Fantastic Four reboot

[jye4ever]

 

[karamazov80]

As always, I have a lot of respect for Mad Lu's perspective here. It's thoughtful, makes a lot of sense, and speaks to none of the studio-based biases that plague these threads. I do definitely agree that if the studio doesn't feel they can do the tone justice, it's better to fall back onto more standard, well-tread, and no doubt easier to successfully imitate territory such as "dramatic, dark and gritty action story." But I place the fault at the execs who recognized the general tonal needs of the FF a decade ago, but didn't really respect the potential audience, and instead tried to pander to children and the lowest common denominator, comedically speaking. Marvel Studios does have respect for the audience with nostalgia for this kind of thing, and it shows. I'm not sure the FF movie cares a great deal about audiences who read comics, but they are targeting adults, and maybe that's for the best in their case. My impression is they want to try to recapture some of the interest folks had with the Nolan Bat-films (which was no doubt the strongest motivation behind decisions for Man of Steel).

 

[Mad Old Lu]

As always, I have a lot of respect for Mad Lu's perspective here. It's thoughtful, makes a lot of sense, and speaks to none of the studio-based biases that plague these threads. I do definitely agree that if the studio doesn't feel they can do the tone justice, it's better to fall back onto more standard, well-tread, and no doubt easier to successfully imitate territory such as "dramatic, dark and gritty action story." But I place the fault at the execs who recognized the general tonal needs of the FF a decade ago, but didn't really respect the potential audience, and instead tried to pander to children and the lowest common denominator, comedically speaking. Marvel Studios does have respect for the audience with nostalgia for this kind of thing, and it shows. I'm not sure the FF movie cares a great deal about audiences who read comics, but they are targeting adults, and maybe that's for the best in their case. My impression is they want to try to recapture some of the interest folks had with the Nolan Bat-films (which was no doubt the strongest motivation behind decisions for Man of Steel).

Well, thank you kara. You're much too kind. Thanks for recognizing what I was trying to say even if I didn't get it across as well as I could have.

 

[Khev]

Well, thank you kara. You're much too kind. Thanks for recognizing what I was trying to say even if I didn't get it across as well as I could have.

You know I made the joke about how trailers shouldn't have to require commentaries but I did hear where you were coming from and probably should have acknowledged that. If we're being perfectly honest, if I had heard NOTHING about the FF reboot, had read no quotes from Trank or Jordan and had seen no stills of Ragman or heard anything about him being a disgruntled computer hacker then I do admit that the trailer was at the very least decent. As I originally said it seems a bit generic in a familiar "Singerverse" kind of way but that isn't offensive or unwatchable in and of itself. In fact as we saw with DOFP a movie like that can even be really good.

So yeah, in a vacuum the trailer was okay. But knowing what I already know and seeing what I've already seen, doesn't look good for the finished film.

 

[pturtle]

What bad quotes are there from Trank? Only ones I really know of were from that Collider interview, and in it he showed he has a lot of respect for the FF comics.

We disagree about the Jordan comment, but his plays no part in how the movie will turn out.

Ragman was a leaked image that might be digitally enhanced for the film, it's really too early to judge that costume. The leaked pic of Thing looked awesome but people don't seem to care much about that.

The Easter egg in the trailer teases Doom being the leader of Latveria.

Now that Fox is under a new regime with Tom Rothman leaving, they haven't produced a bad superhero film yet. He played a major part in the originals sucking so bad.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

You know I made the joke about how trailers shouldn't have to require commentaries but I did hear where you were coming from and probably should have acknowledged that. If we're being perfectly honest, if I had heard NOTHING about the FF reboot, had read no quotes from Trank or Jordan and had seen no stills of Ragman or heard anything about him being a disgruntled computer hacker then I do admit that the trailer was at the very least decent. As I originally said it seems a bit generic in a familiar "Singerverse" kind of way but that isn't offensive or unwatchable in and of itself. In fact as we saw with DOFP a movie like that can even be really good.

So yeah, in a vacuum the trailer was okay. But knowing what I already know and seeing what I've already seen, doesn't look good for the finished film.

Thanks, Khev. And I get that.

I don't have any stakes in this movie. Even though I loved the FF when Byrne was doing it, I was never really clamoring for a movie. If it comes out bad, then no big. It didn't kill me that the previous FF movies were bad, so this wouldn't either. But at this point I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Who knows, maybe the next trailer will try and overcompensate for this first trailer being so dark and they will show all the goofy silly fun stuff in the movie, which will make me hate it.

 

[GasparZizou]

And dangerous. A 4 in a circle is all round and comforting. A 4 in a square has pointy bits everywhere!

Underrated post.

 

[twistedfreak]

You know I made the joke about how trailers shouldn't have to require commentaries but I did hear where you were coming from and probably should have acknowledged that. If we're being perfectly honest, if I had heard NOTHING about the FF reboot, had read no quotes from Trank or Jordan and had seen no stills of Ragman or heard anything about him being a disgruntled computer hacker then I do admit that the trailer was at the very least decent. As I originally said it seems a bit generic in a familiar "Singerverse" kind of way but that isn't offensive or unwatchable in and of itself. In fact as we saw with DOFP a movie like that can even be really good.

So yeah, in a vacuum the trailer was okay. But knowing what I already know and seeing what I've already seen, doesn't look good for the finished film.

Well said. That sums up how I feel about this. I do want to get a good FF film. They are a very interesting group of superheroes. I'm just not feeling that this will be it. With that said, perhaps other people will enjoy this film. I just personally am not a fan of what I have both heard and seen thus far. Not to troll or anything, but I just don't find the idea of Doom being a garbage bag/rag wearing basement hacker a very good villain for any super hero group, among other things. That's just my opinion.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

You just strike me as a "glass half full" kind of guy, Vintj, and that's all good. I see the FF films as a glass 4/5ths of the way empty.

