FANTASTIC FOUR
US, 2015, 100 minutes, Colour.
Miles Teller, Michael B.Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbel, Reg E.Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson.
Directed by Josh Trank.
For a while, this seems to be a rather low key adaptation of a Marvel comic. The principal characters seem rather ordinary, except for their knowledge of science and technology. They certainly don’t seem to be like any superheroes or seem likely to become superheroes.
However, just before halfway through the film, there is quite a transformation, travelling into other dimensions, finding a planet with extraordinary energies, their being transformed and, yes, becoming superheroes.
In the last decade, there were two Fantastic Four films, pleasantly successful in their way. However, for this particular outing, the decision has been made to go back to the origins of the four, even back to the childhood of Reed and Ben. Reed is a technology nerd, creating experiments as a little boy, but ridiculed at school by his teacher. Ben lives in a machine dump and read befriends him, finding a motor, and inviting him to share in experiments. Seven years pass and, straining credibility, the actors portraying these teenagers are well in their 20s!, Miles Teller and Jamie Bell. They have an exhibit at a Science Fair and are again ridiculed by their schoolteacher. But, Dr Franklin Storm (Reg E.Cathey) and his protégé, Sue (Kate Mara), approach the two who are offered scholarships working at a laboratory in New York.
The equipment in the laboratory is extensive which gives Reed the opportunity to keep working on his interdimensional travel, especially with animals, hoping for transporting humans. While it is rather dramatic when it happens, the success of the experiment seems to happen too easily, but it gives the young people a chance to reflect on how those who walked on the moon got more recognition than the technicians – so, of course, what better than to quietly sneak into the machine and transport themselves, even to planting an American flag on the other planet?
Which they do, but not before encountering the extraordinary energy on the planet – and it is here that they are transformed into the Fantastic For while one of them, Victor (Toby Kebbel), is swallowed up by the energy only to emerge as energy and evil personified, wanting world domination and world destruction, for the earth to be swallowed up in a black hole!
Those familiar with the comics will know that Ben turns into a rock giant, Reed has extended limbs, Johnny (Michael B.Jordan) is consumed by fire and Sue can appear and disappear while floating in her own bubble.
The military potential of the Four is developed but Reed runs away, to be sought out again so that he can fix the machine for further transporting and the possibilities of everything returning to normal.
Normal is not the normal in this kind of story, so there has to be a confrontation with Victor, a combat between good and evil, the exercise of the particular gifts of the fantastic four.
And, so, that’s it. Plenty of stunts and special effects, reasonably sympathetic characters, but, as was said, rather low-key compared with other Marvel extravaganzas.
1. Marvel Comics and their popularity? The Fantastic Four? The films? Exploration of their origins?
2. Marvel Comics and heroes, the four, science and technology, developments?
3. Myth-making, travel to another dimension, the effect, for good and evil?
4. The prologue, Reed and his career project, in class, his ambitions, transportation of matter, the rebuke of the teacher? Ben, his family, the bullying brother, his mother? Reed in the garage, the discussions, getting the motor, back to the laboratory, the partial success?
5. Seven years, the Science Fair, the exhibition, the teacher still criticising? Ben still with Reed? Storm and his visit, with Sue? The offer, going to New York, the laboratory, the building, the range of equipment? Ben deciding to go? Meeting Johnny, Victor? Victor alone? The various jobs in research?
6. The board, Dr Allen, Storm, the military requests, the experiments?
7. All present for the first test, the chimp, the success of the experiment, bringing back the gravel? The visuals of the alternate planet?
8. The four and their discussions, those who walked on the moon and those who made the vehicles? The importance of acknowledgement in the footprints? The decision to go, Reed reader calling Ben?
9. The personalities of each of the group? Miles, scientific needed, enthusiasm? Sue, her research, serious? Johnny, his exuberance? Victor, alone, taciturn?
10. The group going, landing on the planet, planting the flag, the visuals of the energy and the sources? The cliff, the pegs and the encroaching energy, Victor falling and being destroyed? The others in their transformations?
11. The transformation details? Ben, buried under the rock, becoming a rock character? Reed and his bewilderment in hospital, the extension of his arms, his leaving? Sue, visible and invisible, in her bubble? Johnny and being consumed by fire? Their working for the military, the various experiments? Dr Allen and his watching, Storm?
12. The year passing, searching for Reed, his being there for the development of the machine and the next experiment? The others blaming him for running away?
13. The experiment, Victor emerging full of the energies, wanting control, evil, the others reactions? Swallowing up earth in a black hole? Dr Allen and Storm and their destruction? The combined effort of the four, the confrontation with Victor, his destruction in the black hole?
14. The Pentagon, the agreement, the new plant, extensive laboratories, the control, deciding on the name Fantastic?
