Logo

Cool News

FANTASTIC FOUR 2: Same Story, Second Verse

Published at:  Dec 05, 2005 2:54:22 PM CST

Hey folks, Harry here... Got the DVD for the FANTASTIC FOUR sent to me, personally thought it was a way lame DVD. The "INSIDE LOOK" of X3 had a very grumpy un-lively Avi and some wireframes of the Golden Gate bridge being fucked up by Magneto. BUT - the FF disc isn't what I'm talking about, it's that FOX announced that they'll be using TIM STORY again, probably because that very un-fantastic film made $350 million world wide and the DVDs are doing very good. Nevermind that frankly it's 1/20th the film is should have been - and had it actually been a great film - it would've made 3 times the money it did make. Tim seems set to leave Doom out of the next story, thank God - maybe Doom won't show back up again till after Story has left the series and a management change at Fox goes down. And eventually, as with all management teams, they will change and we'll finally get the FF movie of our dreams. Till then, we have to deal with Tim Story's 'awesome' vision of the FANTASTIC FOUR... sigh...



    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 2:56:13 PM CST

    First?

    by spikezoft

  • Dec 05, 2005 2:56:24 PM CST

    no subject

    by spikezoft

  • Dec 05, 2005 2:56:28 PM CST

    UGH....

    by karl childers

    Still, it was better than DD or Elektra.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 2:57:37 PM CST

    Fuck the FF

    by dogsoup

    By the time this comes out we'll be whetting our appitites for the Wolverine movie

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 2:57:55 PM CST

    I'll second that.

    by capt. blackadder

  • Dec 05, 2005 2:59:14 PM CST

    Pfft.

    by grando

    F4 wasn't that bad, but you are right that it could have been soooo much better. Torch and The Thing were kinda nailed though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:00:56 PM CST

    why are you blaming Story?

    by sirbiatchreturns

    he's just a frickin director. he is given something and he directs it. if you have a problem with the vision, its Fox management that can help you with that. stop bitchin.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:01:02 PM CST

    Harry from the Future!

    by bitterman23

    "The DVDs are doing very good..."

    since it comes out tomorrow, thats good to know.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:01:31 PM CST

    Link?

    by chrth

    Like I'm going to believe anything Harry passes on with a source ...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:02:16 PM CST

    Freaking Depressing.

    by odysseus

    Why -- WHY -- when so many films of our current "superhero movie renaissance" are commercial AND critical hits does a studio play it so safe as to actually take a qualitative step backward, rather than forward?! Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman, hell even Hulk made a mark because they were crafted by real filmmakers with a bold visual and storytelling style. Tim Story, again?! What a sadly lame decision....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:04:04 PM CST

    Harry's off on his 'i hate everything relating to the ff

    by warpspasm

    YAAAWWWWN. GET OVER IT. THE MOVIE MADE COIN. PEOPLE LIKED IT. MOVE ON.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:05:48 PM CST

    Sir Biatch

    by the funketeer

    I'm with Sir Biatch. Doom was a lousy way to start the series and most likely the production team was told they had to use him. The problem with Doom, or Galactus is that you need to build up to them. You can't introduce 4 characters and their powers and still have enough time to build up Doom as being scary and mean and make us actually fear him. They would have been better to start with an underground Mole Man adventure or a trip to the negative zone where we could see them work together and use their powers in fantastic ways. They did a lot of things right with the first movie. Johnny and Ben were spot on. Alba wasn't bad. Mr. Fantastic was a bit off and Doom was not quite what he should have been either. I enjoyed the movie for what it was, will probably pick up the DVD and will most likely see any sequel they make.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:07:35 PM CST

    BitterMan - Warpspasm

    by headgeek

    Bitter - The Pre-order numbers alone show FF as being a huge success. ------ WarpSpasm -- My problem with the film was that it was merely passable, not good, not great. These characters deserve the love and the passion that someone like Sam Raimi has for SPIDER-MAN or Peter Jackson has for KONG. I just don't get that from anybody on these films other than Chiklis.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:08:24 PM CST

    For every FF, Hulk & Elektra there is a X-Men & Spider Man

    by heckles

    FF had their shot, bring us some Captain America, dammit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Setting in the 1960's? Gee, what a stretch. I don't exactly have the director of Bring It On and Down With Love on a higher pedestal than the guy that directed Barbershop and Taxi, so you know.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:11:54 PM CST

    Don't you mean that you (Harry) deserves all the free shit t

    by frodosblueballs

    Why all the hatred Harry...why? I take it Fox doesn't advertise on your website do they? If they do, then I'm suprised they haven't pulled all their ads.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:12:19 PM CST

    ugghh...

    by havocschultz

    to make a sequel better... alba would need to lose some of her powers so that she could only make her clothing invisible... Thing and Torch would be in a buddy-cop relationship where they're arguing and quipping back n'forth in a racial (rock vs. fire) sort of way - mr. Fantastic would keep himself busy in gay porn performing a train of reach-arounds and Tim story would repeatedly get run over a souped up taxi driven by jimmy fallon while queen latifah is pole dancing the shifter... either that or just get a director with some sort of vision/style... tim story - so far - is a poor man's brett ratner... point and shoot... point and shoot... point and fuck it all the way up... if they're gonna go for style over substance - pick somebody that at least has style... right now it's crap over style and substance ran off with an actual good idea... oh well... take care... wreak it well... havoc out...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Thank Avi and his Toy Biz background for that choice.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:14:41 PM CST

    If history follows, the sequel will be better

    by howstone

    I'm not saying that Tim Story shouldn't be fired (he and the writers should be replaced), but with any Marvel movie that got to do a sequel, the sequel was better because they didn't have to deal with the origin issues, and were able to delve right into the story. Hopefully this one will follow the same pattern.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:15:15 PM CST

    I don't exactly have the director of Bring It On and Down Wi

    by havocschultz

    at least down with love had some sort of coolness/style to it... and was kind of enjoyable - in it's own right... chiklis should just say "fuckyourself" to them unless they're gonna put it even a 1/4 of the amount of effort he put in - otherwise i'm sure he could get a Commish movie going... oh well... take care... wreak it well... havoc out...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:16:07 PM CST

    Still have yet to see this

    by quadrupletree

    I'm contemplating renting the DVD, maybe.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:16:37 PM CST

    Tim Story is worse than Chris Columbus was for Harry Potter

    by uncooked_meat

    Just bland, pedestrian directing. No real creativity. Nothing to see here, move along, enjoy your popcorn, did you like the explosions? Man am I fucking rich now.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:18:20 PM CST

    I was one of those people unfazed by the origin change of Doom

    by oisin5199

    until I saw it. I guess it wasn't the origin change as such, but the cheapening of Doom's motivation to jealousy and underdeveloped madness. Plus the bloodless performance of the horribly miscast McMahon. Once he had the mask on and kept his snarky voice, I couldn't help but laugh when he tried to be menacing. Doom should have been so much more, whatever his origin was. Speaking of, with McMahon unavailable, why not recast? He's wearing a freakin' mask! Bring on the Craptastic 4.2!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:19:03 PM CST

