"Fantastic Four" is officially the worst reviewed superhero movie of all time on rotten tomatoes, with a score of eight percent. Even the atrocity that is the Halle Berry "Catwoman" film has a higher score. Poor reviews harmed the film's release, as it flopped in its opening weekend at the box office. The reboot of the Fantastic Four certainly isn't a good movie, but it isn't quite deserving of the title of worst superhero movie of all time.
The film was directed by Josh Trank and stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell. Based on the Marvel comics characters, the film follows a group of young scientists who gain super powers after a terrible accident. Basically, it's the same origin story told again for the trillionth time.
An interesting fact about "Fantastic Four" that most movie goers are unaware of is the influence the "Ultimate Fantastic Four" comic series had on the reboot. "Ultimate Fantastic Four" focuses on younger versions of the main characters and they get their powers from a malfunctioning teleporter. The new movie contains similar story elements.
"Fantastic Four" trailer
The cast is by far the strongest aspect of "Fantastic Four." People took issue with how young the cast is because the characters are typically older in the comic books. Age aside, Teller, Jordan, Mara, Bell, and Kebbell give good performances when juxtaposed with the cast from the 2005 film. The new cast demonstrates a better understanding of the characters and give much less over the top and silly performances than previous actors did.
The science fiction approach that the filmmakers took with the story was one of the more enjoyably qualities of the movie. The first half of the film follows the characters as they attempt to build a machine that will take them to another dimension. One of the most memorable scenes is when young Reed Richards and Ben Grimm build a prototype in Reed's garage.
Despite a good cast and some interesting science fiction elements, "Fantastic Four" has more going wrong for itself than it does right.
The most notable flaw of the movie is the way Doctor Doom is presented. Early on in the film, Doom isn't such a bad character. Both the script and Kebbell's performance illustrate the brilliance of Victor von Doom and the potential he has. But the final act of the movie ruins Doom. He looks terrible. Bad special effects make him stick out like a sore thumb. The worst part is that his powers make no sense. It's not even clear what his powers are. Watching this movie, it seems like Doctor Doom can do whatever he wants. It's such a shame to see one of the great pop culture villains squandered for the second time on the silver screen.
Doctor Doom in "Fantastic Four"
The final act of the movie is a noticeable blemish in "Fantastic Four." Considering the end is supposed to be the climax of the film, the ending to "Fantastic Four" is strangely anticlimactic. The final battle takes place in a bland, colorless wasteland that's boring to look at. There's very little action. The last fight only lasts a couple of minutes, which isn't long compared to other superhero movies. Ultimately, the ending is bland and uneventful.
The special effects in "Fantastic Four" were much to be desired. Mr. Fantastic's stretching ability looks particularly cringe worthy. And as stated earlier, Doctor Doom looks ridiculous. Better special effects would have improved the final act of the movie immensely.
"Fantastic Four" is not a good superhero movie, but it's also not the worst one ever made. What sets "Fantastic Four" apart from other bad superhero movies, like "Catwoman" or "Electra," is that it is watchable. It's a mediocre film at best, but the good cast and interesting science fiction elements make it watchable. However, the climax and the way Doctor Doom is presented brings "Fantastic Four" down considerably.
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