Fantastic Four

Actors: Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson

Rating: 7 out of 10, I can understand the criticism because it is a seriously flawed movie but I didn’t hate it. I think some people invest too heavily in the traditions of the source material without giving a new view a choice. The Fantastic Four should be one of the easiest of the comic book legends to make a bankable movie about; but this has to be listed as a stumble. No time was spent developing the relationships between several of the four and the pacing was pathetic. I guess this is one of those directors who has a dark vision and thinks that will sell. We go to see superhero movies to be inspired, not depressed. The actors were fine and did everything they could with the material. It hurt to keep all the limited action scenes in the wilderness or an interdimensional barren planet. There was no connection with the audience which should be a Fantastic Four strength. The final confrontation was laughably short and Delmar from Oh Brother Where Art Thou as an evil mastermind was a bit of a stretch. I half expected him to break out in “Man of Constant Sorrow” at some point. All this though couldn’t distract totally from a fair to middling Sci Fi adventure, even if the “Four” deserved better.

MVP: Kate Mara as Sue Storm because, well, Kate Mara