one now that the major relationships have been established. What was there was well presented it's just too bad that Batman Begins came out first to deservedly steal whatever thunder this was likely to generate. Again a decent way to fill two hours, just don't expect to be blown away.
Great for people that have never read the comic
drendoynk25 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I'm your average guy, I don't read comic books, and I usually don't comment about movies. Here is some thing a lot of people who gave this movie a bad review might not understand. The Fantastic 4 is a great movie!!! Especially for people who are too young to remember the comic books or the show!!! I remember when I was 9 years old, The Fantastic 4 used to be on late night on Cartoon Network. That was the only time I remember hearing about them or seeing them on a main stage.
Ten years later, a smile comes to my face when I hear about a movie being made about the superheroes I vaguely remember loving as a child. I don't read comic books. I could care less about the comic book accuracy. I just wanna see some guy burst into flames, fly, and say smart** comments.
Spiderman didn't do it for me, X-Men didn't, the only Batman movie I truly enjoyed was Batman Forever (Robin was cool, and Christian Bale didn't even act in Batman Begins.) I've never enjoyed a superhero movie more than the Fantastic 4. It's got such a simple formula: What would you do if you woke up one morning with superpowers? Each character was real. Johnny was an adventurous guy before the accident, of course he's not going to stay cooped up in Reeds lab all day. Reed was a geek, he stayed a geek the whole movie. Sue was like... the "dude, I totally wanna do your mom" type. She was responsible and everything... and she looked so hot in that cat suit. Ben was great as the family man who goes through the trauma of losing his wife and being out-casted.
I loved the Fantastic 4 because each character goes through their own issues, but the dramatic bull**** doesn't eclipse all the awesome action. I hated Spiderman because Peter still looked like a dopey, love sick, puppy even when he was kicking some bad guy buttocks. This movie had the right balance of emotion and butt-kicking.
The actors had such great chemistry! The scene after Johnny goes to the motocross contest was priceless. It was basically: This is how you bicker with superpowers.
The scenes with the Thing adapting to life with big fingers was great. You can't just wake up one morning bigger than life and expect to be able to do everything normal. The scenes with Sue stripping down in the middle of the street were so true. Is there a better way to get away from a crowd than turning invisible and stripping off all your clothes? The little things like all of Johnny's clothes burning, the tabloids, the action figures, the way the Thing squeezed a huge bundle of oranges for his juice in the morning, all those things make this movie great.
When you see the Fantastic 4, it's like you're watching 4 people's lives change through a hidden camera. They're doing their normal, everyday stuff... except with wicked cool powers.
Ten years later, a smile comes to my face when I hear about a movie being made about the superheroes I vaguely remember loving as a child. I don't read comic books. I could care less about the comic book accuracy. I just wanna see some guy burst into flames, fly, and say smart** comments.
Spiderman didn't do it for me, X-Men didn't, the only Batman movie I truly enjoyed was Batman Forever (Robin was cool, and Christian Bale didn't even act in Batman Begins.) I've never enjoyed a superhero movie more than the Fantastic 4. It's got such a simple formula: What would you do if you woke up one morning with superpowers? Each character was real. Johnny was an adventurous guy before the accident, of course he's not going to stay cooped up in Reeds lab all day. Reed was a geek, he stayed a geek the whole movie. Sue was like... the "dude, I totally wanna do your mom" type. She was responsible and everything... and she looked so hot in that cat suit. Ben was great as the family man who goes through the trauma of losing his wife and being out-casted.
I loved the Fantastic 4 because each character goes through their own issues, but the dramatic bull**** doesn't eclipse all the awesome action. I hated Spiderman because Peter still looked like a dopey, love sick, puppy even when he was kicking some bad guy buttocks. This movie had the right balance of emotion and butt-kicking.
The actors had such great chemistry! The scene after Johnny goes to the motocross contest was priceless. It was basically: This is how you bicker with superpowers.
