[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxIldZcUuCk[/youtube]
First off, remove the ‘Marvel Logo’ at the beginning of the trailer. Then remove the ‘Fantastic 4’ logo at the end of the trailer. What you have left is a movie I probably still won’t see until it’s released on DVD because it looks too much like that PROJECT ALMANAC movie you likely didn’t hear about. I just don’t really care for sci-fi movies that revolve around rebellious youth whose decisions are based on the blind arrogance that their actions do not have any consequences. Who wants to watch a movie where the main characters completely destroy the world (and themselves) in their quest for ‘whatever’ and you’re suppose to feel sorry for them?! Ahhhhhh! Who am I kidding? I will still, probably, go see this movie. Not because it’s a loose adaption of the Marvel Comic of the same name, but rather I will see it because I like the ‘hard sci-fi’ feel. I’m a big fan of the concept of fringe science being pushed to its boundaries and a collection of people being thrust together in their quest to contain the destructive forces they have released onto the world. Then, I suddenly realize, wasn’t that the original theme of the comic all those years ago? Humans dabbling with science that they don’t understand and forever being altered by their own hubris? It was dark and it was scary. To most, the Fantastic Four ushered in the ‘Golden Age of Heroes’ and this trailer reflected not even an ounce of that energy and excitement. It felt more in keeping with their modern day ‘Ultimate counterparts.’ This trailer reflected a darker, more realistic tone that has everyone extremely conflicted on where they stand. Are we passed the point of comic book movies feeling like comic books, to where their essence is used to create new and original ‘re-imaginings?’ In an age where we demand more than ‘origin stories’ and ‘heroes get powers and then go fight the big bad,’ could this be the movie that successfully breaks the stereotypical comic book movie mold and delivers a brilliant, entertaining and well written story, that just so happens to be based on a comic? Probably not.
You know that I always try and look on the bright side of things. I really really do. I’m not usually a bitter saucyman. Maybe it’s because I was blown away by the sheer beauty and poetic tone of the INTERSTELLAR trailer and was completely let down by that movie? Maybe it’s because I still have the bitter after taste of the ‘close, but not close enough’ earlier attempt at a FANTASTIC FOUR movie? I just don’t get what they are trying to accomplish with this film? The energy around this production has created the strong sense that this movie is a complete mess and without direction. This trailer definitely establishes the tone of the film, but sadly, it establishes a tone that is in complete opposition to the perfection being created over at Marvel proper. That doesn’t necessarily mean that this movie will be bad. I mean, I like this trailer more than I like the ANT-MAN trailer… I just can’t help but have that ringing in my head that says ‘Why call this FANTASTIC FOUR?’ (Why call this TOTAL RECALL? Why call this ROBOCOP?) When it comes down to it, I can understand the necessity to create a franchise that can stand on its own and in the shadow of the MCU, but, I can’t help but feel like this movie is going to lack proper cohesion and completely miss the mark. And I should know, because my name is Mark.
Fantastic 4 flies into theaters August 7th 2015