    Jessica Alba OR... Counterprogramming to Summer '05's Tr

    by jollydwarf

    As in "War of the Worlds", "Revenge of the Sith", and "Batman Begins". But seriously, those things mentioned in my "Subject" are the only two reasons why this film did as well as it did (i.e. extending beyond the Marvel comic geek crowd). Oh, and Middle America's need to keep suckling from the nipple of Manufactured Positivity. "Everything isn't meant to be okay," guys, no matter how much of an American and/or Idiot you are.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:20:56 PM CST

    I would want a full on invasion on Skrulls if we have no Doom. O

    by big bad clone

    My kid asked for the FF DVD for Christmas but I wonder if I would have gotten it anyway. Everytime I think of how much it sucks, I have to remember that they did do several things right. Damn this could have been a great film.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:23:17 PM CST

    Once I accepted that the FF movie wasn't made specifically f

    by childe roland

    ...any problems I had with it pretty much evaporated. When I was watching the movie in the theater, I couldn't help but feeling that everything about the plot felt just a bit "off." Not the characters themselves, mind you. With the exception of Doom, they pretty much nailed the characters. But the story felt very much like a "close enough for some Hollywood type" approximation to me (which is exactly how Doom struck me when I first read how the movie would use him). In order to enjoy the movie, I really needed to shut off large chunks of my geekitude and try to see it through the eyes of the nephew I went with (he was five at the time). Like the other kids in the theater, he was eating the movie up. In fact, I think the studio probably should've just lopped out the few borderline off-color words and the scenes with the smoldering, gaping chest wounds and gone full-on kiddie movie with this. It would've been perfect for that. As it was, I think it tried to ride the line and appeal to all audiences (and apparently it succeeded in that while irrevocably alienating guys like Harry). I'll probably never own a FF DVD, but I will likely rent the sequel.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:29:23 PM CST

    I really want the FF movie franchise to kick ass.

    by nizzuts

    This was one of my favorite comics as a kid and I really want the movies to be done right. No I haven't see the movie yet, I will probably rent it tomorrow. To be honest, I am a bit reluctant because of the whole Dr. Doom gets blasted along side of the rest of the team to gain his powers thing.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:31:49 PM CST

    Everything could be made so much better.

    by cookylamoo

    Human beings could have wings and gills so we could use the whole planet instead of just part of it. And tails. A tail could be so useful. You just have to keep hoping they'll they it right next time. Meanwhile, Bring on the Sub-Mariner.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:32:04 PM CST

    come on

    by bluebottle

    it's not about making it the geekiest, most faithful comic book adaptation EVER, it's about making a great movie. the first wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. EVERY movie should be great. and sometimes i get the impression that the studios are happy to churn out underwhelming films as long as they make cash.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:36:29 PM CST

    Fantastic Four felt so fucking.... GENERIC

    by el scorcho

    I fell asleep during this snoozefest. It was such a class-less film and underwhelming film. There was no "pizazz" to it. By the numbers, safe filmmaking that was quite putrid. It sums up 2005 at the movies... shitty. But wait... we still have a giant gorilla to save us, and I for one have faith.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:40:48 PM CST

    Beh.

    by ribbons

    At least keep Simon Kinberg away from this one. "Sue...you're fired!" zzzzzZZzZzzzzZzap!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:43:12 PM CST

    Meh.

    by fluffyunbound

    This one will come and go and no one with a brain will even notice it. There will be some ad played interminably where some chick on the street will check out Johnny Storm's ass and will say, "That guy has a really hot butt," and Storm will turn around and say, "You have no idea." People with IQ's under 100 will laugh, but everyone else will just tune it out. You know this to be true.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:52:57 PM CST

    Fantastic Four was CRAP.

    by robogeek.com

    Not to mention LAME. Ugh. What a waste of a potentially glorious franchise.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:54:15 PM CST

    Hulk was still the best comic adaptation

    by zekmoe

    Truly captured the Hulk and did as much damage as budget and technology allowed. Give me Hulk 2. And yes, while FF was sort of lame, and could have been more, I'll take a 40% good Ff than no FF at all. Hell, I even watched the Korman bootleg. I'm their target audience.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 3:57:16 PM CST

    Hulk sucked bloody arse!

    by fiester

    That was a terrible movie! Fighting giant gamma-irradiated poodles?! Hulk was far more ridiculous than FF.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:02:09 PM CST

    Maybe Avi Arad needs to be replaced...

    by dex

    Avi seems to be settling for sub-par directors. It looks like Marvel was stung by the fact that the Hulk wasn't as big as expected. I say the Hulk wasn't bad, and when you take a chance on an artist like Ang Lee (or like DC did with Chris Nolan) - there's always a chance the movie will be great. Instead, now we get the Punisher, Elektra, Daredevil - all crappy b-movies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:05:14 PM CST

    ".....Nevermind that frankly it's 1/20th the film is should

    by kai_mah'gra

    ".....if I was the one directing it" is what Harry really meant to say; or perhaps "...if they had used my original screenplay idea". Harry, you relentlessly trashed the movie on AICN and it still made $350 million. Clearly you have less clout than you originally thought. You lost. Let it go. And to claim that had they made it like you wanted it made, "it would've made 3 times the money it did make", or more specifically $1.05 Billion is just beyond moronic. Like a movie was ever going to make $1 billion with this year's Worldwide dismal Box Office perfomances. And get off Tim Story's case. He was hired to do a job and did it well enough to get another crack at it. Hopefully, this time they invite you for a set visit or at least send you a goodie basket that they so crassly forgot to do, last time around.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:06:55 PM CST

    It wasn't THAT bad.

    by sean38

    It wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:09:44 PM CST

    Argh

    by ashfett

    The first was terrible, but once it was a hit, I realized they'd make a sequel, so I hoped that they would use the chance to really improve things. I was SURE they'd get a new director in order to do that. But nope. I really am susprised to hear that and pretty sure this film will suck now. Too bad.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:32:38 PM CST

    The REAL story is that the DVD contains a trailer for the upcom

    by the garbage man

    Anyone want to give a rundown on that?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:36:25 PM CST

    Sammy Sosa wasn't on 'roids...

    by ribbons

    ...he got his bad tooth removed by a dentist and could finally afford to eat better...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:39:36 PM CST

    "why are you blaming Story? he's just a frickin director."

    by docpazuzu

    That's one of the most stupid things I've ever read in TalkBack, and that's saying a lot. Correct me if I'm wrong, SirBiatch, but weren't you one of the people who claimed Story could pull this off? Let's take your logic to its inescapable conclusion: Spielberg, Kurosawa and Wilder aren't responsible for their films because they're "just frickin' directors". If you had a set of balls you'd admit that Story was a big reason why the film was a fuck-up and move on. Now you just look like a sad apologist. Before the film came out it was all about "giving the guy a chance". Now it's all about the result not being his fault at all. Then again, you DID feel that White Chicks was unfairly maligned.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:40:41 PM CST

    I liked it.

    by spider-ham

    Been reading fantastic Four comics for 30 some years and the movie was a pretty good adaption. Doom was rather messed up but compared to most Super hero movie villian translations (IE Batman Returns villian trio and the Green Power Ranger Goblin from Spiderman) he wasn't too bad.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:41:02 PM CST

