Fantastic Four (Widescreen Edition)

Fantastic 4!   January 7, 2009
One of the best comic book to movie transitions and it is even better on Blu Ray!

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GOOD FOR WHAT IT IS (1 of 1 Found this Helpful)   January 3, 2009
FANTASTIC 4

When this film first came out there was a lot of high hopes for the film, and why not it is one of the most beloved comics of all time. There has been a lot said about this movie some being positive some negative, I think for the most part that both sides are right. This movie is flawed especially if you are a fan of the comic series but if you a casual viewer I see no reason why you would not like this film. I have been a fan of Marvel Comics since I was a little kid, and while this series was not my favorite I still read it. That is why I have mixed feelings about this movie, on one hand I am upset with how it turned out while on the other I enjoyed it.

The story is all about five unlucky people who take a little trip into space to conduct an experiment, of course since this film is based on a comic you know that something goes wrong. After being hit with all kinds of nasty stuff [cosmic rays] the team wakes up a little later back on earth and everything seems fine, at first. But after a while Reed Richards starts to feel a little stretched, Suzanne Storm feels a little invisible, Johnny Storm begins to feel a little hot, Victor Von Doom feels electrified, and poor Ben Grimm feels a little solid. Of course all of you know what I am talking about with each character; four become fantastic while Doom becomes just that, doomed. It is these events that start to set in motion what should be one of the greatest show downs of all time, more on that later. Reluctantly Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch [not so reluctantly] and of course very reluctantly The Thing except who they have become and join up to become the Fantastic Four. That is really what the movie is all about, all of them coming to terms with what they have become. Torch and Doom are really the only ones that like what has happened to them, strangely for similar reasons.

A lot of the fans of the comic have spoken out about this movie saying a whole lot of different things, different reasons why they dislike this movie. One reason and justly so is the fact that the film is not really true to the comic all that much, such as the character story lines like Doom was never with Sue that I can remember. Also weren't Reed and Doom friends in college and became enemies once an experiment went wrong and messed up Victor. There are also some other points to be made about storylines and such but you get the idea of what I am trying to say. Something else that is discussed a lot is the casting of the film, from what I can tell most people disagree with most of it. Ioan Gruffudd is cast as Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic and a lot of people disagree with this casting decision. It is true that Reed was a genius that was full of confidence and never really self doubting like he is in this film, that is true I can't really argue that point. Also Jessica Alba as Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman has had a lot of critics about her being cast in that role, once again rightful criticism since Sue was never that prissy and stuck up and love sick. Chris Evans as Johnny Storm aka Human Torch has had mixed reactions, people say that Torch was never that cocky but I disagree. He may not have been that cocky originally but I do remember this Torch from his guest appearances in the Spiderman comics, maybe not that cocky but pretty close and has far as entertainment purposes I think they went the right way. Michael Chiklis is really the only one that has had the most praise as Ben Grimm aka The Thing, and rightfully so as he portrays his character perfectly and fulfils a childhood dream by being in this film as The Thing. And of course our villain is played by Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom aka Dr. Doom, he has been plagued with criticism as well but I liked him as Doom.

I really believe that all of the actors did great jobs for what they were given, I mean think about it they portrayed characters that were written for them and acted as directed. If there ever was any one to blame it would be director Tim Story and writers Mark Frost and Michael France. They seem to have wanted to make this film more about the characters and drama between them more important then a film about the action. I can understand that decision but they could have balanced both much better just look at the Spiderman films. Also people complain about how they changed the origins and story around, but like Stan Lee said the big screen is much different from the pages, and some times the film needs to be made different to reach a new audience. As a fan I can both understand this and except it but at the same time be upset by it. Still I don't like that the final battle between the Four and Doom is way to short and not as epic as it could have been. Still though Tim and the writers obviously had a certain vision they wanted to go with for the film and they followed through with it. And what you get is what you get take it or leave, am I overly excited by the finished product, no. But I do think that the film is worth a watch, maybe even a purchase.

