Fantastic Four feels like a 100-minute trailer for a movie that never happens. At this point in the ever-expanding cinematic superhero game, it behooves any filmmakers who gets involved to have at least a mildly fresh take on their characters and material, but this third attempt to create a worthy cinematic franchise from the first of Stan Lee and Jack Kirbys iconic comic book creations, which can genuinely claim to have launched the Age of Marvel, proves maddeningly lame and unimaginative. Die-hard fans will undoubtedly show up, but box-office results for this Fox release will fall far short of what Marvel achieves with its own in-house productions. The stakes are much higher now than when other hands grappled with these characters in the past. A 1994 feature produced by Bernd Eichinger and Roger Corman and directed by Oley Sassone was so cheesy that it never officially saw the light of day, while the two films directed by Tim Story in 2005 and 2007 did well enough but are remembered, if at all, for Jessica Alba. The Bottom Line More like the Unfantastic Four. This time, the reins have been handed to director and co-writer Josh Trank, whose one previous feature was the 2012 “found-footage” thriller Chronicle. Unfortunately, there is no youthful enthusiasm or sense of reinvention evident in this outing. Nothing that Trank and his co-writers Jeremy Slater and Simon Kinberg have come up with does anything to alleviate the feeling that the titular quartet simply don’t constitute very interesting superheroes. Oyster Bay school kid Reed Richards is introduced as a nerdy genius who has essentially built a teleporter in his home out of common equipment, a “bio-matter shuttle” that can transport matter through space. Helping him procure parts is tough-guy neighbor Ben Grimm. Read more Remembering the First Fantastic Four’ Movie No, Not That One His science teacher never appreciates him, but seven years later Reed Miles Teller, slumming for the first time in his sterling young career receives foundation backing to perfect his creation. One waits patiently as more exposition is laid out and further characters are shuffled in There’s deep-voiced project overseer Dr. Franklin Storm Reg E. Cathey, his car-happy son, Johnny Michael B. Jordan, who looks like he’d be happier in a Fast & Furious installment; Storm’s adopted daughter, Sue Kate Mara, a master technician who spends most of her time in front of a screen; grown-up Ben Jamie Bell; moody malcontent science genius Victor Von Doom Toby Kebbell; and agency boss Dr. Allen Tim Blake Nelson, who backs the construction of a machine designed to zap them all to another dimension and allows a multimanned mission after just one test run involving a chimpanzee. The chimp, in fact, comes back in fine shape, but no such luck for the human pioneers, who make it to a barren, rocky land of unknown location or identity, plant the flag, and are subsequently engulfed by a green energy field that gives them all strange powers — or at least distinct new characteristics Reed develops elastic, ever-stretchable limbs, and Johnny can turn into a flaming meteor, so count them lucky compared to Ben, whose new rocky body mass makes him a cousin of the Hulk with a more mottled complexion. And then there’s Victor Von Doom, who must live up to his name by going over to the dark side. Sue is forced to stay home and must ultimately move among the other characters in a large, transparent bubble straight out of The Wizard of Oz. All of this takes at least an hour, and it’s build-up to …nothing at all. A sense of heaviness, gloom and complete disappointment settles in during the second half, as the mundane setup pays no dramatic or sensory dividends whatsoever. Even if lip-service is paid to some great threat to life on Earth as we know it, the filmmakers bring nothing new to the formula, resulting in a film that’s all wind-up and no delivery. The fact that the writers couldn’t think of anything interesting to do with these characters in this first series reboot does not bode well for any potential excitement in a sequel. Read more Fantastic Four’ The Most Marvel Superheroes of All Beginning with Teller and Jordan, who have done such promising early work, the cast is utterly wasted here with mostly rote explanatory dialogue and little conflict or nuance to work on a dramatic level. And the visual style is in a dark, unattractive, gloomy mode that infects every aspect of the film. Near the end, Teller’s Reed comments on the status of the group’s actions by proclaiming, “We opened this door, we’re gonna close it.” The sooner the better. Production Marv Films, Kinberg Genre, Robert Kulzer Productions Cast Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson, Tim Heidecker Director Josh Trank Screenwriters Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg, Josh Trank Producers Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Hutch Parker, Robert Kulzer, Gregory Goodman Executive producer Stan Lee Director of photography Matthew Jensen Production designer Chris Seagers Costume designer George L. Little Editors Elliot Greenberg, Stephen Rivkin Music Marco Beltrami, Philip Glass Visual effects supervisor James E Price Casting Ronna Kress Rated PG-13, 100 minutes