The scenes with the Thing adapting to life with big fingers was great. You can't just wake up one morning bigger than life and expect to be able to do everything normal. The scenes with Sue stripping down in the middle of the street were so true. Is there a better way to get away from a crowd than turning invisible and stripping off all your clothes? The little things like all of Johnny's clothes burning, the tabloids, the action figures, the way the Thing squeezed a huge bundle of oranges for his juice in the morning, all those things make this movie great.
When you see the Fantastic 4, it's like you're watching 4 people's lives change through a hidden camera. They're doing their normal, everyday stuff... except with wicked cool powers.
Had a great time!
kidgeek29 June 2005
I had a great time at this movie. I didn't really know what to expect - but this movie is pure summer popcorn fun! Everything else I've seen so far has been pretty heavy and dark - this movie is fun and a great time. Jessica Alba is HOT HOT HOT. And I love Chiklis from The Shield - he is awesome as The Thing. My girlfriend loves Julian McMahon - and he was good as Doom. The best was Johnny Storm - he really surprised me. I think we'll be seeing more of this guy. I didn't know much about the Fantastic 4 before I went in - and I now I'm definitely into the characters. And the effects are great.
I definitely recommend this for everyone - it's a great summer movie. Not going to win any awards - but is perfect fun to get out of the summer heat.
I definitely recommend this for everyone - it's a great summer movie. Not going to win any awards - but is perfect fun to get out of the summer heat.
great
jaemiewaters22 January 2012
it is a great movie you will like this movie a lot this is a must see movie if you like marvel movies than you will like this movie a lot i never saw a movie this good before it is one of the best PG13 movies i have ever seen you will enjoy this wonderful movie you will say now that is what i call a great movie you just have to go see this masterpiece of a movie it is amazing i like this movie so much this is a 4 out of 4 star movie and a two thumbs up movie it is out of site it hits a home run it is a knockout this is the number 1 marvel movie i have ever seen it is a sweet movie you just have to see this that you will like a lot it is the best PG13 movie i have ever seen i never saw a PG13 movie i like this movie a lot and so will you Fantastic Four is one of the best marvels and one of the best PG13 this is the best movie i have ever seen now go see this wonderful movie this is a movie that you will like a lot it is one of the best PG13 movies i think ever made you just have to go see this movie
aims to put a big, daft grin on your face....succeeds !
janus-2022 July 2005
The studio have obviously looked at Spiderman, Hulk, X-men and Daredevil, and despite the varying degrees of popularity there, I think it was wise of them to make this a much lighter jaunt.
This film is pure undemanding entertainment, it has nothing more on its mind than "lets have some fun", and dark superhero movies are getting to be a bit of a pill. I can appreciate how a big fan of the comic, would take issue with the changes that have been made, bottom line folks, your a film studio, your spending $100 million dollars making a piece of "entertainment", it has to play to 10 yr olds, it has to play to 30 year olds, or even 60 year olds, so what do you do? Well you can ensure your film has got some jokes, some action, some romance, some eye popping special effects, and mix in the main staples of the comic book, hey presto ! Or you can slavishly stick to every plot twist , every nuance, and every back story ever printed in the comics to please the percentage of your audience who are hard core fans of the comics. I love films ,all films, all types, but this is a business, look at Batman Begins, what a great film, but its taken it 1 month to make over $180 million in the U.S, thats not amazing business, this doesn't mean its a bad film, I thought it was amazing, but obviously a large portion of the films potential audience have shied away from it, why?, well I didn't feel it was suitable for a kid under 12 and cant imagine a large number of the fairer sex found much to their taste in there. The studios just wont pump mega bucks into something which only appeals to a limited number of punters. "Jaws" the book ,changes substantially, as "jaws" the film,there's a lot missing, didn't effect it much,in fact if you have read the book and seen the film, I think most would agree the changes were right for the film. I do hate changes to source material, one film in the pipeline (for a long time now) is "The A Team", words cannot express the love i have for that show, but the movie will be barely recognisable, and you've just got to swallow it. I think what you can really say is, if your adapting a book, comic, TV show, whatever, its not how close you stick to the source material that will win you the biggest audience, but how well you identify what type of film the material dictates it to be, and then make the best film you can of the type you decided on , then cross your fingers !
