Home News
Reviews The List
NYTS Links
Ramblin' Man Gallery
Ah, the comic movie. There are soooooooo many ways to go with is. As you can imagine, I love the classic, mythological way; epic feel, conflicted characters, et al. Movies like 'Batman Begins', 'Spider-Man', and 'Superman' have that feel which is almost a throwback to '30s melodrama at times. Then you have the OTHER way, like 'Hellboy'. Yes, you stick to canon (or close to it) but you never, EVER take yourself too seriously. There is the reminder that wandering around in a colorful costume, even for the sake of humanity, IS A PRETTY FREAKING CRAZY IDEA. So what happens when the real world intrudes on the realm of the super-hero?
Enter 'Fantastic Four'. This team is one of THE super-hero teams in comics (Sorry 'X-Men' fans, but FF was out in '61 while 'X-Men' was out in '63.) but like Capt. America never quite got the same props as their mutant opposites. Is it the gray sideburns? The whole Invisible GIRL thing? Personally the all-blue costumes were always kinda 'eh' for me.
After sitting for years as the ignored older sibling to 'The X-Men', the F4 get their chance. So what do you get? Actually, something that is a lot of fun.
As always, the origin is tweaked in this take on the F4. Yes, everyone is exposed to cosmic rays, but this time Von Doom, the eventual nemesis of the Fantastic 4, is involved early. Richards is bankrupt but convinces his 'friend' Victor Von Doom to let him borrow the Von Doom space station for experiments with cosmic rays. Wow, good to have friends with that kinda cash. Naturally Reed's ex-flame Susan has hooked-up with Von Doom. Susan's brother Johnny and Reed's friend Ben are part of the command team for the mission, and naturally Doom has to join in since he owns the place. Yeah, 'The Real World' ain't go nothin' on this group. The cosmic rays cause havoc, blah, blah, blah, but in a departure from canon, Von Doom ALSO irradiated with the rays and also develops specials powers. Ah, but more on that later.
One of the fun things the movie does is create a realistic, but not heavy-handed take, on the reality of super-heroes. What happens when you suddenly appear and you can stretch your body up to 100' for you can set yourself on fire? EVERYBODY wants to meet you and talk with you... or run for the hills if you're Ben Grimm. How do you hide? Or do you come out in the open and become a media circus? Or do you forsake the stardom so you can just live a normal life? So many questions, so many problems. And all fun to watch, especially in the aftermath of Bennifer, Brad and Angelina, et al.
Cont. p. 2