    ATTENTION TIM STORY!

    by cooch inspector

    Please include H.E.R.B.I.E. in this one. There is so much money to be made of potential H.E.R.B.I.E. action figures & DVD specials, and you know this man. You could even cast Teddy from A.I. since he's an exceptional actor. From one FF fan to the other I hope you really take H.E.R.B.I.E. into consideration. He's the Mr. Belvedere of the franchise and who didn't like Mr. Belvedere?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:48:43 PM CST

    Is it me or does the cinematic Marvel Universe seem pretty dull?

    by big bad clone

    Spider-Man and Blade have the most alive background and even then, not by much. Besides the Banners and the Rosses, who stuck out in Hulk? Besides Foggy and Bullseye in Daredevil? All of the action occurs in a world in which yellow would seem amazing let alone superheroes. I'm not suggesting I'd want to see any jadded characters, but just some sense of them living in a living place.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:57:44 PM CST

    it's not just that the adaptation was off

    by oisin5199

    Except for that one moment of the Thing trying to pick up his wedding ring, there was absolutely no poignancy, the themes were incredibly facile (she doesn't feel seen, he's stretching himself too thin, he's a hothead - yeah, we get it). Most things just played for goofy laughs (stretching for toilet paper? Come on!) The target audience? 8 year olds. The Ultimate Avengers animated movie will probably be more adult. And Grimm just decides to do a completely unmotivated reversal and says 'naah,' I don't want my normal life back, I'd rather be a huge ton of rocks who can never have sex again because it serves the false happy ending (it's not like there's an immanent threat they'll have to face). I would have been ok with the adaptation changes and could have even swallowed the horrible miscasting of Alba and McMahon if they had replaced it with a good story. I'm really hoping the sequel improves, because the world deserves a good Fantastic 4 movie, not just a lucrative one.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 4:57:59 PM CST

    Wish list for the sequel:

    by mrfan

    I would love to see the Skrulls led by the Super Skrull. I also would love to see the Fantasticar. It can be either version. I just want to see that. Definitely would love to see a great script. I think this really hurt the first movie. There were so many holes in the first one. Hope they pay attention to the fans. The sequel could make even more money.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:03:23 PM CST

    Call Joe Dante.

    by neo zeed

    So his last few efforts are whatever, but this is right up his alley. And God how I wish Jeffrey Boam was still alive. He could write the shit out of this.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:17:19 PM CST

    Speaking of which, YackBacker:

    by ribbons

    Can anyone tell me what the point of that scene where Alba takes all her clothes off was? Seriously.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:22:08 PM CST

    Yeah, FF did suck, but you can't argue with $350 million

    by rupee88

    Studio executives are interested in making money in the easiest way they can. They aren't going to put in actual work and planning to make a great movie, even if it will gross more, if they can make a crappy one and make $350 million. I don't blame Tim Story...he is just a hired gun. The script sucked and the studio didn't want to make a good film. It ended up being a good kid's film, but nothing there for adults. Oh well, the execs made lots of money for coke and whores and that's what counts to them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:32:22 PM CST

    When I Read "Fantastic Four"...

    by buster00

    in the funnybooks, I always imagine Dr. Doom's voice and mannerisms being similar to those of, say, Darth Vader. So why did Julian McMahon's portrayal remind me of Garfield the Cat?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:45:14 PM CST

    As a long time comics geek

    by eyeofpolyphemus

    I am upset that movies based on comics characters are grossing hundreds of millions of dollars, yet comics as a medium is dying. Where is the great comic book revival in all this? Nowhere to be found.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:48:36 PM CST

    re: bitterman-warpspasm by headgeek

    by warpspasm

    Harry, what let you down on this whole ff matter is that you were against this project before the film stock was purchased.
    so the movie wasn't your cup 'o tea, but for f#*& sakes let it go!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 5:55:30 PM CST

    Funketeer

    by mortsleam

    What buildup did we get for Darth Vader in A New Hope? You don't need buildup if the script has interesting moments that show how the character actually is a badass. Tasering some guy in a mall parking lot was not quite it. So now what? Who are they going to fuck up next? Galactus? Annihilus? The Impossible Man? I think they could maybe salvage something if they went with the Super Skrull for the visuals alone. Wait--last I heard, Alba wasn't coming back as Sue, right?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Fuck, that hurts. If Story fucks up up a second movie, then why should I care at all about the third? This isn't Harry Potter where at least the better stories are a sure thing later in the series. All we got is a fucking bitch of a studio, a mediocre director, and a larger-than-us teenybopper audience with more disposable income than we have with so little taste that they eat fresh dogshit for breakfast lunch and dinner and ask for seconds! We are fucked.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:03:22 PM CST

    You sure about that?

    by anna valerious

    I can understand going with a different villain, but they set up that he is set back to his home country and he's going to have to get back to life in order to become the Dr. Doom we all know and despise from the comics. Then that would rock.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:10:25 PM CST

    RE: As a long time comics geek

    by neo zeed

    I agree! Has anyone seen comic sales lately? Comic companies have to get the stick out of their asses and do something quick.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:13:11 PM CST

    I stick think that guy from Nip Tuck is a good actor.

    by warp11

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:16:01 PM CST

    YackBacker

    by ribbons

    Well, yeah. I meant the non-cynical answer. If there is one.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:35:38 PM CST

    DTT

    by ribbons

    Obviously you're not the *only* one considering how much money it made; I doubt that no one else among that sea of millions didn't enjoy the movie. For what it's worth, I didn't like it, but not because it wasn't enough like the comic.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:53:25 PM CST

    X-MEN 3 trailer on-line

    by amazing inframan

    http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/x3/large.html

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 6:55:35 PM CST

    X3 trailer

    by odysseus

    Looks good! The only flaw was the writing of Patrick Stewart's narration seemed cobbled together from other movies, i.e. Apocalypse Now and Wrath of Khan.

    BTW, was that a Wolvie/Colossus "cannonball" maneuver I saw?!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:02:30 PM CST

    Okay, you know what?

    by anna valerious

    I hope Sue doesn't start cheating on Reed in this one...or wear that uniform that makes her look like a Reeperbahn sex show performer.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:05:35 PM CST

    I agree with Harry.

    by xenaman

    FF could have been REALLY good, but it wasn't.
    The first scene with Reed Sue and Victor were embarrassing to watch!
    Reed and sue were horribly mis-cast. And it was too modern. I think it should have been retro and set in the sixties.
    Johnny and Ben were believable, but no one else was, and the ending was stupid.
    Well, maybe part 2 will get a little better?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:08:37 PM CST

    Hey X-men 3's trailer ain't bad

    by neo zeed

    I kinda hoped Ratner would've tried some new things like a grittier look, or less semetrical art direction. But it's not bad. I hope the action is more intense like James Cameron's stuff, as opposed to "showdowns" with river dams and human soldiers again. At least with better "action choreography." But for those who like the way X-men is with Singer shouldn't worry too much....yet.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:26:05 PM CST

    I'm not a comic book reader by any stretch...

