150 - Fantastic Four

[captain_slinky]

Why can't they just make a Fantastic Four movie that's actually... Fantastic? Stan Lee and Jack Kirby laid it out pretty easy, with a bunch of themes and ideas that are extremely edgy and uncomfortable even by today's standards:

• A scandalous Lolita-esque attraction between a professor and one of his young, attractive students.
  
• A young, brilliant woman who can't get recognition or acceptance because of rampant sexism in her chosen area of expertise.
  
• A trust fund extreme sports Frat Boy "Bro" who will do anything for attention.
  
• A manly-man with a gruff exterior who is constantly fighting an internal battle against low self-esteem and depression.

Movie opens with a cinematic recreation of the cover of Fantastic Four #1 with the team fighting a giant monster that is popping up out of the streets of New York, and the origin of the team is told via flashbacks through the battle. Movie ends with the Fantastic Four triumphant surrounded by their new fame.

It really seems THAT EASY.

Comments

[hannah easterson (from livejournal.com)]

I didn't even know this movie existed until today. I don't know if they've just under-advertised or if I simply live in a cave. Either way, I've been perennially disappointed by superhero movies and their ability to really deal with the meat of superheroes. Personally, both Deadpool and this movie look like they miss the entire point of the character and the parts of their stories that make them interesting. They either make it too fluffy, make up dramatic stuff that's completely unrelated, or they go too far and make it grim-dark. I'll probably see it, and who knows, maybe I'll enjoy it but...eh.

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

As comic book adaptations go, this one was better than I expected. It is much better than the previous two movies; it focused more on the character development than the special effects.

Could it have been better? Yes, It could have been. But it could have been a LOT worse.

The tropes that drove the superhero comics half a century ago just wouldn't have worked in this day and age. If only because the professor would have been sued for harassment by Lolita. Who then would have appropriated HIS funding for HER research. Recognition of her genius isn't an issue; funding however, is.

The frat boy and the manly-man are still seeking attention and release from depression.

And Doom? He's still hates Richards....if that makes you feel any better.