Spoiler Warning
When this movie and its sequel were released, they were both derided as being among the worst superhero films (though that genre was, admittedly, much smaller back then). They were again brought back into the spotlight when the infamous reboot film was released in 2015, and public opinion on them didn’t seem to have improved any. Shortly thereafter, the moviegoing public seemed to decide that it was best to just ignore the Fantastic Four entirely, and these movies have rarely been mentioned since.
However, in spite of this film’s reputation, I’m going to argue that this is not a bad movie. This isn’t a masterpiece, by any means, but I think it does more right than it does wrong. Also, while I could nitpick this movie to pieces probably, I have enough fun watching it that I don’t want to do that, so I’ll be focusing more on the things I liked about it. I’m not going to blindly ignore all the flaws, but I’d rather talk about what it did right than what it did wrong.
After rewatching it, I’ve come to realize that it has a pretty interesting place among the superhero movie genre now. On the one hand, I think this film got such harsh criticisms because of stiff competition from movie series like Spider-Man, X-Men or even the emerging Dark Knight trilogy. With Fantastic Four being the first Stan Lee created Marvel comic, I think anticipation was understandably high for that team to finally get their due… but it didn’t quite live up to the other franchises of the time.
Also, keep in mind that it came out at a time when those other franchises had just hit their peak. It came two years after the critically acclaimed X2 (and one year before that series would crash and burn with X3), one year after Spider-Man 2 (and, again, two years before that series’ decline) and just one month after the release of Batman Begins. While there had been a few missteps along the way, this was at the height of the initial superhero movie craze, and Fantastic Four didn’t quite live up to those others. If you look at this as a typical action movie, it’s surprisingly good, just not on par with its competitors in this sub-genre.
The other intriguing thing about this movie’s connection to modern superhero films is that it seems to avoid all the common criticisms I hear directed towards superhero films, about a decade before anyone was even making those complaints.
There’s no world-ending threat here (a frequent complaint made by critics of the MCU), it isn’t two and a half hours long but rather a modest 100 minutes (also making it more in line with other action films), it isn’t overly dark (or overly silly) and it isn’t trying to be exceptionally deep or profound. It’s just good, popcorn entertainment. There’s lapses in logic and a lot of holes can be poked in the plot, but there’s still a lot to be enjoyed about the film.
Now, admittedly, one of the flaws that is hardest to get past with this film is its inaccuracy to the comics, as this was cited as one of the worst aspects of this movie many years ago. However, even that complaint, I think, carries less weight today.
Maybe that’s because of the 2015 abomination that tried to reboot this franchise, in which there was even less comic accuracy. At least this film actually made them astronauts, after all. But the Fantastic Four are all captured fairly well in this movie. Some of the performances aren’t great, but their basic personalities are captured very well, and the dynamics between them are spot-on. Chris Evans is great as Johnny Storm and Ioan Gruffudd captures Reed’s personality perfectly. In all fairness, I must admit that Jessica Alba doesn’t give a great performance and Susan’s character is never that well defined. However, even though she’s a somewhat bland character in this film, she doesn’t detract from the film in any way. Some of the other characters I want to wait to discuss more in-depth later on, so I’m going to go ahead and begin walking through the movie’s plot.
Within the first few minutes, all of the principle characters are introduced and we get to understand them all very quickly. That’s because these characters are not overly deep, but it plays to the movie’s advantage in a weird way. There’s not much originality here, but it keeps the pace moving forward. We know what Reed’s character is as soon as we see him and his best friend, Ben Grimm, trying to get Victor Von Doom to fund Reed’s cutting-edge research project.
Doom, of course, agrees to fund the project, and they quickly begin assembling their team. The first addition is Sue Storm, Reed’s ex-girlfriend who is now with Victor, and she rounds out the team with her brother Johnny Storm, a NASA washout because of his reckless behavior. The tension between Sue and Reed over their past relationship is an overused trope in movies, but it does give us a personal stake for the characters that doesn’t take a lot of time to explain.
The character’s goals are very intuitive, and that serves to make them more relatable in a way. It makes for a story that doesn’t have to explore any complex ideas for us to understand the characters which can lead to some understandable complaints about this film being somewhat mindless, but for someone who’s watching this as popcorn entertainment, it works. The movie has very few boring stretches, yet I still understand what’s at stake for the characters. The emotions behind these conflicts and goals are explored, but not exhaustively. They only devote a couple of dialogue scenes to hashing out the problems between Reed and Sue, totaling up to just a few minutes of screen-time. If this movie were trying to be something deep or original, I would say that was rushed through, but for a movie that’s just trying to be fun, it’s the perfect amount, because it gives us all the information we need to understand the characters, and see the conflict played out enough that it isn’t resolved with the snap of someone’s fingers. At the same time, though, it’s also not so deeply explored that it begins to slow the movie down. With better written characters, that wouldn’t be as big of a concern, but with characters who are as one-note (again, I’m not necessarily saying this in a bad way) as these, I’m glad we didn’t spend more time on their relationship problems.
