Victor Von Doom said:
"Tim Story gave the audience a summer popcorn flick based on comic book characters. Not necessarily a comic book movie. I got the fact that it was gonna be big and cheesy. And when I heard about the budget...I didn't expect much either. And going in with little or no expectations....I wasn't disappointed."
"It will be FANTASTIC!" was my hook.
I could see from the trailer that
Fantastic Four (2005) wasn't all that expertly made, but I could live with that. I was expecting it to a be a bit cheesy and goofy in parts, and rough around the edges. My expectations of the acting were that Jessica Alba would fit right in. (And I still think the acting in
Into The Blue (2005) was perfectly adequate and the music first rate.) So I was not expecting Ang Lee, but I was expecting Lee-Kirby explosiveness and good B-movie energy and looks.
I feel that instead what I got was - a lot of good points here and there, starting with Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans, but also - a director who did not have his act together, who didn't have a plan, who didn't know how to make things go snap! crackle! pop!
I was perfectly ready for Ioan Gruffudd as Mister Fantastic to be about the way Paul Walker later was in
Into the Blue (2005) - looking the part, saying his lines OK, fine for Jessica Alba to work with, and what more do you want? I was ready to give that a pass, and gladly. But I didn't get that.
In the aftermath of the Thing Torch fight, the crowd of people pretending to talk when they're not - that is some of the lamest acting ever seen in a big comic book superhero movie, and I don't think every single person in that crowd was a dud actor; I blame the director. And this isn't a joke, or if it is, it's one that completely misfires and isn't funny.
I didn't expect
Fantastic Four (2005) to be the sort of movie where you're looking at things that have no energy or spark, and you'e wondering if that is just idiotic or if it was meant to be yet another joke that didn't come off, or what?
Victor Von Doom said:
I for one think its kinda lame for comic book movies to be judged against one another. Different comic books have their own personality.
I agree that they do, but as a Fantastic Four fan I hate the idea that this is defined as Fantatic Four's personality.
They were
The World's Greatest Comic Magazine, and that was no idle boast. They were wild, they were hot, they were goofy and funny, they were explosive and dramatic. If one joke was a groaner (and many were, they were very much of their time), the next one might nail you.
Doctor Doom was
scary - when he got the power of the Silver Surfer, that was one of the scariest things I have ever seen in comics, Kid Miracleman on the rampage included.
Lameness, lack of zap, should not define the collective personality of the Fantastic Four and their great enemy.
Victor Von Doom said:
As do the directors who make them. Bryan Singer has a totally different directing style than Sam Raimi. Raimi has a different directing style than Ang Lee, who in turn has a style that differs from Nolan. Each director is gonna take the material he's given and put his own stamp on it to make it his. If we all wanted faithful transitions of comic characters to film...then why not give a crew and several million dollars to the comic creator/writer?
You a great Daredevil movie? Have Bendis write and direct while Maleev is director of photography?
I wasn't asking for an exact transcription of the comics, like
Sin City (2005).
I envy Batman fans not because I think the Fantastic Four should be portrayed in the same style as
Batman Begins (2005), but for the fact that Batman fans got a totally appropriate movie in a wholly appropriate style this time, with an overall vision, a director with his act together, extremely strong acting, music, the works - all appropriate to Batman. Fantastic Four fans didn't get that.
If anything, the best Fantastic Four movie is still
The Incredibles (2004). If you want to see family, fun, travel, deadly serious conflict and melodramatic goofiness combining as they should, in style and with distinctive, appropriate music and a lively pace, that's where you can see it.
Victor Von Doom said:
I don't know...I'm kinda going off on some half-assed rant now.
No more than me.
Victor Von Doom said:
All in all.....while F4 wasn't perfect....I still like it. Its entertaining enough for me to pop in the DVD player and not be bored outta my skull for 90 minutes.
Me too. :smile: