The Fantastic Four of Marvel Comics' fame have had a difficult track record in Hollywood. Their first attempt at the big screen was a low-budget ashcan copy that was made as a rights-grab in the early 1990s. Ten years later, the quartet appeared in two Twentieth Century Fox films directed by Tim Story, but they received mixed reviews and average box office returns. Now, the "World's Greatest Comics Magazine" is returning to cinemas in a reboot titled FANTASTIC FOUR (also stylized as Fant4stic Four), directed by Josh Trank of Chronicle fame.
Based on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics, childhood friends Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) are working on a teleportation device to transport matter. While they are mocked by classmates and teachers, their project attracts the interest of Dr. Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey) and his daughter Susan (Kate Mara), who offer Reed a scholarship to work for a think tank called the Baxter Institute. Upon his arrival, he begins production on a bigger version of his teleporter, determined to make a difference. Meanwhile, Dr. Storm brings a former student named Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) back to the think tank. The European-born computer scientist has the designs for a proposed "Quantum Gate" to reach other worlds. Storm also recruits his brillant yet hot-tempered son Johnny (Michael B. Jordan) as a technician, so as to teach him about responsibility.
The team conducts a successful test by sending a chimpanzee to another dimension referred to as "Planet Zero". While Dr. Storm's bosses are pleased, they want NASA to explore the other side. Determined not to be left out of the discovery, Reed, Victor and Johnny resolve to go over themselves after a night of drinking, and Reed decides to bring Ben along out of loyalty. As they arrive, the group discovers the new planet is host to strange substances and deposits of energy. Victor triggers an eruption that causes the mission to be abandoned and seemingly dies. Reed, Ben and Johhny make it to the teleporter, but they are infected with the weird substance. Upon their return, Sue is also hit with a blast of energy and knocked into a coma. After regaining consciousness in a military base known as Area 57, Reed discovers his body can stretch to great lengths. Johnny is engulfed in flames, while Sue's body remains in a changing state of visibility and invisibility. Following an exile to South America, Reed is brought back to create on a new portal in exchange for developing a cure. By this time, Ben is working in covert operations for the military, while Johnny and Sue have learned to control their powers. However, they are forced to deal with a deranged Victor, who has survived on Planet Zero and now refers to himself as Doom.
The cast has good chemistry with each other, and they manage to work with what little material they are given. Teller delivers a great performance as Reed Richards, and his character is. Unlike the brilliant yet timid version depicted in the previous films, one is able to see how and why Reed is so brilliant, in which he is able to think faster than his peers and colleagues. His guilt over the accident and resolve to cure Ben is straight out of the comics. Michael B. Jordan's Human Torch proves to be one of the film's few highlights. Having previously worked with Trank on Chronicle, he is a good choice for the role of Johnny Storm. Despite the whole race controversy, he feels believable as Johnny, because he shows a keen sense of comedic timing, a love of cars and his charming persona. Mara portrays Sue a serious, unassuming scientist in her own right. As the older Storm sibling, she has a realistic sibling banter with Johnny. However, she doesn't have much interaction with Reed, and they don't have romantic feelings for each other. Bell gives a convincing turn as Ben Grimm, but his absence from most of the first act is perplexing. We never learn why he is good friends with Reed, nor do we get much exploration as to what makes him tick. There is a scene in the beginning that implies Ben had a dysfunctional family, but this is never fully explored. As the Thing, Bell manages to portray the character's gruff nature, pain and anger, and his conflicted feelings are straight out of the 616 and Ultimate Fantastic Four comics. Finally, Cathey does well as Franklin Storm, providing fatherly wisdom and guidance to his children and team members.
Toby Kebbell's Victor Von Doom is a problematic portrayal. From his introduction, he is a troubled computer scientist from Latveria with unreturned feelings for Sue. It should be noted the film's intended reinterpretation of Doom as Victor Domashev has been excised from the final cut. Victor shows arrogance and disdain for Reed, which largely stems from his assumptions of the younger man being closer to Sue. He is absent for the majority of the second act and only appears in the last half-hour of the movie, with his spacesuit being fused to his body. Doom's motivations seem to be unclear, especially regarding his desire to destroy the Earth and rebuild Planet Zero into something greater.
The film's VFX are both interesting and frustrating. For example, the Human Torch's effects look just like the comic books' depiction of a man's form within a blaze of flames. Reed's stretching is unique in its ability and combat, and he shows pain when pressed to certain limits. Trank does show an as-yet unexplored aspect of Reed's power, in which the character is able to rearrange his facial features to resemble someone else. Sue's invisibility and force shield powers are impressive, as well as her abiity to create and transport herself on platforms and energy spheres. When it comes to the Thing, however, the results are a mixed bag. Granted, the shots of the Thing breaking out of his rocky cocoon and agonizing over his transformation are unsettling and among the film's best scenes. However, when he's in action, the end product resembles an unfinished version of the character. The idea of Planet Zero is an interesting concept, but it looks unconvincing an cartoonish at times. We never learn how Victor could have survived in another dimension for a year, let alone how he rebuilt the Quantum Gate with few or no resources.
In terms of editing, Fantastic Four feels like a forced compromise rushed out by the studio, and the end results shows just that. At 106 minutes (counting the credits), the film feels less like a movie and more of a television pilot. When Reed goes into hiding, the film jumps forward with a "One Year Later" title card, and we never get to see how Ben, Johnny and Sue adjust to their powers. During the confrontation between Reed and Ben in South America, the scene feels too short and lacks the needed dramatic tension and meaning. The second and third acts are rushed, lacking in tension and inconsistent. For instance, Mara's hairstyle and subsequent wig look uneven at points- hinting at the studio's edits and reshoots. It is not difficult to see why Trank has voiced his displeasure with Fox's control over the filming and post-production. However, there are several sequences that are exciting and unsettling to watch, such as Reed's attempts to reach a transformed Ben and Johnny's flying vignettes. One particularly impressive scene is Victor's hallway massacre, which echoes Dane DeHaan's character getting his revenge on bullies in Chronicle.
Fantastic Four is a film that is challenging, disappointing yet intriguing. It is neither a horrible movie or a blockbuster success, but it is more of a misguided attempt at revitalizing a franchise. Due to its short running time, the story feels disjointed and not having an emotional arc. However, the cast delivers earnest performances out of what little they have to work with. The VFX have potential but there are moments that could have been better. Marco Beltrami and Phillip Glass' ambient, minimalist score with orcheastral themes is a solid addition to the film. While there are some moments made in homage to the comics, they feel more like a weak attempt at fan service. It leads this reviewer to wonder if the people at Fox really understand what makes the team "fantastic".
5.5/10