    by dorkmanscott

    But aren't Juggernaut and Beast both supposed to be HUGE?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:35:10 PM CST

    DTT

    by ribbons

    You gentleman, that's the thing (no pun intended). It's all like "What's going on?" And then it's all like "Uhh... uhh... hey look a half-naked hot chick!" Shameless man, and while I'm not gonna pretend Alba's not hot, that moment didn't belong.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:36:57 PM CST

    Dark Angel in Spandex... Better than Spider-Man!

    by kingofcrows

    I had a much better time watching the Fantastic Four over either of the drawn out Spider-Man films. Don't get me wrong, Spider-Man 1 and 2 are great popcorn flicks, and I have both on DVD, but FF was more enjoyable for me. It wasn't bogged down with all of the personal problems that we get with peter Parker, or Bruce Banner in the Hulk. Plus we get Dark Angel in Spandex!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:40:02 PM CST

    Sequel Exclusive! Mole Man!

    by kingofcrows

    Just read that Mole Man is the next villian in Fantastic Four 2! He'll be portrayed by none other than Gary Coleman!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:43:23 PM CST

    Sequel Exclusive! Mole Man!!!!!

    by kingofcrows

    I have information about the upcoming Fantastic Four sequel! Please don't ask me to reveal my source... The villian in Fantastic Four 2 will be non other than Mole Man! Gary Coleman has been cast to portray this evil-doer!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:44:27 PM CST

    Saw it a second time on a flight to London 3 weeks ago....

    by doom ii

    It's still just an "ok" movie. I would never buy it, but when I think about The Fantastic Four in general.....I find that they are lame. The comic never was a great one compared to Spider-Man, Superman or Batman. Even the Silver Surfer is a cooler concept. A great Fantastic Four movie isn't really possible because the source material is just ok. The Human Torch is the ONLY reason I even watched or read FF when I was a kid and it's the only thing I liked about the movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:47:55 PM CST

    X3 looks ok. That's the problem.

    by mr. waturi

    Not a single original shot, but it doesn't look cheeseball either. Anyway, it's just a teaser.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:49:17 PM CST

    GET BRAD BIRD

    by mrgreentheplant

    he doesn't even have to direct. he could write it or produce it or something. he is the answer to fantastic four. saw the first in theaters (bought a WOTW ticket) and am surprised that so many people liked it. i knew the dialogue and storyline would suck but i at least thought there couldve been a few good action scenes.. ooh a dirtbiking scene! wow an X-treme snowboard avalanche chase! and the final fight lasted what 3, 4 minutes, complete with no actual destruction? lame movie, it pains me to say harry was 100% right

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:53:56 PM CST

    X3 teaser....WTF is the direct links?

    by turk128

  • Dec 05, 2005 7:59:27 PM CST

    Here ya go, turk128:

    by ribbons

    http://tinyurl.com/aksut

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 8:12:10 PM CST

    Direct link...

    by turk128

    Thnx Ribbons... but I meant direct link to the movie file itself... Apple plug-in is coughing and stuttering on me when viewed through a browser.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 8:16:38 PM CST

    Oh...

    by ribbons

    Hrm...that's not my domain. Somebody else'll have it up soon enough, I'm sure.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 8:30:35 PM CST

    what's with the Harry-hate?

    by nicky

    seems clear to anyone who frequents this site that he's basically a guy who loves movies - especially geeky ones - and has strong opinions about them, whether he's visited the set or not. Plus - years before there was money in it, he provided a space for people who disagree with him and call him names.
    For the record, last time I checked FF made only 154 million domestically - so while his 'could have made 3 times as much' claim is slightly over the top (again, like all his opinions) it's not an impossible number given Spider-man's domestic take. And of course, his argument isn't really about $, it's about putting the care that he (and many talkbackers) felt was missing into this franchise. Even if you find the Spider-man, X-Men & Hulk movies imperfect, you can't deny that - compared with FF - far more energy and originality was put into the script and visuals. You can make it fun for the whole family without making it dumb. It will be intersting to see what Singer (a man who puts the care in) does with Superman, aiming at a similar audience.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 9:27:15 PM CST

    "why are you blaming Story? he's just a frickin director."

    by doc_mccoy

    Have to agree with my cousin DocPazuzu on this one: what a fucking idiotic thing to say. If you don't think the director makes a difference in the quality of action movies, consider the difference between SPIDER-MAN or X-MEN and garbage like DAREDEVIL or THE PUNISHER. You're fooling yourself if you think someone like Jim Cameron, Bryan Singer or Sam Raimi couldn't have made a much more entertaining movie based on the same awful script Tim Story had to work with. Sure the FF script was terrible, as was the choice of storyline/villain made by the producers and the studio. But they hired a bad comedy director to make a comic book action flick! If you have to hire the 30th director on your list, you hope the movie will make money (which FF did), but you know it probably isn't going to be good.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 9:28:51 PM CST

    In the case of the FF, I'll just stick to the comics

    by bamf

    Doesn't get much better than that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 9:31:04 PM CST

    YackBacker

    by bamf

    Interesting that you use Batman Begins as some sort of paragon of interpretive quality. It was a marginally entertaining movie about a banal superhero. What does that have to do with FF?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 9:45:13 PM CST

    Doom Sucked

    by barron34

    The FF movie was a complete disappointment to me, but the crowning failure was the filmmakers transforming Doctor Doom into a preening imbecile. Dr. Doom is arguably the greatest comic book villain of all, and it has been suggested that the character was the inspiration for Darth Vader, the greatest film villain of all. This movie turned the character into a neutered puke, a yuppie as a supervillain. The REAL Victor Von Doom is a scary, brilliant, dangerous megalo-maniac, not some vain Hollywood wannabe. This movie totally sucked, but the presetation of the Doom character was its chief failure. Chicklis did OK with what he had to work with, Johnny Storm was pretty good, Jessica Alba was nice to look at, but overall, the movie was a dissappointment. Oh, and for those mocking Harry's statement that this movie could have done three times the business if the film had been made correctly: he is obviously using hyperbole, but consider this: I saw Batman Begins in the theatres with various friends THREE times, and I own the film on DVD. I saw the Fantastic Four once, was dissapointed, and will not rent or own the DVD. While the movie would not have literally made "three times" its box office had it pleased the fans, I suspect that it could have improved substantially on its bottom line, and extended its viability as a franchise, had the film been better made. I may not go to see the sequel.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 9:55:18 PM CST

    turk128, Round 2

    by ribbons

    Try this one and tell me if it works: http://tinyurl.com/a462v

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 10:18:40 PM CST

    Just so it doesn't get lost...re-posting Kai_Mah'gra'

    by blue1622

    ".....Nevermind that frankly it's 1/20th the film is should have been........"
    by Kai_Mah'gra December 5th, 2005
    04:05:14 PM CST
    ".....if I was the one directing it" is what Harry really meant to say; or perhaps "...if they had used my original screenplay idea". Harry, you relentlessly trashed the movie on AICN and it still made $350 million. Clearly you have less clout than you originally thought. You lost. Let it go. And to claim that had they made it like you wanted it made, "it would've made 3 times the money it did make", or more specifically $1.05 Billion is just beyond moronic. Like a movie was ever going to make $1 billion with this year's Worldwide dismal Box Office perfomances. And get off Tim Story's case. He was hired to do a job and did it well enough to get another crack at it. Hopefully, this time they invite you for a set visit or at least send you a goodie basket that they so crassly forgot to do, last time around."
    --------------Spot on, man. Glad to see that when Harry makes things personal -this being a good example, the undeserved bile heaped on PT Anderson being another (Christ,man...he's a damn popcorn movie director, not Victor Salva), I'm not the only one whose first assumption is that his nose is out of joint over insufficient pwesents.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 10:43:05 PM CST