This film is pure undemanding entertainment, it has nothing more on its mind than "lets have some fun", and dark superhero movies are getting to be a bit of a pill. I can appreciate how a big fan of the comic, would take issue with the changes that have been made, bottom line folks, your a film studio, your spending $100 million dollars making a piece of "entertainment", it has to play to 10 yr olds, it has to play to 30 year olds, or even 60 year olds, so what do you do? Well you can ensure your film has got some jokes, some action, some romance, some eye popping special effects, and mix in the main staples of the comic book, hey presto ! Or you can slavishly stick to every plot twist , every nuance, and every back story ever printed in the comics to please the percentage of your audience who are hard core fans of the comics. I love films ,all films, all types, but this is a business, look at Batman Begins, what a great film, but its taken it 1 month to make over $180 million in the U.S, thats not amazing business, this doesn't mean its a bad film, I thought it was amazing, but obviously a large portion of the films potential audience have shied away from it, why?, well I didn't feel it was suitable for a kid under 12 and cant imagine a large number of the fairer sex found much to their taste in there. The studios just wont pump mega bucks into something which only appeals to a limited number of punters. "Jaws" the book ,changes substantially, as "jaws" the film,there's a lot missing, didn't effect it much,in fact if you have read the book and seen the film, I think most would agree the changes were right for the film. I do hate changes to source material, one film in the pipeline (for a long time now) is "The A Team", words cannot express the love i have for that show, but the movie will be barely recognisable, and you've just got to swallow it. I think what you can really say is, if your adapting a book, comic, TV show, whatever, its not how close you stick to the source material that will win you the biggest audience, but how well you identify what type of film the material dictates it to be, and then make the best film you can of the type you decided on , then cross your fingers !
Fantastic Four = Fantastic Film!
Mamie678930 June 2005
I truly think this is the best comic book movie ever made and I'm not exaggerating. Everything in this movie gets exceedingly better as the film plays out. These are not only the most complex characters I've ever seen in a major super hero movie, they're a group of characters who are so well written and full of small, personal moments that they transcend their four-color origins and become living, breathing people whom have pasts, presents and futures. You really feel that they are a family and, by the end of the film, you feel like a part of that family. This is a remarkable feat for an origin film. It beats the first installment of any hero flick I can think of including Superman and Spider-Man.
Huge Thumbs Up!
Huge Thumbs Up!
My review - it's not bad, not great... and the other 10 star reviews on here are studio plants for sure!
silvers-14 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Well, you weren't expecting greatness, were you? Regardless of what the wider public might be expecting from Fantastic Four, in internet circles it's been earmarked as the potential stinker amidst a promising summer since the first details leaked online. Unlike successful superhero franchises like X-Men and Spider-man, there's no respected director and no attempt to give the film a thematic depth or real world resonance. Where they had acting heavyweights, Fantastic Four has a couple of notable talents from successful TV series and a couple of almost-stars, with broad appeal but little charisma to bring to the mix. So the first question you might want answered is, "Is it awful?" Thankfully, no. Fantastic Four is simple, rather hollow, occasionally boring and then it's over. But it's hard to deny that, in places, it's also fairly entertaining.
The story, changed from the source, sees five ludicrously-named scientists venturing into space to investigate a large cloud of special effects that has something to do with DNA. The team manage to get all their character back-stories, exposition-based conversations and marriage proposals out of the way in good time, before turning their attention to some rather vital defence shields. Too late, guys. Now you've been hit by the marauding cloud and you're back on earth (there wasn't much budget, it seems, for showing the there-and-back trips... space is but a quick cut away).