TRAILER 353 TRAILER 230 TRAILER 235 Play all videos What to know 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. Read critic reviews Transformers Age of Extinction Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice Rent/buy Rent/buy Subscription Buy Fantastic Four videos Fantastic Four Trailer - Heroes Unite TRAILER 353 Fantastic Four International Trailer 1 TRAILER 230 Fantastic Four Trailer 2 TRAILER 235 Fantastic Four Photos Movie Info Transported to an alternate universe, four young outsiders gain superhuman powers as they alter their physical form in shocking ways. Reed Richards becomes Mr. Fantastic, able to stretch and twist his body at will, while pal Ben Grimm gains immense strength as the Thing. Johnny Storm becomes the Human Torch, able to control and project fire, while his sister Sue becomes the Invisible Woman. Together, the team must harness their new abilities to prevent Doctor Doom from destroying the Earth. Rating PG-13 Sci-Fi Action ViolenceLanguage Genre Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy Original Language English Director Josh Trank Producer Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Hutch Parker, Robert Kulzer, Gregory Goodman Writer Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg, Josh Trank Release Date Theaters Aug 7, 2015 wide Release Date Streaming Dec 15, 2015 Box Office Gross USA $ Runtime 1h 40m Distributor 20th Century Fox Production Co Kinberg Genre, TSG Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, Moving Picture Company, Constantin Film, Marv Films Sound Mix Dolby Atmos Aspect Ratio Scope Cast & Crew News & Interviews for Fantastic Four Critic Reviews for Fantastic Four Audience Reviews for Fantastic Four Apr 16, 2018 Unfortunately for everyone involved and especially the audience, the creators of this reboot had no idea what the F4 stand for, or what their stories should be about. This is rather dark, without charm or humor and totally ruins one of the greatest villains of Marvel comics. sure, the special effects are decent and there is potential for a somewhat good film here or there but the stereotypes and lack of an intriguing plot entirely ruin any chance of a redeeming movie experience. Very disappointing. Super Reviewer Jun 20, 2016 By far the worst superhero film ever made. Possibly one of the worst films I've ever seen, and trust me, I've seen a lot of awful movies. Super Reviewer Jun 04, 2016 This film was atrocious. I can't believe how much they dropped the ball on this one... Let me explain the positives/negatives. Positives 1. The scene with Reed and Ben as kids was handled okay. 2. Victor von Doom killing people in the hallway looked creepy and not that bad. 3. The cast is trying despite given a terrible script. 4. There is potential because of Josh Trank directing, who did direct Chronicle which is my favourite found footage film. Negatives 1. The performances; every character sounds like they are contractually obligated everytime they speak. Nobody feels like a person the acting is very mechanical and dry. Even though the cast is good and I can tell they are trying the things they are saying just don't work and the jokes don't hit! 2. The tone; this film takes itself way too seriously. The jokes if there are any! don't hit at all, this film is so uninspired, it makes the previous Fantastic Four movies look good, because at least you kind of laugh at how bad they are but this film takes itself too seriously. Serious tones only work for certain films like The Dark Knight, but it doesn't work here! 3. The villain; what happened!? Victor von Doom is a joke in this film, not only is he weak but he has no motivation. He is just a bad guy and he looks horrible! At least in the 2005 Fantastic Four they atleast got Dr. Doom's costume right, here they attempt to translate him on the big screen but they do it completely wrong! Dr. Doom is one of the most badass villains and they took a complete dump all over him! 4. The final battle is atrocious, this whole film is boring lacking any action. Now we finally get an action scene but it is terrible and forgettable. One punch and Dr. Doom is defeated. No epic showdown, nothing! Good job guys.... Overall This might actually be my least favourite comic book film. Don't watch this movie, don't even watch it on Netflix like I did. Poor Josh Trank, he was treated like an animal by 20th Century Fox. I'm just waiting until Fox gives Fantastic Four back to Marvel. All of those positives I listed aren't enough to be redeeming qualities. Absolutely disappointing excuse of a film. Super Reviewer May 30, 2016 "Fantastic 4" is more a fantastic two-and-a-half. The rest just sucks. Super Reviewer
