Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Movie goers have been spoiled with really high-quality superhero movies, and because of that, the expectations for director Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four would obviously be high.
The superhero movie of today is a far cry from the campy flicks of the 90s and early 2000s. These days, superhero movies still tell the same classic stories with changes to make them suited for the silver screen but with an added sense of realism brought about by the way it is presented.
The Batman franchise is a great example of how much superhero movies have changed, from the extremely campy interpretations to the dark and gritty treatment we are familiar with today.
Trank’s Fantastic Four attempted to make the same transformation. But unfortunately, they may have overdone it.
The key problems of the film lies within its delivery and its writing, sapping all of the characters of their energy and charm.
The melodramatic nature of the film turned the four superheroes into brooding and darker versions of their comic book selves. Attempts at light-hearted moments failed to add color into the fairly bland characters and add the charm present in most superheroes of late.
Problems in the delivery is due to the pacing of the film, making the audience feel like it was building up to something big but not delivering in the end.
It felt too slow and lumbering, and the action present failed to rev up a superhero film, losing its power with every passing minute.
The Fantastic Four isn’t without its merits though.
Miles Teller’s portrayal of the evolution of Mr. Fantastic from start to finish is impressive and their take on Doctor Doom is legitimately terrifying.
Unfortunately, Teller’s performance and the fear factor brought about by Doom couldn’t save the flick.
