FANTASTIC FOUR
US, 2005, 106 minutes, Colour.
Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian Mc Mahon.
Directed by Tim Storey.
After all the films based on comic books, especially those published by Marvel Comics like Batman, Superman, Daredevil and X Men, Fantastic Four is a pleasant surprise. It will probably be best liked by a teenage audience – and fathers who might go along with their children may well find it an enjoyably guilty pleasure.
It cannot be said that the film is ‘fantastic’ in the ‘never-seen-anything-like-it-and-it’s-marvellous’ sense. Rather, it is more in the vein of original meanings of the word: that it belongs to the world of fantasy. It is a variation on popular science-fantasy themes.
In the past, Dr Frankenstein tried to create life and, instead, created a monster. This time, the four scientists are prepared to make themselves available for space research to learn more about DNA but find themselves transformed. There is a touch of the monstrous in what happens to them, but they are firmly on the side of good. What they do not realise is that their arrogant, wealthy boss (Victor Von Doom), has also been affected and chooses to become monstrous to gain absolute power.
What makes the four fantastic is that one can become invisible, another can turn into fire and their leader finds that he has the power to stretch all his limbs. (Someone sitting next to me whispered that she thought that she had already seen this story in another film – and, of course, these powers are similar to those of the Academy Award winning family of 2004, The Incredibles.)
Fantastic Four does two things quite effectively. It sets up the characters as (more or less) real and realistic people during the first half hour. There is Reed, the idealistic scientist who lives in his head. Susan Storm is a geneticist who has linked up with the wealthy Victor Doom (eventually the arch-villain). Her brother Johnny is an immature young man who is constantly attention seeking. Ben Grimm is the older, more serious pilot. This means that when they become fantastic, we identify with them as persons rather than simply comic strip characters.
On the other hand, the screenplay is pretty straightforward, fairly simple and plain in plot and dialogue. There is no intended depth as in the Spiderman films. There is no darkness and secrets as in the Batman films. Another thing is that everybody knows who the four are by name. They don’t have secret identities although they get the fantastic nicknames. In fact, they give press conferences and the media and the public love them.
We normally expect superheroes to save the world, either individuals in peril or endangered groups. Apart from a smash-up on the Brooklyn Bridge soon after their transformation where they do save lives, their mission in this film is trying to get themselves back to normal. When Victor capitalises on his becoming ‘metalised’ (for want of a better word), then the battle is the simple one between good and evil.
The cast is not particularly well-known. Rather, the producers have drawn on faces popular from television series. Welsh Ioan Gryfudd (Reed), now Americanised, was Captain Horatio Hornblower. Jessica Alba (Susan) was Dark Angel. Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm) was The Commish and is currently the star of The Shield. Chris Evans (the rather genial John, despite his ‘I am’ attitudes) was in Opposite Sex. Australian Julian Mc Mahon (Victor) (son of an Australian Prime Minister, William Mc Mahon), now Americanised, is the star of Nip/Tuck. This is a production device to entice the television audiences away from the box to see their stars on the big screen.
No, it is not a great example of comic book films like X Men or Spiderman or Batman Begins. But, it has plenty of action, special effects and an entertaining confrontation between good and evil.
1. The popularity of films on comic book characters, the Marvel comics and their reputation?
2. The audience for this film, the younger audience, audiences wanting more straightforward entertainment, depiction of characters, plot, straightforward dialogue?
3. The importance of set design, the hotels and the laboratories, the business world, the externals of the city, especially New York? Space and space stations? Machinery, technology? The locations?
4. The computer graphics, for space, for the space storm and its effect, the transformation of the characters, the visualising of their characteristics, invisibility, fire, elongation, turning into monsters, metal characters? The action?
5. The tradition of the comic book films, the screenplay and the explanation of the characters and their situation, the crises, action, confrontation, battle between good and evil? The atmosphere of the musical score?
6. The fact that these were ordinary characters, seen in their ordinary humanness? Audience identification with them, their having names, their being known to the public? Not having any secret identity? Their transformation, nicknames, superheroes? The publicity, the attempt to reverse the situation and become ordinary again?
7. The science and technology situation, Reed and Ben and their presenting their case to Victor, his sitting in judgment? Science and exploration of DNA? Having to go into space, the space storm? Reed and his pitch for Victor, Ben and his presence, the bond between the two? Sue Storm and her past history with Reed, love for him, his reticence, living in his head? The break, her being with Victor, his misinterpreting her being with Victor, the scientific collaboration? Johnny as her brother, his being a show-off, attention-seeking? Not obeying orders? The expedition, Johnny and Ben and the piloting? Victor’s presence, the investment of his money? The mistake about the calculations, the coming of the storm, Ben and his being exposed, trying to get back on time, Victor’s harsh decision? Their all being affected by the storm?
8. The aftermath, Ben in hospital, Johnny’s joke about the mirror and his appearance? Yet his changing, monstrous appearance? His love for his wife, ringing her, staying outside, her welcome, seeing him, her revulsion, leaving the ring? Her coming to him on the bridge – and leaving? Reed and his ability to stretch? Sue and her angers and love and becoming invisible? Johnny discovering that he was Fire? The jokey aspects of the changes, the serious aspects?
9. Victor, power, the opening with his statue, his vanity, his assistant and his sinister behaviour? Meeting the board, their condemnation of him, his failure? The notification – not negotiation – of his being fired? His angers, changing, the gradual emergence of the metal? The interview with the doctor and killing him, killing the guards? The executive and the confrontation and his death? His desire for power, manipulating Ben into hostility towards Reed? Suggesting the relationship between Reed and Susan? His wanting to destroy the Fantastic Four? The machine for reversal, his using its power, Ben going back to normal, Victor and his being all-powerful? His attempts to kill Johnny with the missile, freezing Reed? The final confrontation, Reed and his hanging from the building? The water cooling Victor and his freezing? The postscript irony of his being in the container – contained by all the containers?
10. The attempts to reverse the process, building the laboratory, Reed and his intensity, Sue and the relationship, his scientific bent, shyness, living in his head? Sue and Victor – and the beginnings of antagonism? Ben and the difficulties, his large fingers, picking up food, cracking glasses etc? Going out, the meeting with Alicia, her being blind, appreciating him without seeing him? Their discussions, things being manipulated by Victor? Ben and his returning to normal, going to the machine to become monstrous again to save the group?
11. Johnny and his vanity, driving, not being able to be told, discovering the fire, the comic aspects of its manifestation, his wanting to fly, going to the motor rally, the flying stunts, the missile pursuing him? His saying that he never thought – and his having to become more adult and mature?
12. Ben as thin, the appearance, his grief, his wife, Alicia?
13. The accident on the bridge, the would-be suicide, Ben and his trying to help, frightening people, the crashes of the cars, the range of stunt work, saving the fireman, the police, the press? Johnny and the interviews, on television? Victor’s reaction?
14. The confrontation between good and evil, the destruction of evil, the triumph of good, the happy ending?
15. A more straightforward heroic kind of story, characters, monsters, emotions, crises, good conquering evil, love?
