Fantastic Four (2015).

Review #2476: Fantastic Four.

Cast: 

Miles Teller (Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic), Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm / Human Torch), Kate Mara (Sue Storm / Invisible Woman), Jamie Bell (Ben Grimm / The Thing), Toby Kebbell (Victor Von Doom / Dr. Doom), Reg E. Cathey (Dr. Franklin Storm), Tim Blake Nelson (Dr. Harvey Allen), Tim Heidecker (Mr. Richards), and Dan Castellaneta (Mr. Kenny) Directed by Josh Trank (#152 - Chronicle)

 

Review: 

"I don’t regret any of it. It’s a part of me."

Oh sure, this is an easy target. But why not? 20th Century Fox saw two Fantastic Four movies make a little bit of money and thought they could start over, finally settling on Josh Trank to direct in 2012, as he had made quite the impression with Chronicle. While Jeremy Slater (who actually had provided a bit of input in the script of that film) was initially tabbed to do the screenplay, it went nowhere when they clashed over what they wanted the story to be as Slater wanted to go for a tone akin to the recent release of The Avengers (2012)...which Trank hated, because he apparently had only seen the 1990s animated series and wasn't exactly a comic book movie fan. Simon Kinberg was hired as a co-writer and co-producer in 2013. The movie was filmed in 2014 over the course of 72 days but Trank had a hell of a time trying to balance the workload and internal pressure, with varying level of reports over how stressful it was in production (whether his behavior was erratic is up to debate - the casting of Jordan as Storm riled a few people on message boards and Trank resorted to carrying a gun on his nightstand). The apparent first cut of the film was "morose" and not to Fox's liking which led to reshoots and re-writes; ultimately, Trank, Kinberg, and Slater were credited for the screenplay. Trank did negotiate a deal to at least make his own cut while Fox got Stephen Rivkin to make a cut assembled from certain takes, which Trank claimed were picked deliberately to be cheesy. One day before the release of the film, Trank posted on social media about having had a fantastic version of the film in mind that would probably never be seen. The movie made a bit of money but obviously did not generate desire for a sequel* while Trank didn't return to directing until Capone (2020).

I can't even tell just who is most at fault for this piece of junk. How bad was Trank's first cut that they went with a version that never actually goes into first gear? 100 minutes go by with four lead characters that have chemistry on the level of when you encounter a homeless man on the street. The movie looks and feels so dreary that it makes the 2007/2009 Fox efforts actually look like high-effort features, right down to an opening sequence that has "it's clobbering time" used first....when Ben Grimm is hit by his brother. What was the second idea, Johnny Storm having a fear of fire because his mom got burned to death? Sue Storm being afraid of being alone because of a traumatic clown experience? The movie is basically a wind-up toy that goes nowhere, says nothing, and accomplishes nothing. Apparently, Trank's experiences living in a "racially intense Los Angeles where we were used to seeing white superheroes", combined with being a director with control, led to him casting Jordan as the Human Torch (actually, he also wanted to cast a black woman to play Sue Storm too but was overruled). It's funny that the one really noted name that Trank got for the film did get to be in a successful film for 2015...with Creed, which was released months after Fantastic Four. Sure, nobody pulls off a quality performance of the four, but he probably is the least affected, I suppose. It isn't even worth crapping on Teller, what exactly is he supposed to do in a movie where he doesn't register any sort of energy? The chemistry between him and Mara actually is transparent in how thin it feels, and Mara almost does accomplish the act of seeming invisible...except for the fact that Bell accomplishes even less with a rock-man that inspires chuckles at how it looks. Kebbell has two hurdles to stumble over: a pathetic characterization of Victor Von Doom (as last played by Julian McMahon to mild results) and a Dr. Doom that is in the movie for less than 15 minutes that doesn't get an interesting motivation when he is turned into a grey-green goo man. When the most involved person in the movie is Cathey in a thankless role, you are in trouble. It can't even be a cheesy movie like the 1994 unreleased feature, no, it has to try to be a failed imitation of stuff like Batman Begins (2005). The climax of the movie is probably the most cobbled-together and it happens to have the one noted line: a stupid line about "fantastic" that became a "meme". You would think after four Fantastic Four movies, you would get one that has a friendly quartet and interesting action and production values, but oh no, not quite. As a whole, Fantastic Four (2015) is a movie fit for nobody. It is made of nonsense that will come and go with absolutely no impact except maybe to the psyche of Josh Trank. It does however make a good film to make fun of, at least.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.