The characters quickly discover their powers - team leader Reed Richards can stretch his limbs at will, Sue Storm can disappear and fire force fields, Johnny Storm can burn himself alive and whizz about the skies, and Ben Grimm turns to stone and breaks stuff. Cool? Nearly. There's an rather archaic nature to these superpowers - childhood dreams from a long gone era - but the film neatly modernises them by distracting us with some extreme sports. The kids might love it, but they're really only notable as the one place director Tim Story uses slow motion in the entire film. Rather proud, were we, of what looks like the only real stunt in the film not juiced up with CGI? And then there's the bad guy. Victor Von Doom was probably never born to do good, but now he's lost his money and his wife and turned into metal. So he's mightily annoyed, and while the world welcomes the Fantastic Four with open arms, he sets about doing some violence to people and eventually tries to take down the Four.
Pretty slim on plot there, and the only gaps are taken up by scenes of the guys coming to terms with their new powers. Strangely, their initial response to them makes you wonder if they've seen the trailer - there's no sense of surprise. They barely seem to care until they leave the lab and return to New York.
Johnny, with the flashiest abilities, is the only one to really embrace them, showing off and being rather endearing with it. The others are oh so desperate to get back to normal, which in the case of Reed and Sue seems rather stupid - they can do some cool stuff, but otherwise, pretty much live as normal Lucky them (although Reed, as the stretchy Mr Fantastic, could really do with the power to look convincingly attached to the rest of his body whenever he's stretching). The only character with real issues is Michael Chiklis' Grimm, clad in stone and called The Thing. Daily life becomes a problem for this rocky beast, but the film clamps him with a ludicrous subplot where his wife turns up at the scene of the gang's first act of heroism, and having seen her hubby save the lives of a fire engine full of FDNY guys, decides to hand back her wedding ring before even asking what's happened to the man she promised to love for ever. It's ludicrous, and makes The Thing's constant grump hard to connect with - sure, it might not be great to look like that, but met with her reaction, you'd expect him to develop a screw you attitude to the world and embrace his power for kicking holes in walls. A shame, really, because Chiklis' is the best performance in the movie by far, even as the film occasionally demeans the man who played Vic Mackey with bird crap jokes and suchlike.
The proceedings have a rather slapped together feel (characters appear in the right places by coincidence and fill in plot holes for themselves) until the action kicks in, and almost all of it is crammed into the closing ten minutes. Between the FDNY-saving bridge set-piece (in glorious daytime, showing the limitations of some rather dreadful FX work) and the nighttime city-streets showdown, there's little to get you particularly excited - just super-heroic shoe-gazing. That said, the finale is rather satisfying, with Johnny's flaming acrobatics delivering some of the highs of Spider-man's web-slinging antics across Manhattan. The team join forces to defeat the bad guy and it's home time.
Like X-Men, Fantastic Four feels rather like the setup for a sequel, now that the characters are in place. Sadly, where X-Men had a heart and a brain, Fantastic Four has some good-looking young actors showing plenty of flesh (although my highlight was Chiklis' wild forest of a bare chest, not Chris Evans' constantly-on-display gym-toned torso) and a bit of product placement where the emotional attachment should have been (Whopper, anyone?). At least X-Men's build up of characters made me want to know what happened to the mutants next. As for the Fantastic Four, pleasantly though they passed the time, I couldn't give care less about what the future holds for them.
The story, changed from the source, sees five ludicrously-named scientists venturing into space to investigate a large cloud of special effects that has something to do with DNA. The team manage to get all their character back-stories, exposition-based conversations and marriage proposals out of the way in good time, before turning their attention to some rather vital defence shields. Too late, guys. Now you've been hit by the marauding cloud and you're back on earth (there wasn't much budget, it seems, for showing the there-and-back trips... space is but a quick cut away).
