Lame On!

Before I begin this review, I’d like to dispel any previous assumptions you might have had about me. First and foremost, I do enjoy artistic and experimental films. A good film, like a good book, has the power to make one think, to arouse deeply set emotions, and to bring important social dilemmas into the limelight. And since film is the opiate of the masses, it has a far stronger impact these days then a book. In that sense, film has an extraordinary power.
However, I also enjoy fun, entertaining films. Every now and then, like anyone else, I enjoy watching films that might have no apparent thematic or social relevance. Oftentimes, it is these films that have the tightest structure or the most linear character development. And it goes without saying that they offer the greatest suspension of disbelief. That being said, when a film like The Fantastic Four comes along, it can be extremely entertaining and cathartic. And I’d be wrong if I didn’t admit that the Fantastic Four has its fun moments.
Actually, all of the basics are in place for a great superhero flick; a powerful villain with a personal connection to the hero(s), a team with a wide spectrum of conflicting personalities and quarks, and a somewhat linear discovery of powers and abilities. Indeed, the Fantastic Four does exactly what a film of its nature should do; have fun. The problem is that there are several other films in the same genera that do the exact same thing…several times better.
First and foremost, consider the heroes’ discovery of their powers. For some characters like the Invisible Woman (who must take her clothes off to be truly invisible) and the Thing (who is now a sheer monstrosity to loved ones), this discovery is painful and awkward. For others, like the Human Torch, it is exhilarating. In performance and direction this is all portrayed appropriately, but I could name several films to come out in the last few years that accomplish this same thing on a much stronger level. Consider Spider-Man. After Peter Parker’s geeky introduction, we truly shared in his jubilation at the discovery of his powers. It was liberating. On the other hand, the character development in Fantastic Four can’t hold a candle to films like Spider-Man.
How about the villain? Doctor Doom is considered one of the most infamous comic book villains of all time, but herein, he’s actually kind of pedestrian. I did admit to enjoying him after I saw the movie. But after comparing him to previous cinematic villains, I found several things to be rather dull about his interpretation. For a comparison, consider Ian McKellen as Magneto in the X-Men films. Probably the main reason why that character worked so well is because he had a strong motivation. Heck, even someone who only saw bits and pieces of an X-Men film can name Magneto’s motivation: he wants mutants to be the dominant race over humans. Doom has no such motivation.
Yes, the story does try desperately to pin a motivation on him at the beginning of the film: First, it gives us his connection to Sue Storm, which half-handedly forms a kind of love triangle to Reed Richards, Doom’s rival. But it abandons that concept when it throws a gang of displeased investors into the mix, giving Doom something entirely new to worry about (a blatant rip-off of Norman Osborn’s motivation in Spider-Man). Then, when these two motivations fall flat, Doom spends the rest of the film using his powers here and there to remind the audience that there is still a threat that the heroes will eventually have to take down. Sadly, no amount of motivation, stolen or poorly conceived, manages to stick. In the end we’re left with a villain that isn’t really a villain at all, but a collection of motivations taken from better villains.
When watching The Fantastic Four, you do get little snippets of ideas that seem to be genuine attempts at an original flick. There are sparks of originality. Like, instead of being feared and hunted down ala the X-Men or Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four is revered and hounded like modern-day celebrities. The Thing’s self depreciation, instead of being dark and gothic, is colored by his “Brooklyn” accent. Even the cartoony effects, showy compositions and obnoxious colors throwback to the visuals of a comic book. Those are nice touches.
Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough originality in the film to separate it from the pack. If asked on cue, I could recall a specific tone and feeling about Spider-Man, Batman or The Hulk. But if asked about the Fantastic Four, I would only be able to recall it as a dim reflection of everything that made those other superhero films great. In that sense, The Fantastic Four truly feels like a cookie-cutter experience. Instead of slaving over the story and characters like Sam Rami or Bryan Singer, director Tim Story compiles a “sampler platter” of everything they did and just assumes it’ll make itself into a meal.