However, before any of this relationship drama can take center stage, the five main characters reach the space station to conduct their experiment on a wave of cosmic energy passing by the Earth. Unsurprisingly, things go wrong and the four heroes are exposed to the cosmic rays. Doom is seemingly shielded at the station’s center, and as such is not with the other four when they wake up in the hospital after returning to Earth.
Here, the movie overuses the tongue-in-cheek references to their future powers (Ben saying he feels ‘solid’, a nurse calling Johnny ‘hot’, etc.), but they breeze through the obligatory ‘heroes discover their powers’ sequence fairly quickly, and keep it entertaining, with Johnny discovering his flame-based powers while snowboarding down a mountain.
Unfortunately for Ben, his powers aren’t quite as glamorous as Johnny’s and he is transformed into the massive, rock-like creature that will later become known as The Thing. And, this is as good a time as any for me to talk about the design/effects used for the four heroes.
The effects are hit or miss, to be honest. However, given that this was made in 2005, I feel like I should be a little lenient. The Human Torch and Mr. Fantastic both looked pretty dated, and that is distracting at times. Invisible Woman’s powers look really good (though they’re a lot easier to pull off), with the audience being clued into her invisible presence by subtle shimmers in the air.
The Thing is an interesting one… a lot of people weren’t happy with his design, but I actually kind of like it. It’s not amazing, but I’ll take this over a CG Thing any day. That isn’t because I hate CGI (I actually prefer it in a lot of instances), but The Thing needs to be humanized and he needs to feel relatable. In the 2015 version, it didn’t even feel like we were looking at a person, but rather some gigantic rock monster. As such I had a harder time empathizing with what he was going through. Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I think his design in this version was pretty solid (pun intended).
However, while I was pretty happy with the Thing’s appearance in this film, his fiancé, Debby, was not. When Ben finally works up the courage to show Debby his new form, she screams in terror and flees back to their apartment. With the surrounding crowd being terrified by his appearance, Ben flees and heads to a nearby bridge, where he encounters a suicidal man about to jump from the bridge.
As it so happens, the other three heroes are also at the bridge, which is fortunate for all involved, because Ben’s attempts to rescue the man result in several car crashes.
I personally consider this sequence to be one of the film’s high-points, as we see all four heroes using their powers to rescue the innocent bystanders who are nearly killed by either a) an exploding car or b) falling off the bridge. While it could be seen as just another scene used to showcase off their powers (which it kind of is), devoting such a lengthy “action” scene to the heroes just saving lives instead of them fighting villains is a breath of fresh air.
Now, I know this movie was sharply criticized for not showing the FF be active enough in their superhero status, i.e.: they don’t seek out crime to stop or people to save. I honestly don’t have as big of a problem with that, especially with this movie where it’s mostly centered on them getting their lives back. Also, while I haven’t exhaustively read the comics, I do remember them being categorized more regularly as explorers or scientists, but ones who always made sure to intervene when their were people who needed help. This scene shows that’s exactly who they are in this movie as well.
Though the FF manage to save everyone on the bridge, this thrusts them into the national spotlight, and makes it impossible for them to maintain secret identities the way other heroes do. This is something that’s very comic accurate and it’s one of my favorite aspects of the Fantastic Four: their celebrity status. Not only does it distinguish them from other heroes like Spider-Man or Daredevil, but it also makes a lot of sense. If there were four and only four superheroes in the world, I’m pretty sure they would be the biggest celebrities on the planet. They aren’t just four random scientists locked up in their lab, experimenting with their powers (unlike the 2015 version). Them being celebrities alters the world around them, and that makes it feel more unique and memorable. Even small scenes like Susan seeing herself on a magazine cover make it feel like the FF are the center of attention for everyone.
The other thing that happens on the bridge is that it reveals the other main emotional conflict of the movie (the first being the Susan/Reed relationship), which is the toll that being transformed into The Thing has taken on Ben. This is one of the things the movie gets down perfectly. The film doesn’t treat Ben’s powers as something cool or fun, in spite of how much power it gives him, and Ben doesn’t stop viewing them as a curse until they become necessary to save his friends at the end of the film.
Now, as I’ve said throughout this review, this movie doesn’t have a lot of subtlety or originality, so this conflict isn’t played out in very subtle ways, but it still works. In one scene, Debby puts her engagement ring on the ground and walks off and Ben is unable to pick the ring up because of his oversized fingers. Much later, Ben tells Susan that he’d do anything to be stuck in an invisible state, rather than be The Thing. These scenes are both a little on the nose, but they work really well to show the audience what The Thing is going through and I think they work great.