    To Yackbacker

    by barron34

    You stated that Batman Begins "only did $50 million more in business than FF". Jeez, is that all? I wonder if you went to the studio and told them they could make $50 million bucks more on the Fantastic Four film by making it a better film, what would they say. $50 million bucks ain't monopoly money, even out in Hollywood. Bottom line is: the FF movie wasn't nearly what it should have been, and if it were, it could have made a lot more money AND it would have strengthened the long-term prospects for a franchise. Harry was clearly exagerrating with his "three times" statement, but frankly, the movie would have made more money if it had simply been made better. I hate to repeat myself and get anecdotal about this, but I saw Batman Begins several times in the theatre, and I bought the DVD. I will go see any Batman movie that Chris Nolan makes, and will likely continue to buy any sequel DVDs. On the other hand, I saw the Fantsatic Four once in the theatres, and will not rent or buy the DVD. Money being tight, I likely will not even go to see a sequel when it gets made. If I am representative of any real segment of the film-geek population, that adds up to a lot of pocket change in the aggregate. $50 million bucks isn't nothing to sneeze at. Fantastic Four just wasn't up to snuff. In my opinion, Harry was right.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 10:52:21 PM CST

    Furthermore

    by barron34

    Look, I know we are just talking about comic books and fictional characters, but people (fans especially) LIKE their comic books and fictional characters. Dr. Doom is a significant fictional character, like Dracula, Professor Moriarity, and Darth Vader. Sure, the Dr. Doom character and the Fantastic Four are not going to cure cancer, but that doesn't mean that they should get a shitty treatment on film. Why should we wait fifteen years to get a decent Fantastic Four film? A bad film is a bad film, even if it a genre film or a superhero film. The FF film is popular entertainment, but it is popular entertainment that did not live up to half its potential, and I hate to waste money on movie tickets to see something that basically sucked, but shouldn't have. The filmmakers had 40 years of story and character that they could have tapped to make a decent film, but they failed, and made a mediocre one. The only reason that the FF film made the money it did is that the film-going population has a fairly large appetite for mediocre entertainment, plus many comic book fans went in hopeful for a good movie and came out of the theatres dissappointed.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 10:54:58 PM CST

    right Yack at ya

    by nicky

    Yackbacker - point taken, though some of the talkback seems pretty personal to me. And FF didn

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 11:24:22 PM CST

    An Apparent Trend...

    by justinsane

    You know, looking back at Spidey 1 and X-Men, there're really not as spectacular as I remember, especially when compared to their sequels. Without Stewart and McKellen, X-Men would really be no better than FF. A lot of Spidey's jokes fall flat and that rooftop scene is pretty cringe-worthy. I hope that FF will improve in the same ways as the others with its sequel. I'd like to see the Skrulls or the Negative Zone, and top it all off with a climactic warning of Galactus. Do us right, dammit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 11:40:36 PM CST

    Geez...this film wasn't that bad

    by screenplaywriter

    It was light, comedic fluff with pinches of action and sexual innuendos thrown in. Sure, it wasn't "X-MEN" or "SPIDER-MAN" or "BLADE" or "THE PUNISHER" or "DAREDEVIL" but it was a whole lot better than that piece of steaming monkey shit known as "ELEKTRA."


    That we can all agree on.

    Besides, Story captured the rivalry between The Thing and The Human Torch really well. And it did convey the team's different ways of dealing with their newfound powers.

    Sure, Doom was a bit one-dimensionally drawn from homegrown terrorists and Bond villains, and sure the love story was cheesier than nacho cheese, but all in all I found it entertaining and I accepted it for not being those other great Marvel properties because let's face it "The Fantastic Four" have and always will be family-oriented. So, either like it or don't call yourself a "true Fantastic Four" fan.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 11:43:06 PM CST

    X3 Trailer -- Direct Download for HD versions (I like 720 best)

    by george newman

    Very large: http://movies.apple.com/movies/fox/x-men_3/x-men_3-pre_teaser_h480p.mov

    Fits my 15" widescreen monitor snuggly: http://movies.apple.com/movies/fox/x-men_3/x-men_3-pre_teaser_h720p.mov

    Disgustingly large and Gratuitous: http://movies.apple.com/movies/fox/x-men_3/x-men_3-pre_teaser_1080p.mov

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 11:44:35 PM CST

    no subject

    by george newman

    (correction on the 1080)Disgustingly Large and Gratuitous: http://movies.apple.com/movies/fox/x-men_3/x-men_3-pre_teaser_h1080p.mov

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 11:54:54 PM CST

    Thnx 4 the linkx

    by turk128

    Thanks for the direct links,e verybody; at the very least, I can depend on Talkbackers for these ;)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 05, 2005 11:55:15 PM CST

    John Byrne said about the FF movie...

    by mosdef

    "Latina women with blonde hair look like whores." He was talking about Alba. And yes, he really does believe all Latina women (or any other non-white race) with blonde hair looks like whores.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 12:46:02 AM CST

    After FF1 I am *so not there* opening day

    by spacesheik

    what a load of tosh FF was..brief action, terrible campy villain who kept looking at himself in the mirror every 10 seconds, non existent shiite story/plot, made for tv grainy look -- terrible just terrible

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 12:46:07 AM CST

    At Least FF Casted a Alba and not a scary chick like DUNST

    by eh-nam

    The Movie was okay It is not a batman or a spiderman but it is decent.
    And the Casting was pretty good for FF.
    I Still think Sam R screwed up in the casting of Mary Jane Big Time and that is why Supes and Tim burton's batman are still tops in my book.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 12:58:40 AM CST

    Well I hope it only improves.

    by hallmitchell

    And we are getting the sequel. Whatever happened to Daredevil 2 and Hulk 2 that were talked about once the originals came out.
    I haven't heard any talk on either for over a year.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:10:36 AM CST

    John Byrne Would Know What A WHORE Looks Like.

    by buster00

    The WHORE.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:46:35 AM CST

    Sure the FF script was terrible, as was the choice of storyline/

    by sirbiatchreturns

    hahaha. what else is there then? If the script is weak, and the story is balls, how much of the movie can you save? isn't that like giving CPR to a dead person? you guys act like Tim Story is Spielberg, who gets to parade around the set and basically owns everything about the movie. Keep fooling yourselves. I'm not saying that Story is a genius. in fact, i bet he's mediocre. but my point is that it isn't as much Story's fault as it is the studio's fault. The studio DID NOT want to make the Fantastic Four you nerds were dreaming about. get over it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:47:39 AM CST

    and DocPazazu and Doc_Mccoy are probably the same person.

