Fantastic Four (2015)

When it comes to film adaptations the Fantastic Four really seems to be a cursed property. The first Fantastic Four film was never released, the second two Fantastic Four films, the ones with Jessica Alba and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans were surprisingly successful but also just awful, while this newest Fantastic Four movie, yet another reboot, manages to suck all the hope and life out of what are potentially some of the funniest of comic book characters. This newest Fantastic Four film is co-produced by Constantin Film, the German company responsible for all the other Fantastic Four films, including the un-released one so maybe they are the problem. Though the Marvel Studios logo appears before the film they seem to be hedging their bets as to whether this movie can truly be considered part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or not, if you search the MCU page on Wikipedia this movie is not listed as part of the continuity or master plan of that ambitious studio project.

The movie goes over the origin story again, though its a little different from previous renderings, less cosmic rays and more inter-dimensional weirdness. The lead characters are generally not that fun, seem kind of constipated, and the actors are playing too young, these characters should not be twenty years old and these actors certainly are not. Dr. Doom is not a great villain, though I suppose he could be, and the gray palate, both in tone and color becomes oppressive. The Fantastic Four should be bright, hopeful, and fun, and though at least this film makes them seem smart (the other didn't) it gets most everything else wrong. I could sit through it once, but I don't really desire too again. *1/2