Now with the updated reboot of Fantastic Four, the Fox-inherited Marvel property moves into Weird Science territory. For its first half, at least, the new film is a story about a nerdy,
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch Chris Evans flames out in "Fantastic Four," wondering what it would be like to shake hands with Aquaman. So you get in a spaceship, and you venture into orbit to research a mysterious star storm hurtling toward Earth. There's a theory it may involve properties of use to man. The spaceship is equipped with a shield to protect its passengers from harmful effects, but the storm arrives ahead of schedule and saturates everybody on board with unexplained but powerful energy that creates radical molecular changes in their return safety to Earth, only to discover that Reed Richards Ioan Gruffudd, the leader of the group, has a body that can take any form or stretch to unimaginable lengths. Call him Mr. Fantastic. Ben Grimm Michael Chiklis develops superhuman powers in a vast and bulky body that seems made of stone. Call him the Thing. Sue Storm Jessica Alba can become invisible at will and generate force fields that can contain propane explosions, in case you have a propane explosion that needs containing but want the option of being invisible. Call her Invisible Woman. And her brother Johnny Storm Chris Evans has a body that can burn at supernova temperatures. Call him the Human Torch. I almost forgot the villain, Victor Von Doom Julian McMahon, who becomes Dr. Doom and wants to use the properties of the star storm and the powers of the Fantastic Four for his own purposes. He eventually becomes this point in the review, are you growing a little restless? What am I gonna do, list names and actors and superpowers and nicknames forever? That's how the movie all setup and demonstration, and naming and discussing and demonstrating, and it never digests the complications of the Fantastic Four and gets on to telling a compelling story. Sure, there's a nice sequence where the Thing keeps a fire truck from falling off a bridge, but you see one fire truck saved from falling off a bridge, you've seen them Fantastic Four are, in short, underwhelming. The edges kind of blur between them and other superhero teams. That's understandable. How many people could pass a test right now on who the X-Men are and what their powers are? Or would want to? I wasn't watching "Fantastic Four" to study it, but to be entertained by it, but how could I be amazed by a movie that makes its own characters so indifferent about themselves?The Human Torch, to repeat, can burn at supernova temperatures! He can become so hot, indeed, that he could threaten the very existence of the Earth itself! This is absolutely stupendously amazing, wouldn't you agree? If you could burn at supernova temperatures, would you be able to stop talking about it? I know people who won't shut up about winning 50 bucks in the after Johnny Storm finds out he has become the Human Torch, he takes it pretty much in stride, showing off a little by setting his thumb on fire. Later he saves the Earth, while Invisible Woman simultaneously contains his supernova so he doesn't destroy it. That means Invisible Woman could maybe create a force field to contain the sun, which would be a big deal, but she's too distracted to explore the possibilities; she gets uptight because she will have to be naked to be invisible, because otherwise people could see her empty clothes; it is no consolation to her that invisible nudity is more of a metaphysical concept than a condition. Are these people complete idiots? The entire nature of their existence has radically changed, and they're about as excited as if they got a makeover on "Oprah." The exception is Ben Grimm, as the Thing, who gets depressed when he looks in the mirror. Unlike the others, who look normal except when actually exhibiting superpowers, he looks like - well, he looks like his suits would fit The Hulk, just as the Human Torch looks like The Flash, and the Invisible Woman reminds me of Storm in "X-Men."Is this the road company? Thing clomps around on his Size 18 boulders and feels like an outcast until he meets a blind woman named Alicia Kerry Washington who loves him, in part because she can't see him. But the Thing looks like Don Rickles crossed with Mt. Rushmore; he has a body that feels like a driveway and a face with crevices you could hide a toothbrush in. Alicia tenderly