Which leads to the film’s second act, as Reed vows to Ben that he’s going to find a way to reverse his transformation. Reed and Susan begin running tests to figure out what happened to the four of them, and the spark between them is rekindled. While this is good for their relationship it does lead to an unexpected complication, as Victor arrives at the Baxter Building and begins to learn that Susan’s feelings for Reed are growing stronger once more. Victor also learns that he was affected by the cosmic rays, and he takes on a more and more active role as a villain throughout the next hour of the film.
Which gives us the best chance to talk about Doom that I guess I’ll have.
Doom is, to say the least, not very comic accurate. He’s not the despotic ruler of Latveria, but rather a mediocre scientist who’s managed to amass a vast fortune. What’s perhaps worse is that he’s a poor rip-off of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, made painfully obvious when he loses his company because of the failure of Reed’s experiment which Victor financed. If you still need convincing that this is a poor adaptation of Doom, Stan Lee himself said he was disappointed in this movie’s portrayal of Dr. Doom, even though he liked everything else about the film. Needless to say, Doom is not a great villain. However…
There are some things about Doom that are worth mentioning.
First of all, he’s not necessarily a bad villain if you look at him as his own character and not an adaptation of the comic book character. He checks off a lot of boxes for what could make a good action movie villain. He has a personal connection to the heroes (being a rival to Reed for Susan’s affection) and he’s kind of a dark reflection of Reed, with him using science purely for profit, and not for the betterment of mankind as Reed is. Beyond that, he isn’t some easily defeated villain but rather a legitimate threat to the heroes, even when they all join forces against him. His powers are clearly defined and not some vague assortment of abilities that seem to change depending on the needs of the writers scene by scene (as would frequently be seen in much worse superhero movies, including the sequel to this film).
Secondly, he’s far superior to the Toby Kebbell version of Dr. Doom.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, seeing Doom analyzing the weaknesses of the heroes and devising a strategy to exploit them all is actually a good use of Doom as a villain. It’s not some overly complex strategy, but simple things like him seeing Ben always hovering around Reed at the Baxter Building and realizing that he can’t get to Reed without removing Ben give us a look at how tactically minded he is. This scheming and manipulation is where Doom is at his best, though he does provide a good physical threat in the film’s final battle.
Before they even know Doom is a threat, however, the FF begin to deal with a very different threat: their inability to work together.
Most of this trouble stems from Johnny Storm, and the pre-Captain America Chris Evans gets his hotheaded personality down perfectly. Johnny ignores the plan to stay inside the Baxter Building to avoid the spotlight while Reed devises a cure for their powers. As such, he decides to participate in some motorcycle stunts at a local show, before earning the rest of the FF some unwanted attention and assigning them their comic book names (with his moniker ‘The Thing’ earning the most ire from his teammates).
The others don’t take too kindly to this, which results in The Thing wrecking Johnny’s car and the two of them coming to blows before Reed and Susan break up the fight. While Reed tries to get Johnny to slow down and start thinking, Ben tells Sue that he’s tired of waiting on Reed. Doom learns of this, and decides to exploit it for his own advantage, by convincing Ben that Reed is purposefully dragging his feet on curing Ben so that Sue will continue to spend time with him.
Unfortunately for the heroes, Ben happens to return to the Baxter Building while Reed and Sue are away, as she’d convinced Reed that he’d been working too hard and needed a break. Ben is furious and says he’s done watching Reed’s back. When he storms out, Sue chases after him to try to talk some sense into him, which leaves Reed alone with his feelings of guilt… and the machine he created to cure them that he isn’t sure is safe to use.
Reed, convicted by Ben’s accusations, experiments on himself, but the results leave him weakened and uncured, because there isn’t enough power inside the machine’s generator. Watching through spy cameras that he installed (at some point), Doom realizes what he has to do and makes his move.
Before I get into the film’s big finale, however, I do want to take note of Reed’s character here. While Reed Richards doesn’t have a lot of depth to him, Ioan Gruffudd plays him really well. He conveys the intelligence, the dry stoicism, that defines the character. Mr. Fantastic isn’t supposed to be a cool character, and I think Ioan Gruffudd’s portrayal of Reed gotten written off too quickly as boring (because Reed is supposed to be kind of a dull guy). Another thing he nails is Reed’s obsessive nature. Reed feels personally responsible for what’s happened to his friends, and that guilt drives him to doing everything he does in this movie, and it’s also what makes him the leader of the FF, because he puts such a high priority on their safety, so that nothing like this ever happens to them again. It keeps him from becoming too arrogant, and seeing that conflict in his character is what makes Reed Richards an interesting character. This film, and the sequel, don’t always convey all of that depth to his character, but they convey enough of it for Reed to still be a good character.