The characters quickly discover their powers - team leader Reed Richards can stretch his limbs at will, Sue Storm can disappear and fire force fields, Johnny Storm can burn himself alive and whizz about the skies, and Ben Grimm turns to stone and breaks stuff. Cool? Nearly. There's an rather archaic nature to these superpowers - childhood dreams from a long gone era - but the film neatly modernises them by distracting us with some extreme sports. The kids might love it, but they're really only notable as the one place director Tim Story uses slow motion in the entire film. Rather proud, were we, of what looks like the only real stunt in the film not juiced up with CGI? And then there's the bad guy. Victor Von Doom was probably never born to do good, but now he's lost his money and his wife and turned into metal. So he's mightily annoyed, and while the world welcomes the Fantastic Four with open arms, he sets about doing some violence to people and eventually tries to take down the Four.
Pretty slim on plot there, and the only gaps are taken up by scenes of the guys coming to terms with their new powers. Strangely, their initial response to them makes you wonder if they've seen the trailer - there's no sense of surprise. They barely seem to care until they leave the lab and return to New York.
Johnny, with the flashiest abilities, is the only one to really embrace them, showing off and being rather endearing with it. The others are oh so desperate to get back to normal, which in the case of Reed and Sue seems rather stupid - they can do some cool stuff, but otherwise, pretty much live as normal Lucky them (although Reed, as the stretchy Mr Fantastic, could really do with the power to look convincingly attached to the rest of his body whenever he's stretching). The only character with real issues is Michael Chiklis' Grimm, clad in stone and called The Thing. Daily life becomes a problem for this rocky beast, but the film clamps him with a ludicrous subplot where his wife turns up at the scene of the gang's first act of heroism, and having seen her hubby save the lives of a fire engine full of FDNY guys, decides to hand back her wedding ring before even asking what's happened to the man she promised to love for ever. It's ludicrous, and makes The Thing's constant grump hard to connect with - sure, it might not be great to look like that, but met with her reaction, you'd expect him to develop a screw you attitude to the world and embrace his power for kicking holes in walls. A shame, really, because Chiklis' is the best performance in the movie by far, even as the film occasionally demeans the man who played Vic Mackey with bird crap jokes and suchlike.
The proceedings have a rather slapped together feel (characters appear in the right places by coincidence and fill in plot holes for themselves) until the action kicks in, and almost all of it is crammed into the closing ten minutes. Between the FDNY-saving bridge set-piece (in glorious daytime, showing the limitations of some rather dreadful FX work) and the nighttime city-streets showdown, there's little to get you particularly excited - just super-heroic shoe-gazing. That said, the finale is rather satisfying, with Johnny's flaming acrobatics delivering some of the highs of Spider-man's web-slinging antics across Manhattan. The team join forces to defeat the bad guy and it's home time.
Like X-Men, Fantastic Four feels rather like the setup for a sequel, now that the characters are in place. Sadly, where X-Men had a heart and a brain, Fantastic Four has some good-looking young actors showing plenty of flesh (although my highlight was Chiklis' wild forest of a bare chest, not Chris Evans' constantly-on-display gym-toned torso) and a bit of product placement where the emotional attachment should have been (Whopper, anyone?). At least X-Men's build up of characters made me want to know what happened to the mutants next. As for the Fantastic Four, pleasantly though they passed the time, I couldn't give care less about what the future holds for them.
Stunned At How GOOD It Is!
sweetlou2bagger17 July 2005
This movie is a true rarity this year. It's a summer movie that doesn't try and depress you in to loving it or becoming emotionally involved. Parents don't die; Jedi's aren't slaughtered nor is the earth is decimated by aliens. FF takes itself seriously but it still manages to be fun. Even minus the dark tragedy, it's bigger, badder, smarter, and definitely more fun then anything I've seen so far this summer.
