Eight years after Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, it became apparent that a sequel wasn’t going to happen. While financially profitable, neither film (including the 2005 original) was a critical success. That made the prospect of an eventual Fantastic Four remake feel inevitable. That is what intrigued everyone when 2015’s Fantastic Four by director Josh Trank (Chronicle) was announced. From the marketing material and trailers, fans were excited about a darker and more faithful-looking remake. The film promised an origin story for the iconic team, hoping to launch a new superhero franchise.
Unfortunately, 2015’s Fantastic Four proved to be anything but a hit. It was both a critical and commercial failure, once again making the characters a punchline. When Trank disowned the film before its release, audiences knew a giant bomb was imminent. After seeing the movie, it’s easy to see why it was doomed to fail. We may never know exactly what went on behind the scenes, but what was made apparent is that the film was not Trank’s vision. The results of which left audiences severely confused and frustrated.
Before going any further, it’s best to explain the story of this film’s reintroduction of the characters. Fantastic Four tells the story of Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), Sue (Kate Mara), and Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan). Alongside renegade scientist Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell), the group cracks interdimensional travel. Funded by the U.S government and Dr. Franklin Storm (the late great Reg E. Cathey), a scientific breakthrough has been made. Unfortunately, this expedition leads the group to gain painful and enhanced abilities, altering their physical forms. This forces them to work together to solve their ailments, take on a vicious new enemy, and potentially save the world in the process.
That premise should sound like a winning reinterpretation. In reality, the film is a tedious origin story. The primary issue is with the screenplay by Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg, and Josh Trank. It’s hard to know what pieces these screenwriters wrote, and the studio interjected in. That combination makes the script feel like a weird Frankenstein’s monster of a movie. Such questions make the script a frustrating entity, with moments that soar, particularly in the film’s middle section. Within this section, it feels like something akin to a David Cronenberg-esque body horror film.
With the abilities that the four receive, there’s a sense of dread riddled throughout. Our four heroes feel like both figurative and literal monsters. The performances shine here, with each actor conveying a sense of mostly fear. That fear is not only from their powers but from the government using them as weapons. It’s in this section that the film feels the most truthful in the story it wants to tell. Not only is it scary, but it also adds an emotional element to the performances. Reed wants to save his friends, Sue wants to do what she can to survive, Ben simply wants to fix himself, and Johnny actually likes these “gifts”. Not only do these moments feel real, but they are also the most authentic to the respective characters.
That’s what makes the moments surrounding it so disappointing. It’s placed around ridiculous scientific jargon, family drama that doesn’t work, and action that feels like a PlayStation 2 video game. That particularly comes into the portrayal of Victor Von Doom, transforming into Doctor Doom. The character feels like nothing more than a generic final boss in a video game. While threatening and violent, he never once feels like a real character. Instead, he feels like nothing more than an obstacle for our heroes to overcome. Retroactively, when the film becomes the “good guys vs bad guy” action movie, it lessens the four central performances.
Any ounce of chemistry between our lead actors vanishes into thin air. This is especially noticeable in the third act battle. It’s easy to tell in the said section that none of this cast wants to be there. Each one delivers stilted dialogue that feels like it’s being read off of cue cards. Not only does it suck the tension out of the sequence, but it also features action that feels like a bad TV movie. Not only does it make this “team” feel false, but it also lessens their impact as they (obviously) win this battle. By the time it ends, viewers simply don’t care about any of them as characters.
Not caring should not be a criticism towards the cast themselves. Instead, it feels like we’re watching actors who are not interested in being there. Things only go from bad to worse as the film concludes. After the quick and relatively dull third-act battle, the film attempts to tease the future. That means more than just a setup for future adventures with this team. That also means teasing their known character dynamics (an example being the banter between Johnny and Ben, also known as The Thing). With almost no previously established setup of said moments, they land with a deadly thud. Once the credits roll, it is virtually guaranteed that no one (both in front of and behind the camera) wanted more adventures.
It’s unclear what went wrong with 2015’s Fantastic Four remake. Was it just studio interference? Or simply creatives that could not get on the same page? Looking back on the film ten years later, we will never know. What can be said is that, despite some promising moments, the film feels like nothing more than a product. Any passion for the story is nonexistent, with the only interesting aspect being the potential to create a franchise. Thankfully, such a moment never came to pass. Instead, the film becomes nothing more than a (well-deserved) punchline. One can only hope the creatives behind The Fantastic Four: First Steps can write the wrongs of this failure.
Fantastic Four is available to stream on Disney+.
The movie is available to stream on the Disney+ site for the title.
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