Brilliant scientist Reed Richards builds a device that allows users to teleport to an alternate dimension, but an experiment involving it goes wrong and leaves him and his three teammates with unusual superpowers. The quartet are then forced to work together to battle an enemy from their past. This reboot of the iconic Marvel superhero team stars Miles Teller as Richards (who becomes Mr. Fantastic, able to bend and stretch his body into impossible shapes), Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch, whose body can erupt in flames), Kate Mara as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman -- no explanation needed), and Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm (who is transformed into the rock monster known as The Thing). Directed by Josh Trank. ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi
Director: Josh Trank
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie
Bell, Toby Kebbell
Release Date: Aug
07, 2015
Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Action Violence and Language
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
There were two famously troubled productions hitting the
screen this summer. Antman ended up
surprising mostly everyone including myself but the reboot of Fantastic Four
fails in every way that film succeeded.
A morose joyless experience from start to finish, Josh Trank’s film hits
all the typical origin story beats but never brings anything new to the
table. It’s ultimately a plodding mess
of a film that never coalesces into anything nearing fun or entertaining. It’s a shame because there’s a capable cast
of actors on hand. Unfortunately, they
don’t share a shred of chemistry together.
Each of them delivers their lines with a robotic sense of inevitably and
disinterest. Perhaps if the script
wasn’t a hackneyed retread of things we’ve all seen before they’d be more
interested in their performances. At a
little over an hour and half, the film drags on to it’s inevitable conclusion
which doesn’t deliver much satisfaction either since the villain is about as
silly looking as they come. Your mind
might start to wander, even making wonder if those original FF4 films were
really that bad right before you remember that The Incredibles is still the
best FF4 film around.
D
It's hard to believe that this film is really as bad as people are saying. We ditched it this weekend for The Gift but I should see it before its run in the cinema ends.
ReplyDeleteIf anything it will cement my love for the Tim Story films!
I had no real interest in a new FF film but I had high hopes for Josh Trank as I really loved Chronicle.
K :-)
It's a major disappointment, really wish I would have seen the Gift.
DeleteWhile I do not disagree that the movie had some massive flaws, like the worst 3rd Act of in recent memory. But I very much enjoyed the first hour, and I thought it had a lot of potential. Too bad it did not capitalize on that potential though. Great review Daniel.
ReplyDelete-James
Very true, it's a film that sets up a lot of things but never delivers.
DeleteAs terrible as everyone (including you) says. The first 10-15 minutes are okay, but then it goes downhil faster than you can say "clobberin' time". A shame, especially considering how good Trank's previous film Chronicle was.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was expecting the worse but somehow I was still underwhelmed.....and bored....
Delete