feels his face with her fingers, like blind people often do while falling in love in the movies, and I guess she likes what she feels. Maybe she's story involves Dr. Doom's plot to ... but perhaps we need not concern ourselves with the plot of the movie, since it is undermined at every moment by the unwieldy need to involve a screenful of characters, who, despite the most astonishing powers, have not been made exciting or even interesting. The X-Men are major league compared to the really good superhero movies, like "Superman," "SpiderMan 2" and "Batman Begins," leave "Fantastic Four" so far behind that the movie should almost be ashamed to show itself in the same theaters. Roger Ebert Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Now playing Film Credits Fantastic Four 2005 Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and some suggestive content 106 minutes Latest blog posts about 8 hours ago about 11 hours ago about 12 hours ago 1 day ago CommentsThefour of them acquire special powers, and decide to form a superhero group called the Fantastic Four. They then fight their arch-enemy Dr. Doom. REVIEW: Produced under the wing of B-movie maven Roger Corman, 1994's "The Fantastic Four" attempt would fulfill the realization of seeing the team come to life for the first time in this TV
In the distant annals of movie history there was a film called Fantastic Four, which chronicled the superpowers of five scientists. Following an intergalactic expedition, the quintet found their DNA irreparably transformed. Suddenly, Dr Reed Richards could stretch his limbs to ludicrous lengths, his close friend Ben was mutated into a walking rock face, Sue Storm was able to turn herself invisible and her brother Johnny kept on changing into a flying fireball. That was all of ten years ago and now, in the age of the reboot, it doesn’t seem absurd to revisit the franchise Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer was released just eight years ago. Thanks to Batman Begins and its abundant successors, reboots have become the norm and are generally darker, more intelligent and less cheesy than their predecessors, while harking back to the origins of their source material. The 2005 Fantastic Four was certainly cheesy and OTT, allowing this latest reboot to be eminently superior. It marks the second directorial outing for Josh Trank, he who was responsible for probably the best found footage thriller,’ Chronicle 2012. Once again Trank has opted for talent over star power, thus staffing his fantasy with genuinely creditable actors Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey. Starting his story in 2007 the year Rise of the Silver Surfer was released, the film shows Reed Richards as an über-nerd schoolboy whose IQ is way above that of his teachers. His school project is teleportation, which seems beyond the comprehension of his peers and professors, although today scientists are beginning to believe in its feasibility, particularly with the advances in graphene application. Of course, this is the fun bit, because bright children who know better are always good for a laugh, and as Reed morphs into the grown-up Miles Teller from Whiplash fame, he proves to a government-sponsored research institute that he might be on to something. And so the preternaturally youthful Teller, Mara, Jordan, Kebbell and Jamie Bell the latter, erstwhile Billy Elliot, now being 29, play with their quantum physics to engaging effect. All this is enormously entertaining, and even vaguely credible, until the second half of the film kicks in and the silliness begins. Just three weeks ago, the Marvel Comic Universe proved with Ant-Man that less could be more, but the new Fantastic Four is bit of a step back. The special effects aren’t even that special by today’s standards and some of the teleportation stuff is more Dr Who than Interstellar. Still, Josh Trank’s universe is not about the CGI, it’s about the ideas, and with a terrific score from Philip Glass and Marco Beltrami, and the actors involved, it holds its own in a very crowded Marvel CAMERON-WILSONCast Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson, Dan Castellaneta, Chet Josh Trank, Pro Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Hutch Parker, Robert Kulzer and Gregory Goodman, Screenplay Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg and Josh Trank, Ph Matthew Jensen, Pro Des Chris Seagers, Ed Elliot Greenberg and Stephen Rivkin, Music Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass, Costumes George L. Entertainment/20th Century Fox/Constantin Film/Marv Films/Kinberg Genre/Robert Kulzer Productions/Hutch Parker Entertainment/TSG Entertainment-20th Century mins. USA/UK/Germany. 