9 Reasons Fantastic Four Is A Fantastic Fail

3. No Fun

Fantastic Fail
20th Century Fox

Did Fox look at the success Marvel's been having with their films and then say, "Yeah, we need to do the complete opposite of that"? Because it certainly looks that way.

The Fantastic Four are not super-serious, dark and gritty. Yes, they have had some very serious moments, but by and large the Fantastic Four is one of the brightest properties in superhero comics.

It's about a family who loves each other and work together to make the world a better place. Not because they're forced to do it, but because it's something they believe in. 

I understand the bold new trend since Man of Steel is to take "boring" superheroes and make them "interesting" by transforming them into morose and brooding characters, but that's not what the FF is about. Even the Thing, who struggles with his appearance, doesn't get so bogged down in it that he can't have any fun or crack any jokes.

That's something the Story films understood. Ben may hate that he's been transformed into a rock-monster, but he's still going to try and make the best of it. 

But with this movie, it's like no one knows what it's like to make a fun film. There's a scene in the flick when the government shows the confirmed kills that the Thing has racked up. Confirmed kills? What were they thinking? 

Contributor
Contributor

Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com