    by sirbiatchreturns

  • Dec 06, 2005 2:35:51 AM CST

    Didn't see the first one.

    by thirteen 13

    Won't be renting it. Won't be seeing the second one. Won't be seeing the third one. I prefer quality superhero movies where the average age in the theater is older than 11, which was the target audience judging from the lines I saw for FF4 and all the dumbass idiot "FLAME ON!!!!!" commercials.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 4:21:36 AM CST

    For chrissakes, the FIRST movie was ONLY a hit because of the ch

    by mike nesmith

    As a film, it sucked, was very cheap looking, and dramatically dead. BUT...fine, MAKE A SEQUEL already!!! BUT BRING IN NEW WRITING AND DIRECTING TALENT! Tim Story DID NOT earn a second shot!!!!! Thusly, so I have spoken!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 6:12:24 AM CST

    SirBiatchReturns

    by docpazuzu

    No, the point is that before the film came out you went rushing to Story's defense, but after the film turned out to be shit, you've changed your tune and are trying to blame everyone else EXCEPT Story. Why should we have given him a chance to begin with if he had no possibility of affecting the film in any way? Nice try, but you can't have it both ways.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 7:32:14 AM CST

    I"d Like To See An F4 Cartoon Done Up WB Cartoon Stylee

    by zombiesolutions

    you know like that thar Batman, Superman, Justice League cartoonz? that would be a hoot n' a hollar. in re: the movie. well, it was disappointing, but i thought it was aiight. at least we got more Alba in our lives. the worst superhero movies ever are still Daredevil and Catwoman.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 7:39:54 AM CST

    Alba looks like a whore all the time.

    by fluffyunbound

    Going unconvincingly blonde just made her look like an even tackier and skankier whore. I'd still fuck her, but let's call a spade a spade here. Listen to Brother Malcolm and don't put that poison in your hair just to look like the white man. That whole Beyonce / Tyra Banks / J Lo look is absolutely fucking wretched. Anyone who engages in it is a tasteless skank. Just to be fair, I don't like white women who dye their hair, either - but on women of color, blonde hair or red hair has that added cheesy implausibility that makes it fractionally worse. JMO.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Better get in line now fucktards!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 9:19:05 AM CST

    You know who would be right to direct FF?..

    by max rockatansky

    ...Joe Johnston. Just watch his wonderful take on THE ROCKETEER.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 9:41:14 AM CST

    Didn't see the move -- where is the WOW anymore?

    by truelies

    F4 was my absolutely favorite comic when I was a kid. I was very excited when I heard the movie was going to be made. Then I saw some ads on TV. Where is the WOW!! anymore in movies? All I could think of is, "I've seen this all before." All the technical wizardry and bits-and-bytes will let a director put anything imaginable on the screen. But if they don't have any imagination, it's just a waste of my $$ to see the movie. Firetruck runs into Ben Grimm? Yawn. Big nighttime battle with lots of explosions and energy beams flowing back-and-forth? Zzzz. Glowing, positive reviews on a website that is increasingly run by brown-nosing tools of the movie industry? Now I just skip the reviews and read the TB, which are vastly more interesting. Movies can be a unique, immersive experience but who's thinking of something new to put on the screen?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 10:15:19 AM CST

    But I'm looking forward to Tim Story's Mole Man...

    by kid z

    ... He's a deranged business man with a cosmic skin condition causing his face to be covered in metallic moles. If that's not bad enough, each of the moles has eyes and a mouth and can talk in hilarious voices (VO performances of the moles by Robin Williams!). Mole Man's out for revenge against the world's dermatologists who he psychotically blames for not being able to help his affliction!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 10:35:11 AM CST

    F4 was more ejoyable than Batman Begins...

    by knugen

    ...with the magic microwave. What!? People have water INSIDE themselves?! Surely you must jest! Rubber through concrete? Now THAT I can buy!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 10:40:02 AM CST

    Hey, MOSDEF

    by movietool

    Could you link to where John Byrne said that? I'm having trouble believing those were his exact words

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 10:40:54 AM CST

    "Hulk was still the best comic adaptation"

    by jar jar 4 prez

    Wrong. Hulk was the best LOOKING comic adaptation--due to ILM and Ang Lee. The money-men and script guys fucked it way up though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 10:41:31 AM CST

    John Byrne IS DocPazuzu

    by jar jar 4 prez

    ...and he's a fuckin' racist asshole.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 10:43:54 AM CST

    "let's call a spade a spade"

    by jar jar 4 prez

    FluffyUnbound is DocPazuzu is John Byrne is a racist.

    Reply to Talkback

  • And you'll turn up all sorts of ems. Like when he says calling Speech Balloons "SPEECH BUBBLES" is equivalent to calling black people "N*ggers" and that Christopher Reeve was a coward.

    Reply to Talkback

  • The characters looked more like the comics. Reed Richards was a much older man, Storm was cocky, but wasn't an eXtreme sports asshole. Sue was older (late 30's?) and Doom's voice + costume was much cooler and more accurate. Not to mention that Ben looked EXACTLY like the comic character. The production values were shit and the added plot element (Puppet Master?) were HORRIBLE, but casting was way better than the 2005 film. Shame they couldn't combine the best elements of both films. Oh yeah, X3 will end that franchise. Sorry, but you know it's true.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 11:17:22 AM CST

    I'm not a racist, I'm a classist.

    by fluffyunbound

    Alba is a skank because of the "class indicators" she embraces in her appearance. As is Beyonce. It just so happens that one of the "class indicators" these skanks sometimes use in their appearance is the "ghetto dye job". I do not apologize for finding their images [their cultivated, managed, deliberate images] skanky. Too. Bad. That was the look they were going for, and they achieved it. In spades. By the way, my classism is not merely a matter of money, since naturally all of the women we're discussing have piles of money. Money doesn't cut it. By my standards, every last girl on Laguna Beach was also a filthy, tasteless, wretched, tacky, disgusting skank whore as well, and most of them were very affluent. [And white, too - Happy, Jar Jar?]

