Fantastic Four

Saw the new movie, Fantastic Four last night.  I was really looking forward to this movie when it was first announced.  Fantastic Four was one of my favorite comic books when I was younger.  But as it got closer to coming out all I read was terrible things about it.  I haven't seen any reviews that were very kind to it.  So what did I think about it?

 

It's ok.  It doesn't come close to Spiderman or Batman.  Some parts of it were pretty good, some parts of it were pretty bad.  Anything to do with Victor Von Doom should be considered part of the pretty bad parts.  They took a bad guy that helped inspire Darth Vader and made him into a third rate cut out villain.

 

The good parts are mainly the ones were they interact as a family.  The Thing and Human Torch are the two best characters in the movie.  Jessica Alba is hot, but she doesn't exactly shine in her role.  Mr. Fantastic was ok.  The interplay between Thing and Torch made me smile, remembering similar bits from the comic books. 

 

The bridge scene where they become the "Fantastic Four" is not well done.  The Thing trying to rescue a man about to attempt suicide and than causing a lot of damage is kind of dumb.  And how did the other three, who just happened to be stuck on the bridge at the same time, know it was the Thing ahead of them.  And Reed tells Sue to turn invisible and get naked so she can get through the crowd and see what's causing the problem, only later to say something about getting to Ben up there, makes no sense.  As much as I like seeing Jessica Alba in her bra and panties it added nothing to the storyline.  Why was her turing invisible going to help her get through the crowd, especially since they follow alongside her and neither Reed nor Johnny are invisible. 

 

I thought the special effects on the Thing were very good.  He looks pretty realistic.  Michael Chilikis is great as the Thing.  Of all the actors he does the best job.  Followed closely by Chris Evans as the Torch.  He plays Johnny Storm as the ultimate jock that doesn't want to grow up. 

 

The whole character of Von Doom is terrible.  They replay the Harry Osborne rich man losing all his money and company to the outsiders with Doom.   They start him out as super rich and powerful, with one mistake he loses it all.  Doom should have inspired fear and hate like Darth Vader. 

 

I could go on and on about this movie.  I can say it was a luke warm ok.  Like I said there were some parts that I enjoyed.  The biggest failure was the lack of awe in it.  In the best superhero movies there is always the point when you look at the scene and feel awe at what's going on.  You get goosebumps when he says "I'm Batman" or when the people on the train stand in front of a beaten Spiderman and tell Doc Ock that he has to go through them to get to the hero....there are countless scenes like that in the best comic book movies.  In Fantastic Four there are none.