Fantastic Four: Truly Fantastic or a Flop?
Simon Kinberg & Miles Teller at a Comic Con booth. Photo courtesy Photopin
By Megan Brandrup
Marvel released their newest film called “The Fantastic Four” on Aug 7. This film is about the classic members of the “Fantastic Four.” Which includes Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, Reed Richards (AKA Mr. Fantastic), and finally Ben Grimm (The Thing). As Marvel’s oldest superhero team, many anticipated this new adaptation. The cast is fresh and new. “The Fantastic Four” features Miles Teller (Divergent) as Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara (House of Cards) as Sue Storm, Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) as Johnny Storm, and Jamie Bell (Snowpiercer) as Ben Grimm/The Thing. According to RottenTomatoes.com, a popular movie reviewing website, “Fantastic Four” has grossed $55.4 million world wide so far.
The story begins with four young people being teleported into an alternate universe. In this alternate world, these young people have extraordinary powers; a common theme in Marvel films and comic books. As a team they must work together and learn how to harness their new found abilities for good. These new skills are tested when the group is faced with a familiar enemy. Toby Kebbell (Planet of the Apes 2014) stars as The Fantastic Four’s arch nemesis, Doom. The plot twist in this new adaptation however is that Doom, or Victor Domashev, as the four know him, was once friends with the group and has unfortunately turned evil.
Reactions were very different when the film was finally released. Only 20 percent of movie-goers enjoyed the film according to an online poll from RottenTomatoes.com. Many people regarded it as dry and lacking the comedic flair the Fantastic Four gang is known for. Reviewer for The Examiner, Anthony Casteneda, said, “Fans of the comics will notice that some of the initial inspiration for this story comes from the more recent Ultimate Fantastic Four comics, and that was a worthwhile approach to explore, but having said that, it does nothing to justify the numerous, glaring problems with this story.” The casting for this adaptation was disappointing. Although the film was action packed, many people, myself included, found this film to be dry and lacking in the classic spirit and humor the original characters bring.