Road To MCU F4: The Official Fantastic Four Movie Retrospective Thread

[Detective Conan]

As we eagerly await Marvel’s iconic First Family’s first foray into the MCU let’s discuss the previous non-MCU Fantastic Four movies to tide us over until we finally see that movie in theaters(whenever that comes out).

This will be a thread to discuss what you liked and disliked about each film in the series and what your overall opinion on them is. Do you still feel the same about these movies as when you first watched them, or have your opinions changed over time? Have some of them aged poorly or well? What’s the best of these movies in your opinion and what’s your personal ranking of these movies? Discuss!

The Fantastic Four (1994)

Fantastic Four (2005)

Fantastic Four: The Rise Of Silver Surfer (2007)

Fantastic Four (2015)

 

[psylockolussus]

I haven't seen the 90s movie as it wasn't a theaterical release.

I enjoyed the 2000s movies, to this day. It takes me back to those times in which we only had like a dozen of big budgeted Marvel films and Fantastic Four was most successful Marvel film adaptation at the boX office after Spider-Man and the Mutants. I wish foX tried to salvage it by releasing a 3rd film in 2009 or 2010. Those two are the critically panned films that I don't mind rewatching again and again without feeling bored or critical about the movie.

I liked the 2015 movie at first, but it didn't stand the test of time for me as it was quite boring and slow and the final act was really a car crash, it felt like someone took charge to finish the film. I wish it turned out great but with the Disney merger, it was going to end abruptly even if it turned out to be really good.

I can't wait for the MCU reboot. Finally a F4 film that is well reviewed/received and the first family interacting with other Marvel characters in a movie.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I’m going to focus on the positives rather than dwelling on the obvious negatives:

1994 - Most faithful to the comics with most Doom-like Doom. The Thing’s face looked pretty cool (in still photos - movement and expressions didn’t work as well).

2005 - Some good small moments. It was interesting to see them learning about/dealing with their powers. Chris Evans stole the show. It was a good story element to have Ben sacrifice himself to save the others. Reed/Ben fight right out of the comics.

ROTSS - Most ambitious in scale with decent visuals and special effects. Silver Surfer looked good and the Torch/Surfer chase was probably the best scene from all movies. Thing suit was improved.

2015 - Cool to see Ben in CGI demonstrating real power, size and speed (despite the terrible design).

 

[psylockolussus]

Oh yeah Silver Surfer looked really good.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

They really all do have moments, MOMENTS, where it's great to see the First Family in action on the screen but even then that's usually some kind of SFX sequence and a handful of character things.

Chiklis as Ben in my opinion delivers the goods and while I have a lot of issue with Evans as Johnny (more so the writing than his perfomance) the Thing/Torch dynamic was entertaining and true to the characters mostly.

 

[Stark Bauer]

I need to watch the 90s iteration. The best non-F4 F4 movie was the Incredibles. Recently I watched Castlevania season 4 episode 9 created by Warren Ellis - it reminded me very much of what a Fantastic Four team dynamic would look like - they all cared for each other like a family and used their powers in tandem to defeat enemies they could not otherwise on their own

 

[Dark Raven]

I expect all the FFINO defenders to defend Fant4stic and say that it was the best. If they defended it so staunchly then and gave all the reasons, then it should still hold true now.

 

[Stark Bauer]

those were all trolls. and they have since abandoned ship

 

[Dark Raven]

those were all trolls. and they have since abandoned ship

But they were convinced we were trolling them.

 

[Stark Bauer]

the dust has settled long ago. Only the true and real fans remain.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I think there were two groups that butted heads:

Fantastic Four Fans

Fox Fans (People who primarily liked X-Men who unconditionally supported whatever Fox was doing).

The Fox Fans weren't necessarily "Trolling" in a traditional sense. They just wanted the film to do well and were pissed off that we didn't like what we were seeing and spoke up about it. (in their minds, we were the "trolls".

That shouldn't be a problem this time, but if Marvel is screwing up, we could have a similar problem with Marvel fans (I've butted heads with people a few times when I've dared to question some of the things Marvel has been doing).

 

[Stark Bauer]

Well said Willie.

So F4 is closing out Phase 4...does that mean The Four will be ending the phase on a cliffhanger (introducing Galactus, Dr. Doom, Silver Surfer etc).

OR

will they be tying up loose ends (solving the riddle/problem of the multiverse of madness).

Or maybe it is BOTH?

I wager it is both based on the history of the MCU. Feige closed out Endgame but introduced the Skrulls/Secret Invasion. So I think we can see the F4 playing a MASSIVE role in this Phase and Phase 5. They can potentially solve the timeline scenario and by solving it they attract the attention of the real big baddies Galactus and eventually Dr. Doom.