Fantastic Four

[Randall]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=58804

I like what Trank says at the end about making the film FANTASTiC. Fox's earlier efforts were more like The Mediocre Four.

[EricJ]

Yes, pretty generic in some ways... but let's remember those awful John Carter trailers. And JC turned out pretty good.

There was good stuff in the JC trailers, we just weren't allowed to see it.
Here, the stuff they DO show us doesn't look any good.

This is more an adaptation of the Ultimate FF comics than the originals (just as the Marvel Cinematic Universe films are based more on the Ultimate line), with younger characters and a new attitude. The black actor indeed portrays the Torch, which seems weird but why the heck not, right? (OK, sister Sue is still white in the new film, but there's lots of ways to explain that, though I'd have just made her black too.)

Yes, whenever they reboot a franchise, they usually have to distance themselves by using the semi-non-canon Ultimate universe, which is pretty much what Sony did when they did the Amazing Spiderman reboot (with the whole Richard Parker conspiracy subplot).
Which means it's not the original, but it's not the "real" version either. Not sure if that's a legal restriction, or just Fox trying to kiss up to the current print comics, which didn't really work so well with XM:FC as DOFP did.

[Dacey]

Thing revealed in international banner:

http://screenrant.com/fantastic-four-re ... ers-thing/

He looks...well, like he did in the other movies. Only with curiously tiny eyes.

[ShyViolet]

In my opinion he does look way better than Thing in the other FF movie, that's for sure.

[Randall]

Well, he is proportioned differently, with a chunkier torso. And the rock lines are more jagged. It's a minor move away from comics depictions, but well in line with them. I do like that it's at least a little different from what we've seen before.

I still think that this film might end up being great, if people give it a chance.

[EricJ]

It's officially based (again, to legally distance themselves from previous projects) on Marvel's Ultimate Fantastic Four comic retcon, where the heroes are teens, and they didn't go into space.
Which means that of the two F4 franchises that actually played theaters, the Real version isn't good, and the possibly Good version isn't real.

[Randall]

Of course the Spidey and Avengers films are all really based more on the Ultimate line too, so...

It doesn't really matter.

[EricJ]

Sony's Amazing Spidey reboot franchise, where Richard Parker was part of some secret conspiracy, was based on Ultimate (also to distance themselves); Raimi's went from the classic canon.
Avengers, OTOH, just pretty much fit their classic-canon to wherever it would jibe with the previous movies, except for Nick Fury being black.

[Randall]

Raimi's went from the classic canon? No, I wouldn't say so. Not at all, really. Case in point: Mary Jane dating Petey in high school, Osborne being involved in the origin, a genetically modified spider---- all totally from the Ultimate line.

Avengers is also pretty much from the Ultimates comics--- yes, black Nick Fury, but also Cap's soldier uniform, and the fact that SHIELD is behind the team at all. Totally Ultimates, though with nods to the classics.

[ShyViolet]

Second trailer out:

http://youtu.be/OO-vi_fdQWg

[Ben]

Better. I'm quite liking the character humor and think this might play well in the director's next film...

[Dacey]

Assuming Ben is referring to the Star Wars spinoff, that's not happening now.

As much as I adored Chronicle, I have a hunch that Trank isn't the easiest guy to work with, and Disney just wanted to avoid the drama.

[EricJ]

Assuming Ben is referring to the Star Wars spinoff, that's not happening now.
As much as I adored Chronicle, I have a hunch that Trank isn't the easiest guy to work with, and Disney just wanted to avoid the drama.

And this may be early symptoms that the whole "Universe of SW spinoffs" may be bleeding a bit, just like Fox had to give up their dreams of solo X-Men spinoffs after the first Wolverine movie. We'll see a search for other directors, then a delay, then they're going to judge on how Ep. VII goes over, and then...
Just so long as we get the NT done right, Rogue One can be a standalone anomaly for completists.

The whole point of getting Trank for the F4 was the search for New Indie Directors for old blockbuster franchises, but you pay the price for hoping you'll reach into the bag and pick another James Gunn.

[Ben]

It's still happening...just not with dust-buster Trank.

[Dacey]

Honestly, this at least makes the new movie look a lot more fun...



Plus, as an added bonus, the Thing has pants!