Next for Thanksgiving: A Sound of Thunder.

*Ten years later, Marvel did The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a bare minimum for a decent movie. No, I'm still a bit mad that they went with having that dopey baby in it.

Us (2019).

Review #1203: Us.

Cast: 
Lupita Nyong'o (Adelaide Wilson / Red), Winston Duke (Gabriel "Gabe" Wilson / Abraham), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Zora Wilson / Umbrae), Evan Alex (Jason Wilson / Pluto), Elisabeth Moss (Kitty Tyler / Dahlia), Tim Heidecker (Josh Tyler / Tex), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Russel Thomas / Weyland), Anna Diop (Rayne Thomas / Eartha), and Cali and Noelle Sheldon (Becca and Lindsey Tyler / Io and Nix) Directed by Jordan Peele (#909 - Get Out)

Review: 
When Jordan Peele made his directorial debut with Get Out two years ago, I certainly did not know what I was expecting exactly, but I figured that it would prove just fine in delivering some kind of horror. It certainly proved to be a success - how many other horror films win (much less get nominated for) an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay? Undeniably, his next venture into horror can prove enticing, with him once again serving as director, writer, and producer, with an increased budget and some inspiration from The Twilight Zone (more specifically, "Mirror Image") this time around. The idea of being stalked by someone that looks like you certainly can prove creepy, particularly if you and your whole family meet them up close. In the long run, the film presents an assortment of interesting concepts encompassed in a horror film that works itself out just fine. Perhaps it doesn't hold up as much as it really should with its plot, but it is at least handy to deliver some scares and a few laughs without being distracted too much with tonal disconnect. It will please people wanting something that don't want too much blood but are fine with some creepy imagery and atmosphere, that much is certain. The film takes its time to get the ball rolling in suspense, but you never feel too particularly bored with the main group during its 116 minute run-time. It is the chemistry that the main four have with each other - whether dealing with family stuff or suspenseful moments that make the film work as well as it does, with no weak point in the cast as a whole. Nyong'o proves up to the task of dual roles when needed, showing resolve in the face of danger while dealing with past demons and conversely showing anguish and terror - albeit with aid through a pained croak that takes some time to get used to. Duke shines finely enough, with Joseph and Alex proving effective for the course in playing off the main menace with resilience (and vice versa in a sense for the doubles). Moss and Heidecker provide a bit of levity for their moments on screen. Describing the film and its plot in much detail would spoil the fun (at least for me, anyway) in actually experiencing its frights and tricks without real warnings - although I can at least say it isn't the kind of film that trips over its own hype and story (for the most part). The climax is fairly clever in its own machinations (with some help from Michael Abels and his music), but I feel that its method of exposition dump (or whatever you describe it as) does tend to be a bit silly. It isn't so much that I don't care for things in a film to be explained or not (as is the case sometimes with horror films or their sequels, anyway) - it just seems a bit forced in view of its placement within the film and it messes with its illusions in some way; it certainly will provoke a bit of thinking with what it says about what it means to be oneself, which is fine by me. Regardless of how one may feel with how the film deals with its motivations, the movie itself is an interesting and well-made horror film, having a solid cast and capable guiding hands from Peele. He certainly knows how to make his film stand out on their own as interesting pieces to get thrills from through the tropes of horror without so far succumbing to being bogged down in overextending himself too much. I imagine whatever his next venture into horror (or whatever it might be) will certainly provide curiosity to follow into its web of interest.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.