The Fantastic Four Movie Review

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on Aug 07, 2015

Rating:

Is the new Fantastic Four movie at all fantastic? Check out Kidzworld’s movie review.

By: Lynn Barker

When a young inventor’s teleportation dream is finally realized, he risks take-over by the government and is told he must work with a guy who first thought up the idea but couldn’t make it work. It’s enough to make a bright science nerd dream of being a superhero.

Reed and Johnny watch as the machine is testedCourtesy of 20th Century Fox

Story Goes

Unlikely childhood friends Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have worked together for years to create a teleporter. Finally, Reed is drafted by Professor Storm (Reg E. Cathey) into the Baxter Foundation for smart young minds. He will aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and rebellious technician Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), to finish a "Quantum Gate" originally designed unsuccessfully by Storm's moody protégé, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) who will help because he is crushing on Sue.

Johnny goes flame on!Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Their experiment works but the young scientists who invented the machine are not to be the first to go through to another dimension. Upset, Reed, friend Ben, Johnny and Victor commandeer their creation and are teleported to “Planet Zero” where strange energy substances start tearing the world apart. As it collapses, a green substance covers all and Victor falls, apparently to his death. Sue, Johnny and Ben are changed at the molecular/genetic level which creates strange abilities in each.

Johnny Storm/human torch is suited upCourtesy of 20th Century Fox

Of course Reed’s limbs can stretch like rubber, Johnny turns into a fiery human torch and Ben’s bod melds with the rocks on the planet and he is The Thing. Sue becomes invisible. Feeling guilty for what has happened, Reed escapes from a research facility to find a cure while the military uses Thing in war and prepares to send Johnny down the same path. Sue locates Reed who is forced to open another portal to “Planet Zero”.

Ben Grimm becomes rocky ThingCourtesy of 20th Century Fox

A creepy-looking Victor is still alive there, having fused with his spacesuit. He is brought home but he’s mad, can control elements, effect telekinesis etc. and is sure Earth should be destroyed. He goes back to “Planet Zero” and creates a machine to do just that. It’s up to Sue, Johnny, Ben and Reed to travel through another Quantum Gate to stop him.

Victor becomes DoomCourtesy of 20th Century Fox

Wrapping Up

It’s nice that the new Fantastic Four cast is a younger than usual version of the characters but none of the actors seems to reach his or her potential. It’s being said that director Josh Trank didn’t give the actors much direction and it shows! I’ve seen all of them do better work. They seem to just be throwing their lines away and, with a few exceptions, aren’t connecting the way actors or their characters should. For a film with the control of energy as part of its premise, the movie is pretty energy-less.

Johnny is headed for warCourtesy of 20th Century Fox

I like the fact that this origin story really shows how each young member of the team got together with the others, their goals etc. There is also a good visual explanation of how each team member ended up with their particular power but it takes a long time for the first superpower action to happen. Doom is quite creepy-looking and effective. Oddly, with such a big save-the-world scope, the movie often looks like it was shot on cheap sound stages. The first big action scene plays through lab halls and a final showdown looks very dark.

Sue Storm and Reed look to the futureCourtesy of 20th Century Fox

A nice lesson in teamwork pulls the gang together at the end with a few jokes on deciding what to call themselves but more humor is needed throughout. There was a lot of potential in the story but it just didn’t entirely come together. Maybe a new director in a second film would do the trick. We go 3 stars.