For those going into this flick expecting a lot of fun, prepare to enjoy-- although fun's not the only piece of this pie. In fact, I think movie fans of all ages will be stunned at how many levels this movie delivers upon. This is a smart and surprisingly funny film that really delivers.
For those going into this flick expecting a lot of fun, prepare to enjoy-- although fun's not the only piece of this pie. In fact, I think movie fans of all ages will be stunned at how many levels this movie delivers upon. This is a smart and surprisingly funny film that really delivers.
Fantastic Four
DesertDogMedia11 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Title: Fantastic Four
Condensed Storyline: Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm and Victor Von Doom go up into space to measure comic rays when their ship is struck by them. This leads to them all developing their own individual superpowers. But this leads Reed to work to try and transform them back to normal, but he isn't able to and Dr Doom is able to turn Ben back to normal, but then starts taking them out one by one, mainly because they cost him his company. So the Fantastic Four have to stop him and save the day.
Notable Acting: Just putting this out there first, Chris Evans plays Captain America better than he plays Johnny Storm. Ioan Gruffudd plays Mr Fantastic, and feels like that nerd who has to do the science project for his group while trying to stop them from fighting all the time. Michael Chiklis plays a great Ben Grimm as you can get the feeling that his is trying to come to terms with the way he looks I loved Julian McMahon as Dr Doom, he has that suave sense of evil to him which makes him perfect for a villain, but still a believable villain at that. Jessica Alba as Sue Storm. I felt like she really captured the helplessness and general uselessness of Sue Storm perfectly, while acting as the mother type character stopping Johnny and Ben from fighting.
Noticeable Camera work: What the movie lacks in creative angles, it makes up in creative frame up jobs for the camera, that is always a good sign to see in a cinematographer and movie. We are given a nice birds eye shot once we are introduced to Johnny on his way to the rocket. When Victor shows Sue the Earth from space station we get what looks to be a panning, tilting 130º crane shot, which was beautifully pull off. We get a POV shot so we see things from the view of Ben, but this is a little trick to the audience as they would think that Ben has transformed, but this is a little joke played by Johnny. Establishing shot of the alps when Johnny goes skiing. The shot the follows to him throwing Reed out of a window has him see his reflection which is mutilated so just as he brakes the glass on the floor, the helmet's class case in his office breaks. That is a nice translation shot.
Graphics: The CGI for Johnny's fire was impressive and nicely done at the very least. His fire seemed constant and realistic. Sue's CGI was OK, not really all too impressive as most of that can be done easily with green screen and such. Reed's stretch-armstrong type limbs are decent at worst. Victor's lighting is interesting as it borders on being good and bad at the same time with me.
Costume: The costumes looked quite nice and worked better than other renditions of the suits I've seen, they remind me of the comics as they are that similar. Quite a lot of people have said they disliked how Ben looked as the Thing, most of those other people said it should have been done with CGI. The Hulk in the 2008 movie was done with CGI and people didn't like that, this movie was done in 2005. So chances are the CGI wouldn't have been that good for making Ben look like a pile of walking rocks, even for the budget they had for the movie.
Incorrect Science: Radiation doesn't give you superpowers. When Reed is testing Johnny's fire in a test chamber constructed of titanium, the temperature shown on screen reaches 4000 Kelvin. Titanium melts at 1941 Kelvin, and boils at 3560 Kelvin. This would incinerate the building where they are working. Along with the added fact of no human being able to set them self on fire and stay like that, mainly because the fire would need a fuel source to stay alight. The sun does this by fusion. A human body isn't hot enough for fusion and doesn't have a fuel source. Sue's invisibility is pointless, mainly because she is bending light around her. This would mean that no light is hitting her eyes so this makes her blind. Don't get me started on how Ben's skin turns to rocks or how Reed's limbs can stretch. If Victor used magic to get his powers in the movie I would not question it, but seeing how he didn't, the question is how is he able to harness electricity? And why is his skin slowly turning into metal? Victor's space station must have developed artificial gravity, because they are casually walking around and not floating, we are at least 10 years off physics wise of creating artificial gravity.