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 11:28:08 AM CST

    Funnily enough, I don't have a problem with the FF movie.

    by robinp

    I thought Chiklis as The Thing delivered everything possible. Torch was suitably cocky. Reed Richards was pretty much nailed - with a nice American accent from one of my fellow countrymen and as for Jessica Alba....crime of the century was making someone that cute invisible. Doom - big problems, somwhat eased in an "okay so Greedo didn't really shoot first after all, look that the way I've appeased you on the dvd" way when we saw the Latverian destination of the ship. BUT - when all is said and done - The Torch f/x were among the best visual f/x I've seen all year...and it's been a good year for f/x.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 11:39:57 AM CST

    Saw FF recently in an airplane from Singapore to Amsterdam

    by moviemaniac-7

    I could choose from so many movies, but morbid curiosity drew me to this one... and I didn't hate it, despite all the hating TB's in recent memory. I merely was indifferent. There were a few nice action scenes and some other stuff, but this movie was made for mediocrity. Empire Magazine described it best in their most recent issue: They blame Batman Begins. Because that one was so great and was made from realism, this old-fashioned superhero movie was disappointing. But, as they notice, even without this comparison this is a mediocre movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 11:51:41 AM CST

    Jar Jar 4 Prez

    by docpazuzu

    Fair enough, I'll bite. You've been trying to bait me a few times over the past couple of weeks and I've ignored you. However, my curiosity has finally got the better of me. What is it about me that you perceive as racist exactly? And I do hope you have the balls to respond, unlike the spineless Homewrecker.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 11:52:16 AM CST

    FF sucked on so many levels...

    by spumpkin

    ...but I can't honestly say that I wasn't entertained. Obviously the action sequences were conceived of well before a plot was, Jessica Alba delivers one of the least believable performances EVER--"No, lets," gets me every time--and Doom is a sissified version of the evil mastermind--do you really believe any self-respecting evil genious would just start aimlessly attacking pedestrians on the street? Fuck no! He'd get some henchmen to something that dumb--we all know and love from the comics. The whole film is about as well-written as a Saturday morning cartoon, and I swear I've never laughed harder in a theatre in all my life.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 12:09:00 PM CST

    Jessica Alba's "acting" in FF

    by bb6634

    Anyone aside from me who thought her acting in FF consisted of looking either permlexed and slightly annoyed and - usually in super-hero mode - as if she was passing large amounts of gas... She really *is* the female Paul Walker...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 12:31:54 PM CST

    For those who liked Hulk

    by hallmitchell

    First of all as one talkbacker said at the time. He looked like Shrek. When people go to see Hulk they want to see Hulk smash. Not some intense introspective issue movie.

    For me this movie showed that ILM are no longer the best special effects house in the world.
    They would have been better going with a muscle guy painted green at least it would have been earthed.

    They really blew it with Hulk it could have easily raked in $500 million. It would have been lucky to make a profit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:02:55 PM CST

    Another one of the mill productions from Tim

    by lost skeleton

    Damn Tim, I am rooting for you blackman but damn...you made it hard for me watching F-4...that just felt so....generic. Oh, well, I hope the second one is much better. Make it a "R" and add some pics of Alba's "assets" and I am there!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:12:16 PM CST

    As long as it makes Money!

    by norm3

    That's all Avi Arad cares about. He's a Toy manufacturer that happened to get control of Marvel so his Toy business wouldn't collapse! Marvel is finished Arad is letting the Studio's do whatever they want without regard for the look or history of the Comic Books. Even though Arad says the opposite!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:32:53 PM CST

    The Generic Four

    by twitaman

    Unfortunately, there was nothing "fantastic" about the Fantastic Four. The whole thing was underwhelming. Whether it was the cheap looking Thing, the miscast Jessica Alba giving a Razzie-worthy performance, the hammy Dr. Doom, and the cheap looking sets. Harry's right, they made $350M worldwide, but had they done that picture right they could've made twice that amount. My guess is that the sequel will barely cover its production and marketing cost and won't make its money back for quite a while until after the release. Look for it to make about half of what the first movie did. There's no more wonder, we know what we're in for. The bloom is off the rose. I for one, will not see the sequel no matter what the buzz is.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 1:35:37 PM CST

    Guh

    by ribbons

    A "Hulk Smash" movie could have just as easily sucked. Just because some angry guy breaks shit doesn't make the movie any better. Unless you have anger issues.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 2:27:11 PM CST

    "Now call me names and insult my momma."

    by docpazuzu

    "Generation Dumbass." You've started repeating yourself, moviemack. Your Hate-Fu powers are growing weaker by the day.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Adapt Ellis' N-zone story, Story!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 4:01:26 PM CST

    Fantastic Four - More of a comedy...

    by kingofcrows

    I love the discussion this flick has generated. Love it or hate it, FF generated a lot of talk! That's great for those of us who are fans of the movie. I felt FF was faithful enough to the source material and that the casting choices were very good. The actors did a great job with the script, which plays like an action-comedy rather than a dark in tone, brooding superhero flick, which are so popular these days. Hulk, Spider-Man and DareDevil are all examples of this. I love those flicks, but FF was simply a nice change of pace.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 4:43:22 PM CST

    Hopefully

    by haflinger

    Alba will be too busy ending her career with the "Into the Blue" sequel and buying fetish porn to have the time to return.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 4:49:50 PM CST

    MOSDEF

    by movietool

    I did as you asked - thanks! Full disclosure - I'm a John Byrne fan, so my take on this stuff is definitely slanted. Here's what Byrne said about blonde hair . . ."Hispanic and Latino women with blond hair look like hookers to me, no matter how clean or "cute" they are. Somehow those skin tones that look so good with dark, dark hair just don't work for me with lighter shades." I agree this one is pretty harsh, although he never used the word "whore." There are probably a lot of Hispanic mothers out there who would agree 100% with this statement, but coming from a fifty-ish white dude, it just seems mean. I'll give this comment a 7 out of 10 on the asshole scale * * * * * * * * * The stuff with comparing the usage of "word ballon" and "word bubble" with the usage of "black" and the "nigger" is a little harder to get through. It seems he was trying to say that there are people out there who say "nigger" as easily as someone else would say "black." I don't get his analogy here. I would suggest any of you who feel the same to do a google search and read all of the comments and make up your own mind. My impression, though, is that Byrne said a stupid thing and refused to admit it. I don't know if that makes him a racist. But considering the number of black characters he's respectfully written and drawn over the years, I don't think so. More likely he's just a jerk. * * * * * * * * However, He never called Christopher Reeve a coward. What he said was "I have noticed that people have begun referring to Christopher Reeve as a hero. I do not wish to take away one iota of the courage he must have needed not to wake up screaming every single day, but the hard truth us there was nothing heroic in what happened to him or how he dealt with it. In fact, as far as how he dealt with it he didn't even have a choice. We could imagine he spent every hour of every day when not in front of the cameras begging family members to simply kill him and get it over with---but none of them did so he had no choice but to deal with each day as it came. Heroism I believe involves choice" So, he NEVER calls Chris Reeve a "coward." He just points out that Reeve had no choice but to deal with his situation, which is a little different than, say, a firefighter who walks into a burning building knowing it might collapse on top of him. He clearly does say that Reeve has "courage." My verdict: Byrne definitely talks out of his ass sometimes, and suffers from "I'm never wrong" syndrome, but I don't think he's a racist.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 5:46:58 PM CST

