Amph Official "Fantastic Four" Reboot(s) Thread

I just watched the movie last night. No comedy, no heart, and sadly, no soul.

Why waste all the screen time with the children at the beginning? That really didn't make me care more about Reed and Ben especially when Ben disappears for a good 20-30 minutes while the machine is getting built. Speaking of Ben, who looked at Jamie Bell and said, "This is our guy!" Were we supposed to see the man underneath the rock? Michael Chiklis did a better, more believable job.

I digress. Rotten Tomatoes sums it up perfectly, ""Dull and downbeat, this Fantastic Four proves a woefully misguided attempt to translate a classic comic series without the humor, joy, or colorful thrills that made it great".

 

While I didn't think Fant4stic was a quality film, I don't disagree with the concept of the film to go the opposite direction of the Jessica Alba F4 films which were humorous, joyful, colorful and campy. I was actually intrigued with the idea of the Fantastic Four being a scifi horror film like Scanners or The Fly. I still think that concept could work in the right hands.

However if the franchise stays with Fox, I'd like Mathew Vaughn to helm the film as I enjoyed his films like Kickass, X-Men: First Class and Kingsman; all had the fun factor, joy can colorful thrills the Fantastic Four would need to endear themselves to audiences.

 

It was better than the other two (I doubt it's a classic like the Corman version, but I still need to see that one) but that might be because I had such biblically low expectations going in. There is no second act to speak of, and Tobe Kebbel just randomly shows up again saying "I'm the villain because **** you Tim Blake Nelson". Almost all of the performances are bland bland bland, especially Kate Mara. Michael B. Jordan seems to be the only one that was trying to have fun, and it's pretty unintentionally funny that every single character in the film is basically telling him to be angst-ridden and downbeat like them. Josh Trank basically remakes Chronicle in the climax, and I'll blame the studio on that. From all the horror stories I've read of the production, it sounds so similar to the 1996 version of Island of Dr. Moreau.

 

Well that’s kind of unfair, because Island of Dr. Moreau actually had a really great premise when it started, this didn’t.

 

To be fair, a lot of Supervillain origin stories happen like that.

 

I'm waiting for it to be on FX, because everyone that has seen it said it was terrible.

 

Kinberg Hopes For "Brighter, Funner" "Fantastic Four" Sequel With Same Cast

I was watching part of the movie last night, and I like the cast too. I like the way the Thing looked, but I definitely put pants on that guy. Despite not having genitals, the Things should still wear pants.

However, I'm not sure if most fans would give Fox another chance to get this movie right.

For me, dark and gritty wasn't the problem. The problem was the movie drags on too long before the characters get their super powers, and it was horrible that Sue Storm was sidelined (in part) when they got their powers. And I hated the fact in the Fantastic Four films they tie in Doom's origins with the F4. It's lame and lazy writing. And course, the ending of the film was weak sauce.

I did enjoy elements of the film. I actually did like the science/experiment gone wrong aspect of the film.

 

The movie was garbage and there was absolutely nothing redeeming about it. 100% a hot mess. Just the idea of an FF sequel just to spite Marvel/Disney makes me mad enough to skip X-Men: Apocalypse just to spite Fox. That and the abysmal reviews XMA has been getting.

 

Well, after seeing how well Spider-Man came off in Civil War, I would definitely love for Fantastic Four to come home to the MCU. I know Marvel Studios would know what to do with the characters. It would be something if Chris Evan/Captain America would actually meet the F4 and make some meta comment to the Human Torch. And course, I'm sure Marvel Studios would sink their teeth into Dr. Doom, Galactus and the Skrulls.

I could see Fox put another F4 film into production just to spite Disney.

I am happy that Fox pulled the Gambit movie.

 

I have yet to see this. Your opinion on it made me curious to see it now.

 

Well, most of the YouTube film critics I follow said the first have of the film wasn't that bad, but the last 20 minutes of the film it where it all falls part. Which I agree.

I've read and absorb as much information about the production problems of this film, as well as the concept that got the film greenlit, which are very well discussed in this video:
FANTASTIC FOUR What Happened & What Went Wrong?



Again, after the first two Tim Story Fantastic Four films, I thought going the Cronenberg style film sounded good and intriguing, with Richard Richards being somewhat of a mad scientist.

Anyway, based on the video above and the outcome of the film, it's obvious the films production problems caused this movie to be garbage. I recall hearing there were at least two big action sequences in the script but were cut because of budget (an action sequence alluded to in the trailer where the Thing falls out of an airplane and the battle with Dr. Doom). And thus is the reason why you get a long drawn out beginning and a cut and paste ending; the middle of the film (the Thing falling of the plane action sequence) was cut. I believe this was a three act film where Act 1 would be getting their powers, Act 2 testing their powers while being exploited by the military, Act 3 battle with Doom. I think the director of the film, Josh Trank, was very much like Zack Snyder in that he probably was shooting footage for a four hour movie and the studio took a look at what was filmed and it wasn't the costly action pieces and therefore took the film over. Which would explain the "one year later" thing and slapped together ending.

 

If you have HBO Go, it's currently on there to stream.

Well, then I guess Fox Studios likes to burn money. Because that is how I would equate it given the reception of their recent effort.

 

Yeah, the could have cut the entire Young-Reed & Young-Grim scenes. Even the scenes in the Grim Junkyard and the Grim family. The really dragged down the pace of the film and did not carry any weight or have any payoff. I think they were put in the film because the entire second act was cut from the movie and the studio needed fillers. However, after hearing the interviews with the director, I understand what those scenes weren't meant to convey.

Oh, okay. From what I understood, Marvel didn't have the rights to the Skrulls and thus we got the Chitauri in the Avengers.

I'm doubting we'll get a Secret Invasion in the MCU proper, but I think it would make for a wonderful Agents of SHIELD season. However, I was watching a series on YouTube called Movie Fights (the same guys behind Honest Trailers) and IIRC some pitched an Avengers film based on the ideal of Secret Invasion mashed up with the board game Clue where the entire movie takes places in the Avengers mansion and it's just the characters confiding themselves there until they solve the mystery of "who done it?"

 

Ugh. Just let it go.

 

I don't think they are doing it to "spite" Marvel. They are doing it so that they may maintain ownership of the film rights. The actual film rights to those characters is an asset probably worth about 9 figures.

They are contractually obligated to make films or else those rights revert back to Marvel. Unfortunately, they are not contractually obligated to make good films.

 

They didn't do Skrulls in Avengers as they thought shapeshifting aliens AND mind control would make it too confusing so they just used Chitauri

 

Exactly.

The Roger Corman Fantastic Four was precisely made to maintain the movie rights and thus was never meant to be seen by anybody.

I've been wanting to see the documentary below about the behind the scene shenanigans, but I can't find a copy to rent anywhere.

 

It doesn't matter how much the film rights are worth when they lose money on them like with the last FF movie. What's the point of keeping the rights if they make no money and but still have to *spend* money to create another POS movie every 7 years or so? It makes no financial sense.

 

useful bargaining chip against Marvel/Disney. It's a hostage if they ever need to make a deal for something.

 

Just because the most recent FF lost money (because it sucked) doesn't all of a sudden make the movie rights of those characters worthless. The first 2 movies did quite well, so there's no reason to simply let those film rights expire for free.

 

And Michael B Jordan is being cast in Black Panther... so... guessing Kinberg's hope of doing a sequel got harder

 

Nice chess move, Marvel.

 

He's a great actor. It was a shame that he was cast in such an atrocious movie. I'm sure he signed a multi-movie deal when he took the part, but I just don't see any way they bring this cast back.