Review of 'Fantastic Four'

fantastic_four.jpeg A remake of the 2005 original, this sees a much younger cast telling the story of the group of four superheroes.

Reed Richards (Miles Teller) is investigating teleporting to other dimensions but when his teleportation device gets taken by the military he and three other highly intelligent students Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), and Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) decide to use the device. They arrive on the unstable “Planet Zero” in their environment suits where they discover a substance that reacts strongly to organic matter. An accident leaves Victor behind while the other three escape in the device. Returning to earth they are met by Reed's female interest Sue Storm (Kate Mara) who is blasted by a wave of radiation. Reed wakes up to find that he is strapped on a table and, literally, stretched out - He is able to stretch his body. While escaping Reed discovers Ben has been turned into a large rock creature but he is unable to free him and leaves Ben there. Sue has developed invisibility powers and Johnny is able to turn himself on fire. Ben, Sue and Johnny are recruited to help the military but eventually reunite to return to Planet Zero in search of Victor who has turned into something completely unexpected and who, understandably (!), wants to destroy the earth.

This is quite a dynamic, exciting and much more involved story than the original film in 2005 but while the effects are amazing the acting of these newcomers is not anything to write home about. The characters seem very one dimensional and plastic though the complication of the relationship between Ben and Reed adds a nice dynamic. I think that true devotees of the Fantastic Four may cringe at the liberties taken with the story others will find it quite interesting.

Rating: “It is OK but I have some issues”

Review Date: 2015-12-20


Directed by: Josh Trank

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Year: 2015

Length: 100 minutes

Genre: Action/Adventure

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1502712/