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Rating
Synopsis
College students Reed Richards (Alex Hyde-White) and Victor Von Doom (Joseph Culp) try to harness a passing comet named Colossus. Unfortunately, the experiment goes wrong, and Victor gets electrocuted and is presumed dead, leaving Reed guilt-ridden. Ten years later, Reed and his friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Bailey Smith), plan a space trip to find the comet. Along for the mission are siblings Sue Storm (Rebecca Staab) and Johnny Storm (Jay Underwood), but things go awry fast. They return with new abilities: Reed can stretch, Sue turns invisible, Johnny conjures fire, and Ben becomes a rock monster. A now-alive Victor, renamed Doctor Doom, captures the four and wants to absorb their powers for his gain. Thankfully, they escape but soon learn of Doom’s plan to destroy New York with a super laser. With their new powers, Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben must unite to save the world as The Fantastic Four!
Review
While I wouldn’t call this a good movie, there’s no reason why The Fantastic Four should never have been released. Sure, you can tell this had a fraction of the budget of typical superhero movies, but it has heart. The cast and crew made a genuine effort to create something special with very little, and they should be commended. The fact that garbage like It’s Pat, Freddy Got Fingered, and The Oogieloves got released but not this is unbelievable. I doubt this movie would’ve done well theatrically, but I could see this getting a direct-to-video release. Unfortunately, the only way to watch this is through bootleg VHS uploads online, which don’t do the film any justice. I’m not saying a cleaned-up, complete restoration would make this movie good, but it would be more watchable. If Manos: The Hands of Fate can get a Blu-ray, so can this.
On top of looking spot-on, Alex Hyde-White makes for a likable Reed Richards, who’s both intelligent and sympathetic. Joseph Culp is fun as an over-the-top Doctor Doom, even though you can barely understand him through the mask. Jay Underwood’s wildly spastic performance can be slightly grating, but not enough to ruin the movie. Michael Bailey Smith and Rebecca Staab are decent, even if they’re not given much to do. Ian Trigger is kinda fun as a stand-in for The Mole Man, though he feels superfluous. Carl Ciarfalio makes for a good Thing, and the costume is decent considering the low budget. Oley Sassone’s direction is decent, making the most of the cheap sets and limited resources. Admittedly, the CG is dated, but it’s forgivable given the low budget and surprisingly better than some recent CG effects. All in all, they did their best.
While you could attribute most of the film’s flaws to its low budget, some couldn’t be saved with more money. For one, the pacing is sluggish, moving at a glacial pace as they go from one subplot to another. Once the four characters receive their powers, the movie grinds to a halt as they’re locked up, waiting to escape. Additionally, some plot points are questionable, notably the pairing of Reed and Sue, given the significant age gap. When they first meet, she’s a kid fawning over him, but it’s only after ten years that they hook up. Plus, for a superhero movie, there’s minimal action until the climax, with the rest happening off-screen. Despite its flaws, the film works as a fun, kitschy comic book movie that’s earnest, lighthearted, and innocent. Overall, The Fantastic Four may not be perfect, but it deserves a second chance.