All the actors did great jobs with what they had written for them, Chris Evans really did a good job adding to his character. His fights with Michael Chiklis are great entertainment and remind me of the comics, and I think Doom looked cool and Julian McMahon did a great job regardless of whether his character was written for the screen right. Michael Chiklis steals the show in my eyes; his portrayal is great and really heartfelt, that is how I would react if I was turned into that and lost my wife. Ioan Gruffudd is in the same vein as Julian McMahon in that he does a great job with a character that was not written right; same can be said for Alba who does a good job with her character [she is also super hot, really a beautiful woman]. The only thing is that she at times like in the action scenes kinda looks out of place, but that suit fits so right on her so I'll forgive that [sorry but that is the guy in me coming out].

Tim, Mark, and Michael although they did not really stick to what the comic was did an ok job with this new version of the team. Sure I would prefer it a different way but the finished product is still kind of a fun movie, perfect for a lazy Saturday or something. Maybe it is because I am a fan of Marvel [Stan Lee cameos] and that they Ok'd it makes me forgive its short comings, or maybe it is just mindless fun that I think this film is ok. This film will never be my favorite movie or even favorite super hero movie but still it is not unwatchable. Whether you hate this film or not as a fan you should still support what you grew up loving, this is not a film just for the people who came to love the comics. This film at least what I think they were going for is a film that has enough of the old to please the old fans and enough new to reach a new audience. I think it worked kinda because the film made money, and as long as these films make money the more we will get to see them. Even if they are not done correctly I would still rather see these characters being created for new generations, which is really the only way the characters will live on.

The DVD comes with a nice cast commentary with Chiklis, Gruffudd, and Alba; also included are a lot of great behind the scenes extras including a great documentary. Also on a side note, I actually like the first movie from the 90's that was produced by Roger Corman. I wish that would get a real release on DVD or something, the bootleg quality is not to great.

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1.5 stars out of 4   December 18, 2008
The Bottom Line:

With terrible acting (exception: Michael Chiklis), terrible special effects, annoying character interaction and a paint-by-numbers plot, Fantastic Four has precious little to recommend it.

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I enjoyed it! (1 of 1 Found this Helpful)   September 4, 2008
I'm actually a humongous fan of Marvel Comics Fantastic Four. From owning a large collection of the comic books to toy hunting for the hard-to-get Invisible Woman action figures.

But I kept myself away from any coverage, hype regarding the film, so I can enjoy it to the nth degree.

I have to admit that I felt a bit cautious because although the Fantastic Four have been a staple of Marvel Comics history, it's not the in your face action such as X-Men and even Spider-Man.
It's one of those series that has to grow on you and you learn to enjoy the characters.

So, I imagined that like the first X-Men movie where they had to go through an introduction, the same would have to be done with the first Fantastic Four movie.

Sure, there will be a lot of action but at the same time, you need to know how the characters are.

Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) is not your typical lead man. He's highly intelligent, detached from society somewhat and can be a cold fish.

Johnny Storm (Human Torch) is the hothead. Playboy and always seems to get himself into something dangerous.

Ben Grimm, the man who deals with being the rocky behemoth known as the Thing.
And Sue Storm, the woman who loves Reed but somehow tries to find ways to get close to him (despite him being a cold and dull fish at times).

So, needless to say...our heroes have their problems and for some who are looking for the charismatic action hero, they are superheroes but they aren't perfect.

I happened to enjoy the film. The pacing was a bit off at times but nevertheless, I enjoyed it and optomistic that the second movie can now be fast-paced and hard hitting.

The DVD for Fantastic Four was very enjoyable with really cool. The DVD is offered in two versions (widescreen and fullscreen) and audio quality is offered in 5.1 DTS (which sounds really awesome on my home theater).

The special features for this DVD doesn't disappoint either as it feature full length audio commentary by the stars of the film, a video diary featuring the stars on their media tour for the film - which was very exciting by the way. Deleted scenes, making of featurette, casting session, making a scene, music videos, theatrical teaser and trailer and also an inside look for the third X-Men film (which unusually got the top listing for the special features).

Not everyone is going to enjoy the Fantastic Four film. Even the comic book is not for everyone but those who stick with it learn to enjoy the characters for what they are.

If I had any problem, many of us who are faithful to FF, knows that Dr. Doom doesn't go down that easily. Otherwise Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon do a great job portraying the characters.

Again, this is just the introductory film. Hopefully with the second film, things get even better. As for the DVD, it's fantastic.

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Pretty Good.   September 2, 2008
Good Movie. Chickless is great as the Thing. AND Jessica is always easy on the Eyes.

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