Josh Trank's FANTASTIC FOUR

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

I admit I was curious. Can any film be as bad as the reviews say?

Well, I really enjoyed the film primarily because it is NOT a “typical” comic book superhero film. It’s much darker, it spends a lot of time on backstory of the characters, and it does not slavishly mimic the snarky or sarcastic interactions of so many Marvel films.

Granted, I was never a big fan of the comic when I was a kid. Its characterizations seemed to be too sloppily pandering to adolescent stereotypes of isolation, social awkwardness, and irreverence coupled with a desire for “family.”

My tastes back then (and now) tend more towards interest in science fiction than end-of-the-world slugfests. I’d place FANTASTIC FOUR alongside ANT MAN as a pleasant surprise.

I also thought the cast was great and would not mind seeing them teamed together in a sequel — as long as it’s not too “light-hearted.”

Review copyright (c) 2016 by Dennis D. McDonald