Victor arranges for The Thing to be brought back to the Baxter Building, where he puts him in the machine, only this time Dr. Doom uses his electrical powers to charge the generator and give it enough juice to turn The Thing back into Ben Grimm. Doom’s plan has come to fruition, as he removes the strongest member of the FF, giving him an easy shot at Reed. Already exhausted from his ordeal with the machine, Reed is easily captured, allowing Doom to take him back to his own tower and plug him up to a cryogenic machine to render him immobile.
Meanwhile, Johnny and Sue return to the Baxter building, realizing they’re the only two left. However, even this duo is quickly separated as Doom launches a heat-seeking missile after Johnny. This leads to an entertaining, but hilariously ill-conceived chase sequence between the Torch and the missile.
The problems include, but are not limited to: 1) how did Johnny know the missile was heat-seeking and that him jumping off the roof would save anyone? 2) couldn’t Sue just put her shield up to stop the missile? 3) does Johnny kill the crew of the barge that he lights on fire when he leaves the missile to blow it up?
In spite of these glaring flaws, it’s still a decent scene. It gives us an opportunity to showcase one of the FF doing something cool with their powers and in danger, without having each of them square off with Dr. Doom one-on-one. Also, as inaccurate as Dr. Doom has been to the source material so far, him picking off the heroes one-by-one in the lowest risk way possible (i.e.: taking away their powers or trying to kill them from afar) seems very accurate to the character.
While Torch is chased through the city by the missile before eventually destroying it, Sue heads to Doom’s tower alone to free Reed. However, before she gets the chance, Doom realizes she’s there, in spite of her invisibility. While Sue’s force fields are powerful, she’s no match for Doom in a 1v1 and all seems lost until The Thing bursts through the wall, finally spouting his catchphrase, “It’s Clobberin’ Time!” and punches Doom through a wall. While the other heroes had been facing off with Doom, Ben had put himself back through the machine to regain his powers, giving the heroes a fighting chance against Doom.
Ben and Victor fight their way through the building, crashing through floors and out windows, before they end up on the street. However, though he can match Doom’s strength, Dr. Doom’s other powers give him the edge and the Thing is nearly defeated before the other heroes rally and face Doom as a team.
This final battle is a bit… odd for me. It’s definitely a mix of good and bad. I’ll start with the positives.
First of all, it’s really nice seeing the heroes finally working together as a real team, with them using their powers in unison with each other to eventually take down Doom. Also, Dr. Doom isn’t too easily defeated. It’s not as though he’s only a threat to them one-on-one and then becomes harmless when they have their moment of character growth (them working together). A lot of movies do that and it’s frustrating, but this film thankfully avoids that trope. Also, to bring up the criticism I mentioned earlier again, even though people were upset that the FF didn’t operate as crime fighters enough, I quite liked seeing the final battle be such a low-stakes brawl, with them just fighting for their lives against Doom. Finally, the effects are pretty solid for 2005.
Now, for the negatives.
The final leg of the battle (when the FF faces Doom together and not when it’s a 1v1 between Ben and Victor) feels too short. Doom blasts them around for a bit with his lightning, and then Johnny hits Doom with his super-nova, before they freeze him in place with water from a broken fire hydrant. This trope of bringing back a random moment from earlier in the film (shown when the Torch is experimenting with his powers and they warn him of the dangers of the super-nova) is a somewhat tired trope in this genre, but it doesn’t feel as painfully forced here as it would in later superhero films.
What’s weird about this battle kind of sums up the film pretty well, ironically.
By bad (or even just mediocre) superhero films, this finale is way ahead of most of its peers. The characters employ an intelligible strategy and there is legitimate back and forth between them. Their power levels are reasonably consistent, instead of varying for the writer’s needs of who wins and when. But for the actual good superhero movies, this final battle feels hollow. Once the heroes unite, there aren’t any big emotional changes and the fight’s resolved so quickly it almost feels like they just ran out of time.
In a lot of ways, this same analysis can be applied to the film as a whole. How you feel walking away from this film depends entirely upon what viewpoint you approach it with. If you go in expecting a superhero film more in line with the quality we’ve come to expect by now (or even the quality of the better films being released at the time), you’ll probably be disappointed. That’s why I held this film in kind of a low regard for a while.
However, I’ve kind of shifted on that stance recently (as is obvious by this point). If you accept that this isn’t an A-tier film, you’re going to have a lot more fun with it. There are a lot of fun moments in the movie, and there are some legitimately good (if not overly complex) writing choices. If you go into it with this mindset, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying all the times the movie does something right and just rolling your eyes when it does something stupid, because that’s what you were expecting.
Even if you think I’ve gone way too soft on this movie and been way too generous, there is one thing we can agree on…
This is by far the best Fantastic Four film.
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