When the reviews started rolling in and the Tomato meter kept dropping and dropping a cheer erupted throughout the comic book community, and a chorus of I told you so’s echoed across the
internet. You see the Fantastic Four was indeed the disaster its few loyal supporters feared and its hundreds of detractors predicted. Some may see this as a victory of sorts; I’m here to tell you this is a dark day fellow Comic Book Movie Fans. This disaster didn’t happen in a vacuum it went off like a Scud Missile spraying shrapnel indiscriminately in all directions. First we have WB/DC who were bunkered down like Affleck’s nanny , and far enough away from ground zero that they only sustained a scratch, DC proclaimed "that’s those guys over at that company. We do dark and grounded right over here buddy. Plus we have Ben Affleck and Margo Robbie" mmmm Margo. So while DC may have taken a cautionary step back let’s make no mistake this is Marvel on Marvel crime. Check out these quotes from some of the Fantastic 4 reviews.
“It's as if the whole Marvel thing got in the way of the indie movie everyone secretly wanted to make”
Richard Godwin
This is London
“... undoubtedly the dullest Marvel superhero movie in the post-Iron Man era,”
Steve Persall
Tampa Bay Times
“A tedious bargain-basement Marvel movie.”
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
“Joyless and stillborn Marvel reboot.”
Lou Lumenick
New York Post
“Fantastic Four review: the Marvel reboot for pretty much no one to enjoy”
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
I think you get the point. This is guilt by association folks. Because when that majestic Marvel Banner rolls out in front of FF the general fan isn’t aware of film rights. This general fan
has unknowingly walked into what may be the worst CBM in 20 years, and he is about to witness what he thought was another solid film from the company that brought him Iron Man and the Avengers. Surprise! So when he walks out of that theater there’s a chance he’s going to say WTF Marvel! The word of mouth is going to be swift and brutal. But Speedy the Marvel brand is strong they can deflect this, and we are going to get those rights back. Let’s say Marvel does get the Fantastic Four back. Bad news True Believer the brand is tarnished and odds are Marvel’s first family and Doctor Doom will be shelved for 4 or 5 years to allow that bad taste from the current reboot to dissipate. Adding the FF villains and Silver Surfer will be an epic move, but no FF and no Doom on the big screen that plain sucks. This is not something to cheer about.
Moving on what about that strong Marvel brand? Well this summer was not the studios finest. Even the most diehard Marvel fan boy has to admit phase 2’s major set piece Avengers: Age of Ultron fell a bit short of expectations. I’m going to average it out to a
B not quite the homerun we were hopin for but a solid film. AoU was followed by Ant-Man which has been a pleasant surprise but a large portion of the general audience hasn’t been impressed enough to go see the film. Chinks in the armor perhaps?
Looking ahead to next May and Captain America: Civil War another of Marvel’s big event films. This one kicking off Phase 3. It doesn’t take a Reed Richards to see there is a lot’s riding on this film. With a new Spider-Man, and the introduction of Black Panther both of these heroes have solo films slated for release in phase 3. Marvel is pulling out all the stops and it seems like everyone is in it. Everyone but Agent Coulson, Poor Phil, but you always have dub smash war 2. Civil War needs to be the proverbial homerun a
B will not suffice. And with the pressure of real competition next summer, you can see how Marvel may be slightly concerned. Batman vs Superman is the real deal it’s new it’s fresh and it’s not Marvel (Flame On). For that movie patron whose last comic book movie may have been FF Zack Snyder’s film will be the perfect tonic ease the leftover nausea.
Speaking of nausea now let’s talk about Fox. We know it is Fox not Marvel that bears a big chunk of the blame for this abomination, and it’s not the first time they have dropped a festering turd on the doorstep of the comic book community. I personally do not trust this studio and I’m sure many of you share my distrust. There are three adaptations of Marvel Comics being released by Fox in 2016.
First we have Deadpool, they couldn’t possibly screw with Deadpool could they? I mean look at all
the buzz around the trailer. Well fellow comic book lover come along with me as we pound a few beers and think like a Fox exe for a moment.
-
Fox Exe 1 “We need to recoup all that money we lost on FF”
-
Fox Exe 2 “Deadpool is looking like a hit!”
-
Fox Exe 1 “Yea but its rated R that will hurt the book office take.”
-
Fox Exe 2 “Oh it wouldn’t be hard to change this film to PG13 in post would it?”
I know it sounds insane but remember I have pounded a few beers, and a R rated Comic Book movie is a risk. Reviewers may be tough on it and well didn’t I say I don’t trust Fox?
Next up X-Men: Apocalypse directed by Bryan Singer and the screenplay by Simon Kinberg. Kinberg, Kinberg, hmmm why does that name sound familiar? It will come to me. Anyways the X-Men are Fox’s tent pole. Much like Marvel’s Civil War they can’t afford any mistakes, and if Singer offers up his dated vision of X-Men past it may trigger flashbacks of Doctor
Data Doom, and Thing with no pants because by this time next year we will have all seen FF on FX. I say we start the
campaign against X-Men: Apocalypse now. It worked for Fantastic Four. I hear our whining changed the ending. Hurray for the power of whining. Come on say it with me “Revert the rights back to marvel!”
Last but not least we have Gambit. Woo wee this one worries me the most. Fox has produced only one good non X-Men film and it starred the most popular X-Man. They wouldn’t pull the same stunt they pulled on Trank again would they. Could this be why Tatum pulled that power play earlier this month? So he could make sure Fox didn’t screw up his next movie. If that’s the case good for him and my respect for him has increased. Rupert Wyatt is a hell of a director so it should be ok though right? Did I say I don’t trust Fox?
In the end all jokes aside as news of this mess keeps coming out it truely is a sad tale. One that may prevent future talented directors with a different vision from making a movie in the future.
As always discuss it debate it or destroy it
Peace SpeedyG