Review: Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four

   I didn't like it that much.  Most critics seem to have really hated it, but it wasn't that bad.  I will list the problems and discuss any that need it.

   They should have used a real monkey.  A real monkey could have easily done what their computer generated monkey did.

   Director Josh Trank should have used different takes and better cuts for almost every shot of dialogue in the entire movie.  The takes he chose for the final edit were stiff, flat, and they felt like words being read off a page rather than different characters discussing things and communicating.  I blame Josh Trank because these actors have shown their skills elsewhere.

   The editors should have polished the action scenes better.  The last two were good (the very last one was a bit too easy and a bit short).  Before that they were good, but could have been a lot better.  The early action scenes - heck, a lot of the first half of the movie - just felt uninspired and a little lifeless.  It's as if the characters were being physically restricted from coming through on camera.  The performances were muted for some reason (not literally).

   What did they do well?  The sound mixing was good, the sound design was good, apart from the monkey the special effects were good, the production design was good, even the writing was good but the delivery was so not good in so many places.

   I almost forgot one scene where the editing and directing were really bad.  There's a small race scene that was pathetic.  No other words for it; it was pathetic.  But maybe I just felt that way because I recently watched all of the first six Fast & Furious movies.

   Yesterday director Josh Trank was in the news for tweeting that he had "a better version" of this film a year ago that the studio didn't go with, and that his better version would have been a critical hit.  Okay, this is the director of this film!  The lack of professionalism in a tweet like that is ASTOUNDING.  He has since deleted the tweet, but he knew news outlets would pick it up quick enough - and they did.  I couldn't believe he would tweet something like that.  He'll be lucky to ever work on a major studio film again!  Everyone (everyone like me) knows that directors on major studio pictures are going to be making compromises with the studio on creative decisions.  It's a give and take.  You have a vision, they have experience AND they want to protect their investment.  But they wouldn't have hired you if they didn't like your ideas.  When directors understand that and work with the studio everyone wins!  When you fight it and challenge every decision the studio makes and try to preserve your vision one hundred percent everybody loses out!  That's what happened to Avengers: Age of Ultron earlier this year (not bad at all but could have been better) and that's what has happened now to Fantastic Four.  I go into all this because it's a real shame.  Fantastic Four could have been A LOT better than it was.  There is still potential!  Loads of it!  I would like to see Fox continue with this version and hire a new director for the sequel a la Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  There are interesting characters and stories in there, Fox, I just know it!  And somewhere there's a director who will work with you to bring them out!

   But hey, my friend Adam liked the movie.  Maybe you will too!

      Big Shot Critic