I have more good comments than bad to make about this movie, and beware of some slight spoilers below.
Ever since 1995 I had been seeing previews to this film on various movies, but I never understood why I could never find it in any of my local video stores. Years later, as my cousin would explain to me, this film was never intended to be seen... The few people I talked to who had seen it had nothing to say but bad reviews, basically dissing just about everything, most of all the human torch effects. The thing that got me is, every person I talked to hadn't really ever been a Fantastic Four fan, such as myself. I grew up with the comics and cartoon series, and when I found out there was a film made of it, despite how many talked badly of it, I wanted to see it for myself.
Finally, as of this year I found a very cheap and bootleg copy of the film. I was thrilled, even if so many did say it wasn't that great, or at all really. I never expected much from it, and at the most I was just hoping the guy who wrote it had followed the comic story line pretty well. And too my amazement, it actually turned out to be a really good film, but of course thats only in my own opinion.
I had always known the film hadn't had that much of a budget to begin with, so I expected some things to look cheap. But the costumes were great and well made. The characters were written so closely to the comic, and the actors they got to play them (Johnny - Jay Underwood especially) I really did feel like I was watching a movie version of the cartoon series.
Somewhat of a spoiler here as I talk about how it is written. There are obvious leaps through-out the movie, and some things are better left untold I guess. There is much added comedy from Doom, and some of his quotes even had me laughing endlessly. The fire effects for Johnny weren't that impressive, and when he flames on it kind of looks like watching a early staged CGI movie, but I can let that go. Sometime that has always bothered me was the way Mr. Fantastic stretches. It seems like all his clothes are made to stretch along with him, and thats why I say this is like watching a cartoon turned into live action.. The invisible woman effect of vanishing is kind of obvious, but then again I'm not complaining, how many ways are there to make a person fade out of frame anyway? The music and theme of the Four is one that can really stick in your head at times, Sure it isn't in any pro style of Danny Elfman, but it has a certain ring to it that I can never get enough of.
The thing I hate most is that the way it ends, much like the cartoon series, it begs for a sequel that we all know is never going to be made. I myself would love making an independent sequel to the film exactly where it leaves off, but of course that budget would be even less than this films was. If you see it and hate it, no big deal, but if you liked it as I did, then that's great. I truly think this is a very good adaption for any F4 fan. I always believed this film was made just for the film makers own enjoyment of seeing the fantastic four in live action, until the new one.
See the new film if you're looking for a newer days adaption of the original comic series, and are only looking to be impressed by major CGI effects, which I myself despise... But in my opinion if you can find a cheap copy of this movie, and happen to be an old school fantastic four fan, check it out sometime. I enjoyed it very much.
Ever since 1995 I had been seeing previews to this film on various movies, but I never understood why I could never find it in any of my local video stores. Years later, as my cousin would explain to me, this film was never intended to be seen... The few people I talked to who had seen it had nothing to say but bad reviews, basically dissing just about everything, most of all the human torch effects. The thing that got me is, every person I talked to hadn't really ever been a Fantastic Four fan, such as myself. I grew up with the comics and cartoon series, and when I found out there was a film made of it, despite how many talked badly of it, I wanted to see it for myself.
Finally, as of this year I found a very cheap and bootleg copy of the film. I was thrilled, even if so many did say it wasn't that great, or at all really. I never expected much from it, and at the most I was just hoping the guy who wrote it had followed the comic story line pretty well. And too my amazement, it actually turned out to be a really good film, but of course thats only in my own opinion.
I had always known the film hadn't had that much of a budget to begin with, so I expected some things to look cheap. But the costumes were great and well made. The characters were written so closely to the comic, and the actors they got to play them (Johnny - Jay Underwood especially) I really did feel like I was watching a movie version of the cartoon series.
Somewhat of a spoiler here as I talk about how it is written. There are obvious leaps through-out the movie, and some things are better left untold I guess. There is much added comedy from Doom, and some of his quotes even had me laughing endlessly. The fire effects for Johnny weren't that impressive, and when he flames on it kind of looks like watching a early staged CGI movie, but I can let that go. Sometime that has always bothered me was the way Mr. Fantastic stretches. It seems like all his clothes are made to stretch along with him, and thats why I say this is like watching a cartoon turned into live action.. The invisible woman effect of vanishing is kind of obvious, but then again I'm not complaining, how many ways are there to make a person fade out of frame anyway? The music and theme of the Four is one that can really stick in your head at times, Sure it isn't in any pro style of Danny Elfman, but it has a certain ring to it that I can never get enough of.
The thing I hate most is that the way it ends, much like the cartoon series, it begs for a sequel that we all know is never going to be made. I myself would love making an independent sequel to the film exactly where it leaves off, but of course that budget would be even less than this films was. If you see it and hate it, no big deal, but if you liked it as I did, then that's great. I truly think this is a very good adaption for any F4 fan. I always believed this film was made just for the film makers own enjoyment of seeing the fantastic four in live action, until the new one.
See the new film if you're looking for a newer days adaption of the original comic series, and are only looking to be impressed by major CGI effects, which I myself despise... But in my opinion if you can find a cheap copy of this movie, and happen to be an old school fantastic four fan, check it out sometime. I enjoyed it very much.