Overall Feel: As far as adaptions go, this movie isn't as bad a people are saying it is. Yes, Dr Doom isn't a business man. Yes he got his powers from his mother's witch stuff. Yes his face is suppose to be badly burnt and not metal. Yes Johnny is suppose to have blonde hair and Ben is suppose to have hair in general. Remember the 1994 version? You shouldn't because that was only created so the company could keep the rights to the franchise. That is an example of people not caring or not putting any effort into a movie. This movie is much better than that, sure it messes with the source material, but so did the 2002 movie of Spiderman. That had Mary Jane as the love interest and organic web shooters. But we still love that movie. This movie has its faults and quite a few of them at that, but it is still a great and enjoyable superhero movie which is nicely paced and well written.
Condensed Storyline: Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm and Victor Von Doom go up into space to measure comic rays when their ship is struck by them. This leads to them all developing their own individual superpowers. But this leads Reed to work to try and transform them back to normal, but he isn't able to and Dr Doom is able to turn Ben back to normal, but then starts taking them out one by one, mainly because they cost him his company. So the Fantastic Four have to stop him and save the day.
Notable Acting: Just putting this out there first, Chris Evans plays Captain America better than he plays Johnny Storm. Ioan Gruffudd plays Mr Fantastic, and feels like that nerd who has to do the science project for his group while trying to stop them from fighting all the time. Michael Chiklis plays a great Ben Grimm as you can get the feeling that his is trying to come to terms with the way he looks I loved Julian McMahon as Dr Doom, he has that suave sense of evil to him which makes him perfect for a villain, but still a believable villain at that. Jessica Alba as Sue Storm. I felt like she really captured the helplessness and general uselessness of Sue Storm perfectly, while acting as the mother type character stopping Johnny and Ben from fighting.
Noticeable Camera work: What the movie lacks in creative angles, it makes up in creative frame up jobs for the camera, that is always a good sign to see in a cinematographer and movie. We are given a nice birds eye shot once we are introduced to Johnny on his way to the rocket. When Victor shows Sue the Earth from space station we get what looks to be a panning, tilting 130º crane shot, which was beautifully pull off. We get a POV shot so we see things from the view of Ben, but this is a little trick to the audience as they would think that Ben has transformed, but this is a little joke played by Johnny. Establishing shot of the alps when Johnny goes skiing. The shot the follows to him throwing Reed out of a window has him see his reflection which is mutilated so just as he brakes the glass on the floor, the helmet's class case in his office breaks. That is a nice translation shot.
Graphics: The CGI for Johnny's fire was impressive and nicely done at the very least. His fire seemed constant and realistic. Sue's CGI was OK, not really all too impressive as most of that can be done easily with green screen and such. Reed's stretch-armstrong type limbs are decent at worst. Victor's lighting is interesting as it borders on being good and bad at the same time with me.
Costume: The costumes looked quite nice and worked better than other renditions of the suits I've seen, they remind me of the comics as they are that similar. Quite a lot of people have said they disliked how Ben looked as the Thing, most of those other people said it should have been done with CGI. The Hulk in the 2008 movie was done with CGI and people didn't like that, this movie was done in 2005. So chances are the CGI wouldn't have been that good for making Ben look like a pile of walking rocks, even for the budget they had for the movie.