2015. Rel 6 August 2015. Cert. 12A.It is a good film, even that after the middle the quality gets down, it doesn't deserve your bad opinions!!! Besides it's better then the two first movies. 20 of 221 users found this helpful20201 Fantastic Four 7/10 STARS! PERFECT- Directing, Pace, Acting, Script, Cast & CGI. ISSUES- Runtime, Editing, Character & Plot, Middle & Finale. The ENDING leaves you wanting more! Fantastic Four 2015 is a successful reboot. Let the F42 conversation begin! Suggested Ticket Price $ Four 7/10 STARS! PERFECT- Directing, Pace, Acting, Script, Cast & CGI. ISSUES- Runtime, Editing, Character & Plot, Middle & Finale. The ENDING leaves you wanting more! Fantastic Four 2015 is a successful reboot. Let the F42 conversation begin! Suggested Ticket Price $ & Below Matinee Only. Many nods to Man of Steel! Don't let those paid haters critics keep you from watching it at least once on the BIG SCREEN. Lastly, you should already know this but NO Post-Credit Scene. However, the End Credits Song is... NBD! Rewatchability Factor 8/10 STARS! If you love the Fantasic Four... You'll watch this again and again... and again! Adding it to the Black Friday Blu-ray list. Fingers crossed for F42! China can save this franchise if domestic Box Office numbers come up short just like it will save Terminator Genisys in a few weeks. ***Blame any errors on the ZzZzZzZ's***… Expand 2 of 22 users found this helpful220 It's hard to emphasize just how fast this movie sputters out. I had a good time watching the first hour or so, it was a bit overdone, borrowed a lot from Spiderman, but it way enjoyable. Then with half an hour to go it just feels like someone gave them the "wrap it up" signal and the filmIt's hard to emphasize just how fast this movie sputters out. I had a good time watching the first hour or so, it was a bit overdone, borrowed a lot from Spiderman, but it way enjoyable. Then with half an hour to go it just feels like someone gave them the "wrap it up" signal and the film rapidly melts into a rushed mess. The dialogue loses all its flair, the action feels disjointed, and even the special effects seem to get worse with every passing moment. It really is a bizarre experience.… Expand 0 of 0 users found this helpful00 Man, what a mess of a movie. The most boring and uneventful comic book movie i have ever seen. It's like they were doing the same thing all movie OVER AND OVER AGAIN. The villain was just horrible, they wasted Dr. Doom so bad, plus he looked horrible. I was honestly relieved when the movieMan, what a mess of a movie. The most boring and uneventful comic book movie i have ever seen. It's like they were doing the same thing all movie OVER AND OVER AGAIN. The villain was just horrible, they wasted Dr. Doom so bad, plus he looked horrible. I was honestly relieved when the movie finished. Overall it's just a mess of a movie that takes a **** on the fantastic 4 name, as if the previous 2 movies didn't do that properly.… Expand 0 of 0 users found this helpful00 How could this movie all of a sudden get so bad so quickly? Honestly I would say the first half was terrific, it made me say to myself 'Why does everyone hate this?' and then BOOM a half hour towards the end we have a rushed superhero battle with over-explained plot lines, a villain who isHow could this movie all of a sudden get so bad so quickly? Honestly I would say the first half was terrific, it made me say to myself 'Why does everyone hate this?' and then BOOM a half hour towards the end we have a rushed superhero battle with over-explained plot lines, a villain who is more laughable than villainous, overall acting and even worse special effects. The director was right to try to get his name off this hunk-o-junk.… Expand 3 of 4 users found this helpful31 Generally I can take a comic-book movie and see some positive light in it, even if it doesn't deliver what it should have. This however, you just can't. From start to finish you're given an extremely boring movie, with dull pacing and a gloomy tone. Not even an action sequence to look up to,Generally I can take a comic-book movie and see some positive light in it, even if it doesn't deliver what it should have. This however, you just can't. From start to finish you're given an extremely boring movie, with dull pacing and a gloomy tone. Not even an action sequence to look up to, nor even a drop of humor to keep us enlighted. Just pure trash.… Expand 0 of 0 users found this helpful00 It's a poor movie but I'm more concerned with the Thing's pants. Has anyone managed to find them? Also, where did his penis go? I looking for that too. 0 of 0 users found this helpful00Directedby Josh Trank on a script co-written by he, Slater and Simon Kinberg, the film received largely negative reviews from critics and audiences alike and was a box office bomb, only grossing $168 million against its $150 million budget. .