I thought you were paying attention in all the threads where I've been mercilessly bagging figure companies for all their flubbery - plus the Mos & BvS threads???

I don't watch them that often, but at the same time I don't mind'em - & I don't mind saying so either.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

I watched the trailer with the commentary and I'm starting to warm up to it.

I can appreciate you guys' point of view that the FF and CB movies in general should be more "fun" (although I don't fully agree), but I feel there is an inherent problem with approaching CB movies that way.

I think "fun" and humor are extremely subjective. What you guys find funny and what I find funny have the potential to be worlds apart. OTOH, drama, or grit or seriousness of the subject matter, is a little easier to find common ground. That is of course a generalization. But by approaching a CB movie seriously and focusing on characters and emotional weight, you are already giving the subject matter more legitimacy. When you approach a CB movie saying, "let's make this fun and humorous", you are already taking something away from characters that have existed for generations.

Of course it's possible to have CB movies be fun. Marvel has proven that time and again. But they found the right filmmakers to make that possible. Fox seems to have real trouble doing that. The first 2 FF movies were terrible IMO. Sure, the Barbershop guy, and the studio, approached the movie trying to make it fun and about the family dynamic. That's exactly why they hired the Barbershop guy. But see what you end up with? Same with the new Spider Man movies. They wanted to make it more fun, and they did! Isn't Electro playing Itsy Bitsy Spider on those electrical towers fun? So fun!

Conversely, FOX approached the X-Men movies a little more seriously, and I think they have succeeded because of that (at least X1, X2, FC and DOFP). There is still some humor in them, and they are certainly entertaining. Just because they approach the subject matter more seriously and more grounded doesn't mean they are dour, humorless, Sam Mendes movies.

I was impressed by how Trank spoke about the property--with respect. It's surprising because I thought, based on what I had previously read, that he had never even picked up the CB, or was completely disregarding it. I'm glad to see that he did do at least some research of the CBs.

I for one am going to give this a chance. I wasn't planning on it, but the trailer and the commentary have turned me around. I probably won't watch it in the theater (I don't get the chance to go too often), but I will certainly watch it on Blu.

There's something wrong if a trailer needs a filmmaker commentary track in order to enjoy it.

It didn't need it, hence why it was released without a commentary. The commentary one was just in addition

Ragman was a leaked image that might be digitally enhanced for the film, it's really too early to judge that costume. The leaked pic of Thing looked awesome but people don't seem to care much about that.

in the trailer when Reed is talking to Victor in the hospital, he's wearing the Ragman costume. I'm betting it's his containment suit melted and torn. He's also wearing the mask which has me thinking its either a medical thing or its again part of his containment suit fused to him.

In all likelihood he'll escape the hospital and change outfits.

Now that Fox is under a new regime with Tom Rothman leaving, they haven't produced a bad superhero film yet. He played a major part in the originals sucking so bad.

^ This

 

[pturtle]

Simon Kinberg Talks X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR Crossover And Evolution Of 'Doctor Doom'

The first trailer for Josh Trank's Fantastic Four was released earlier this week, and it's fair to say that fans were shocked by just how good the movie looks! Tonally, it's more Interstellar than Avengers, and it's that sci-fi vibe which writer Simon Kinberg is really excited for fans to see. "Part of what’s cool about the Fantastic Four comics is that there’s an emphasis on the science of science fiction," Kinberg tells EW. "And we treat what would normally be considered a superpower as a trauma. They don’t just go up a roof, jump off, and start swinging through the city. It’s the opposite. What would happen if your body transformed, and you didn’t have control over it?"

There's been a lot of talk in the past about a crossover between the X-Men franchise and this rebooted Fantastic Four movie, and while it still doesn't sound like anything definite is in the works, Kinberg is definitely open to the idea. "The reboot of FanFour really needed to work in and of itself," he explains about why they're not rushing into a team up between both teams. "We were doing something pretty radical with the tone of the movie. If we wanted to find a way to connect them to the X-Men, we could. There’s a lot of precedent from the comics."

Finally, we already know that Doctor Doom (a.k.a. Victor Domashev) will be transformed alongside the team, and it sounds as if he will definitely be a vital piece of the puzzle which sees Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny become the superhero team we all know from the comic books. "He has aspirations and struggles that are a little bit more classically tragic than the other characters. As much as it’s an origin story of our heroes, it also tracks how someone can become a villain." What do you guys think of these comments? Share your thoughts and theories in the usual place.

 

[jye4ever]

Yawn....

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Part of what’s cool about the Fantastic Four comics is that there’s an emphasis on the science of science fiction," Kinberg tells EW. "And we treat what would normally be considered a superpower as a trauma. They don’t just go up a roof, jump off, and start swinging through the city. It’s the opposite. What would happen if your body transformed, and you didn’t have control over it?"

Loving the sound of this

 

[Invictus Sol]

Have to say, me too -- so long as it's not over-done. F4 was my vote for most likely to bomb 2015 movie, but I'm liking what I've seen recently. I definitely think there is a sort of body horror aspect they could be going for with Mr. Fantastic and the Thing, especially. Could be cool.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

Fantastic Saw.

 

[jye4ever]

Fantastic Saw.

Since the director is specifically referencing Cronenberg, we have to think more Videodrome, but Fantastic Saw or Fantastic Hostel 4 work.

You do realize that Kara is about to come in here and rip us some Cronenberg butt.

 

[YoNoSe]

The Traumatized Four. Sounds great.

 

[Chapter 2099]

I'm ready for another trailer.

 

[karamazov80]

I'm ready for another reboot.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

I'm ready for another reboot.

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