Fantastic Four is an ungodly mess, that much is clear. It most likely deserves to win Worst Picture at the Razzies simply because of its tortured conception and the sh*tstorm that was obviously going on behind the scenes. Whatever the final result, the efforts of those involved should not be discounted. The cast, when they turned up for shooting, did not have it in their minds to completely c*ck up a franchise reboot. Quite the opposite. For all the criticism Josh Trank has faced - and he does appear to be the scapegoat in this situation - some of his direction has landed well. I'll take Jamie Bell's angry, scared Thing over Michael Chiklis' rubber face any day. Reg E. Cathey's father-figure is honest and authentic. Chris Evans was a perfect Torch in the Tim Story films, sure - but Michael B. Jordan also brings his own dimensions to the character. The darker tone of this incarnation isn't right for what we know of the classic comics, but it is for this film. As an audience we can easily see what Trank and writer Simon Kinberg were trying to achieve - although evidently in this business there are no awards for trying. I argue the case for seeing through all of the film's obvious flaws and giving it the benefit of the doubt, because there is still an original, modern take on classic superheroes to be enjoyed here. It's not Fantastic Four, it's Ultimate Fantastic Four. With an unfortunately beleaguered production. There's no forgiving that make-up on Doom, though. Do you agree with any of these assessments? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.
Cinephile since 1993, aged 4, when he saw his very first film in the cinema - Jurassic Park - which is also evidence of damn fine parenting. World champion at Six Degrees of Separation. Lender of DVDs to cheap mates. Connoisseur of Marvel Comics and its Cinematic Universe.
