It’s no secret that Hollywood is currently in the midst of a major superhero high. Studios are seeing stars from the insane profits coming out of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. We’re all buzzing on the hype for DC’s coming Justice League revival. The entire industry is at the peak of its trip, making decisions to keep the party going.
But every addict pushes things just one step too far in search of that next hit. 20th Century Fox’s latest Fantastic Four reboot is just that move.
A film that squanders brilliant talent on an abysmal script, and single-handedly makes the entire ‘gritty superhero’ genre seem soulless. All for a shallow pursuit of profit.
I’ve spent the past few months eagerly anticipating Fantastic Four, and it’s not hard to see why. The cast is loaded with exciting young talent, including Miles Teller (hot off last year’s Whiplash), Kate Mara (formerly of House of Cards) and Micheal B Jordan (the rising star of Fruitvale Station). Director Josh Trank was responsible for Chronicle, one of the most exciting original superhero stories in decades.
The darker tone suggested vibes of cold science fiction, exploring the Kafka-esque horror of seeing ones body change overnight. The final product offers but a brief, momentary glimpse at this great ideal.
In its place is a slow, dull spin on the tired superhero origin story — stripped of any sense of originality, humor or passion. Most of the film focuses on Reed Richards, a wunderkind tech genius who has been seemingly ignored by every adult around him. After showcasing a working teleportation device at a high school science fair, he’s discovered by the father/daughter pair of Franklin and Sue Storm and immediately given the billions of dollars in funding to build the ultimate version of his device — which holds the key for inter-dimensional travel.
Along the way, Franklin’s son, Johnny, and the not-at-all-forebodingly-named Victor Don Doom join the team. When the group gets drunk on moonshine, they decide to travel through dimensions unsupervised and gain superpowers.
The ludicrous narrative is dense with plot holes, contradictions and terrible attempts at character building. It’s also an incredibly dark, self-serious project.
I can get past a blockbuster film that tries to pass off fantasy as science, or makes some sacrifices in logic for the sake of pace. Simultaneously, I can appreciate a more grounded superhero film that ties itself to reality, and passes over action for character development. Fantastic Four somehow manages to capture the worst of both worlds, using a serious, understated style to sell a nonsensical script.
It’s a testament to the power of Hollywood incompetence that this many talented people could be collected behind one project and produce something this unenjoyable.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter, @Mushroomer25