(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

This version of Fantastic Four started off intriguing, but it really showed that they were trying real hard to be different from the other movies, and it just created a bigger mess.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

As a comic book movie lover, of course I love the story of The Fantastic Four, pretty much Marvel’s first family of superheroes. Each with their own special powers and personalities that work together mainly to stop one of my favorite villains, Dr. Doom. So when the comic book movie boom arrived, I was very happy that they were doing The Fantastic Four and see it on the big screen. When the first one came out in 2005, (I know there was one in the mid 90’s, but I don’t count that), I was disappointed for the way the story and action progressed. The acting for the most part was good, with exception to Jessica Alba and Julian McMahon (worst Dr. Doom ever), The second one that involved The Silver Surfer was better, but same progression as the first movie, and the whole Galactus as a cloud fiasco. Once The Marvel Cinematic Universe was established, I hoped that Fox would give their rights to the MCU, before it was rebooted. However, Fox just had to be greedy with their rights. Though I still remained optimistic for something better. That’s until they announced their cast for the new Fantastic Four, and was stunned and disappointed. I can’t see Miles Teller, who is a decent actor, play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. The one that bothered me most was the casting of Michael B. Jordan and Kate Mara playing Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and Sue Storm/The Invisible Women. It wasn’t because Michael B. Jordan is a Black actor playing a character who is Caucasian in the comics. What bothered me was if they were going in that route, why would his sister be Caucasian? It proved to me that this movie will butcher their story comically big time, and that it won’t show consistency which gave me a red flag. Still I have to give this movie a chance and hope I was wrong, but I was right.

(Editor’s Sidenote: I saw this movie using for the first time with the 4D Movie Theater. I have to say that it was fun experience kind of living in the movie with the seats moving, and seeing smoke and flashing lights. It even gave a smell of grass when the characters went to the other planet. One thing I would take away is that the seats were a little uncomfortable (I prefer recliners), and the overuse of the air compressor feeling. I mean when a person gets slapped, you feel the air which is kind off overdoing it. Though, what I really enjoyed was the car racing scene with the seats moving, made it even more thrilling to watch. It is a fun feeling and a special way to watch, but it can be too pricey for what it is, and I would suggest to wait for a good movie to have this experience.)

What I Like: Honestly, the only good thing about this movie that they did better than the other movies is that they character developed the heroes a lot better. You get a better sense of emotion relating to each character. Though i thought Sue Storm was developed the weakest. At the very least, you relate to them and keeps you engage in their story, and that is worth something.

The So So: Probably their best action scene is when all the guys decided to teleport to the new Earth. I thought it was a cool scene (maybe it was the 4D system) that really was the climax of the story (unfortunately). With that said, you see that those scenes where created from green screen and it really showed. Just seeing the transformation in these characters is cool to watch. I also enjoyed seeing the stretching scenes with Mr. Fantastic, played by Miles Teller, it shows how much movies has come along with special effects, but we didn’t get to see enough of it to really enjoy this movie.

What I Didn’t Like: Even though I didn’t think the casting choices were great, they were still some talented actors. However, I feel like director Josh Trank really watered down their acting talents. It’s like they sounded like they were being held up to act subpar. It was almost disappointing, because these superheroes have great and flourishing personalities, and we got none of that. I knew that they were going to give a lame excuse for having a Caucasian Sue Storm, played by Kate Mara and a Black Johnny Storm, played by Michael B. Jordan. She is adopted (from Kosovo out of all places), and the movie explained itself real quick and moved on. It was also lame that Dr.Doom, played by Toby Kebbell, speaks perfectly good English but the movie showed he is from the fictional country of Latveria. Is it too much to give him some kind of European accent. If not, might as well make him American. Just doesn’t make sense (though this Dr. Doom was better than Julian McMahon’s Dr. Doom). It was also lame that Sue Storm didn’t go with the guys to the other Earth, but when they returned some of that power transforming energy was still there when they came back, and affected Sue Storm as well, turning her to The Invisible Woman. It was also lame that it seemed this movie really tried hard to be different, but it turned out into a bigger mess than before. The third act was rushed, didn’t develop Dr. Doom’s power, just adding more cosmic stuff, and tried to make it cool, and The Thing, played and voiced by Jamie Bell, takes up all the space looking like one of the rock monsters from the movie Noah (another travesty), it was like watching a dumb truck full of dirt, rocks, and light being emptied out and there is the movie. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement, and that ending was just as horrible and cliched as The Amazing Spider-Man 2. They did utilize the catchphrase of The Thing saying, “It’s clobbering time,” very well, but hearing The Human Torch say, “Flame on,” just didn’t do it for me. Also those stupid cliches in superheroes movies of the government getting involved to make them as weapons just made me disregard it altogether.

Overall: I didn’t think this Fantastic Four franchise could get any worse than what it is, but it did. With that said, it does make me happy to see this movie fail, because they need to revert those right back to the MCU. I know they can make this franchose work in movies, and I need my favorite villain in Dr. Doom to be given justice. It should get the Spider-Man treatment in the MCU, of not having an origin story, and come through with flare. (I have to see how that works out, but I have faith that it will be good.) For the sake of this classic comic story, please Fox swallow your prides, and make this happen!!!

Rating: 2.5 Stars

(Sidenote: While We’re Young- This movie involving Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as documentary film makers hanging around with a younger couple of documentary film makers in Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried, and learning about making goos documentaries and the problems that it caused. Honestly, like most documentary films, it was intriguing at first, but became boring and whatever as the story progressed. Didn’t really cared for what happens to them, and it really wasn’t that funny. But if you respect the art of documentaries, (I’m so so on it) maybe you will enjoy. It’s just not for me.
Rating 2 Stars)