Incorrect Science: Radiation doesn't give you superpowers. When Reed is testing Johnny's fire in a test chamber constructed of titanium, the temperature shown on screen reaches 4000 Kelvin. Titanium melts at 1941 Kelvin, and boils at 3560 Kelvin. This would incinerate the building where they are working. Along with the added fact of no human being able to set them self on fire and stay like that, mainly because the fire would need a fuel source to stay alight. The sun does this by fusion. A human body isn't hot enough for fusion and doesn't have a fuel source. Sue's invisibility is pointless, mainly because she is bending light around her. This would mean that no light is hitting her eyes so this makes her blind. Don't get me started on how Ben's skin turns to rocks or how Reed's limbs can stretch. If Victor used magic to get his powers in the movie I would not question it, but seeing how he didn't, the question is how is he able to harness electricity? And why is his skin slowly turning into metal? Victor's space station must have developed artificial gravity, because they are casually walking around and not floating, we are at least 10 years off physics wise of creating artificial gravity.
Overall Feel: As far as adaptions go, this movie isn't as bad a people are saying it is. Yes, Dr Doom isn't a business man. Yes he got his powers from his mother's witch stuff. Yes his face is suppose to be badly burnt and not metal. Yes Johnny is suppose to have blonde hair and Ben is suppose to have hair in general. Remember the 1994 version? You shouldn't because that was only created so the company could keep the rights to the franchise. That is an example of people not caring or not putting any effort into a movie. This movie is much better than that, sure it messes with the source material, but so did the 2002 movie of Spiderman. That had Mary Jane as the love interest and organic web shooters. But we still love that movie. This movie has its faults and quite a few of them at that, but it is still a great and enjoyable superhero movie which is nicely paced and well written.
The phenomenal and sensational adventures of Marvel comics group's greatest super-heroes team.
ma-cortes7 May 2007
This adaptation from famous comic begins with an experimental space journey financed by Victor Van Doom(Julian McMahon).The spaceflight crew,included Victor Doom, is constituted by team leader scientific named Reed Richards(Ioan Gruffud),the pilot named Ben Grimm(Michael Chiklis),Sue Storm(Jessica Alba)and his brother Johnny Storm(Chris Evans).But the starship is bombarded by cosmic rays and they find themselves turning into fantastic Super-heroes. Mr. Fantastastic,leader of the group gains the ability to stretch his body to any shape;Sue Storm gains the ability to become invisible girl and projects telekinetic fields ;Johnny Storm as the human torch creates a flying blazing ball and with ability to control the fire ; and Ben Grimm is turned into super-strong rock hunk known as Thing.Then Ben is rejected by his bride(Laurie Holden)although he gets a new blind girlfriend named Alicia Masters(Kerry Washington).The Fantastic Four become into team of Super-heroes and use their supernatural powers to battle the nasty enemy,Doctor Doom.The incredible quartet taking on the threats to the world with their extraordinary force.
The movie blends action comic,humor,romance,spectacular adventures and is pretty entertaining and funny.The picture is marvellously realized with sensational production values and ideal casting formed by agreeable young men actors.Amazing array of technical special effects with rousing action set pieces action illuminate the full-blown feats Fantastic four.The final duel between the protagonists and villain super-hero is breathtaking and exciting.Although have given bad reviews to this film ,I think that is amusing with spectacular scenes during whole the movie.The plot is pure fun just like the original comics by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee(appears in a cameo).The motion picture is rightly directed by Tim Story(Barbershop,Taxi),he's making the second part titled¨Rise of the Silver Surfer(Doug Jones)¨with the same players.Indispensable and essential seeing for Super-heroes fans.
The movie blends action comic,humor,romance,spectacular adventures and is pretty entertaining and funny.The picture is marvellously realized with sensational production values and ideal casting formed by agreeable young men actors.Amazing array of technical special effects with rousing action set pieces action illuminate the full-blown feats Fantastic four.The final duel between the protagonists and villain super-hero is breathtaking and exciting.Although have given bad reviews to this film ,I think that is amusing with spectacular scenes during whole the movie.The plot is pure fun just like the original comics by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee(appears in a cameo).The motion picture is rightly directed by Tim Story(Barbershop,Taxi),he's making the second part titled¨Rise of the Silver Surfer(Doug Jones)¨with the same players.Indispensable and essential seeing for Super-heroes fans.
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