    Why it's significant that FF made only 50 Million less than

    by lettersoftransit

    Batman Begins hit the theaters with something like 99.99 percent name recognition (and not just in the U.S. but the entire planet). For the Fantastic Four to make only 50 million less in the U.S. (and to make MORE than Batman in foreign markets) is a pretty impressive achievement. And it speaks to the world audience for superheroes that are fun to watch. The comics movies that succeed are the ones that capture the essence that made the series work in print. Batman has worked in several incarnations because each of them captured a successful run of the Batman series. (even the campy TV show captured the feel of the 1950s Batman comics). The dark version of Batman Begins worked because it, too,captured one of the many different sucessful versions of Batman. The 2 Spider-man movies so far have captured the feel of the early comics which were (to refer to one talkbacker's complaint) much like the comic book equivalent of a chick flick -- full or romantic triangles and a tortured nebbish hero who is unlucky in love and doesn't have enough money to care for his aunt. A superhero soap opera. X-Men succeeded as a series about outcasts who hapen to have really cool powers. The initial Superman movies succeeded as a tale of a god-like alien who grew up as a middle-American farm boy and will always think of himself that way and yearn to be just a normal guy with a normal wife. The FF succeeded because it largely captured the spirit of the original books, and was true to one of the most original and relatable notions -- that people would react differently to having superpowers, and might actually want everybody to know about it. With a little beauty and the beast thrown in (and another soap story with a beautiful girl in love with an emotionally distant Mr. Right). Read the books and you'll see it's all there. It was only later that the Fantastic Four morphed into the operatic science fiction it became in the mid to late 60s.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 6:11:59 PM CST

    No, FluffyUnbound, you're not a racist...

    by redd

    You come across more like a hateful, misogynist prick. Happy?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 06, 2005 8:17:26 PM CST

    I poop on FF and FF2...

    by lamerz

    Batman Begins fucking 0wned. And Devin Faraci is an ego trip with a website. chud = crap. people fall over themselves to suck devin and the other 'mods' dicks.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 2:14:46 AM CST

    of course Spiderman 1 and 2 don't hold up on repeat viewings

    by sirbiatchreturns

    especially number 2. when a movie is lame, i can see through all the hype. i told many of you from time that S2 was mediocre. but on another note, its surprising how random TBers actually identify my name, especially since i don't recognize theirs. i think some of you guys are on this site way too much. i especially love the random ones who will address my name out of nowhere, and when i wasnt talking to them at all. but whatever... this is the Internet. enjoy clicking on that mouse button. feel free to come out of the basement for air from time to time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 3:30:55 AM CST

    At Least One of the Villains in FF2... (spoiler)

    by justinsane

    ...will be The Puppet Master, for those who didn't know. During the commentary, Alba almost let it slip during an Alicia scene, before being corrected by Chiklis. If there will be more than one villain, who knows (and yes, I admit I watched the FF commentary - gimme a break).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 5:13:56 AM CST

    Deer Hunter Comes to mind...

    by napalm68

    ...thinking of people complaining about comic adaptations:

    "This is this. This ain't something else. This is this."

    The comic and the movie aren't the same thing.

    I know a lot of people love this comic, but give me a break. Making best out of a bad hand the movie is in my books.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 5:37:21 AM CST

    FF better the second time around

    by zekmoe

    I watched it last night on DVD, and surprisingly liked it better the second time. It was more of a kids movie/comedy than dour apocolyptic epic. But it had it's moments of fun. Still a middling effort. But an average comic movie is better than none at all.
    Also, I'd love to see the feeder tv's you "movie lovers" watch home DVD on. There should be a minimum requirement of 42", 16x9 and and 5.1 surround before you can voice your opinion on movies. No dirtbags with 32" Sanyo 4x3 sets.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 6:47:48 AM CST

    The best superhero-movie ever...

    by ashen

    was without a doubt Superman. I do not say it was perfect but it was done damn well considering the possibilities they had at the time. Most superhero movies that came out in the recent years just did not really draw the audience in. People were watching and admittedly enjoying, but not really involved, not taken in if you know what I mean. There were a lot of okay movies and I liked quite a few of them but none were close to brilliant. Not even The Lord of the Rings - movies (yeah I know, not exactly superhero movies) made you forget where you were sitting.
    I will not even start discussing Star Wars...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 8:39:06 AM CST

    MOVIETOOL

    by mosdef

    I would tend to agree. he is more of an outright asshole than a racist.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 9:22:23 AM CST

    Alba was kinda flat,...

    by havocschultz

    ya... there's some words i never thought i'd see together... it's okay - give her a few more years of "acting" until people find somebody who looks even better... then she does a playboy spread and "embrace of the vampire 15 with a 45 year old alyssa milano... and i'll be 1st in line... take care... wreak it well... havoc out...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 9:37:52 AM CST

    I could only be misogynistic if I singled out women for criticis

    by fluffyunbound

    I also happen to think that any male who gets plugs is pathetic. I also think that 45 year old guys who walk around wearing their WB network jeans, acting like they think they're on "Growing Up Gotti", have no reason to live. "Oh, Fluffy, you're so mean, can't you just cut people some slack?" is not an acceptable response to me. The world is drowning in a sea of slime who think that the images they see on "Cribs" are the epitome of taste. I'm happy to take part in the consumer culture, but I'm not going to pretend that the high priests and priestesses of that culture [entertainment industry icons] aren't mountebanks and whores, because THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE. [And I don't really mean that in the Augustinian sense, as I think should be clear.]

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 10:33:42 AM CST

    Problem: the Marvel Universe is missing

    by jack parsons

    The joy of the Marvel comics was the universe it was set in, not the individual characters so much. They were all in the same milieu. Spider-Man could swing into a FF battle, or fight an FF villian. A new hero could pop into a scene and everyone could have the obligatory mistaken-for-a-villian battle. There were some great Marvel Knights moments like, say, Peter Parker stopping by to grab a coffee at Murdock's place while both discussed their philosphies. And, oh yes, continuity. They remembered things that happened in previous issues.
    Now, in the real world, the characters were optioned to different movie companies, so getting the "franchises" to interact is nearly impossible. Look at the trouble the Smallville producers are having trying to get permission for Bruce Wayne to show up, just once, on the TV show.
    Want a blockbuster, movie folk? Put Spider-Man together with DD (it could work!). Let Wolverine harrass Peter PArker for a favor. Let Blade show up at a Ghost Rider battle. These are the things that make Marvel fun.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 11:18:23 AM CST

    Atypical TB

    by immortal_fish

    Story's FF was *more* faithful and almost as good as Singer's X-Men. But because it didn't exceed (impossible) expectations it was awful. FF didn't suck. On the other hand, if the villain decision was made with intent to sell more toys, then why not go with the Inhumans or the U-Foes? Each offers foil for each of the heroes with a chick on each side as well as lots of potential for licensing tie-ins.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 11:28:11 AM CST

    nosferatu j. - keep "booster cogburn" the hell away from ff!

    by duanejones

    take it from ya bruh, mr. jones -- we don't need john byrne's antiseptic corporate boosterism anywhere near an already wounded franchise. his run on _ff_ was good n' nostalgic, but no kinda pinnacle, not the way those first 102 issues were. and if you caught the "booster" reference, you know whom i consider to be the prime mover in the ff universe (and silver-age marvel universe generally) -- mr. j. kurtzberg, aka jack kirby. i didn't go ANYWHERE near this trainwreck the first, and it sounds like that was a good idea. but it was also because of the fact that stan the man got paid for his creative services, but marvel still has its profit margin up its ass when it comes to the indelible contributions of the almighty jack. how byrne could ridicule kirby's desire to get his artwork back and a reasonable contract -- "he knew they were all pirates! thus, piracy is ok!" -- is a mystery i'd just as soon not dwell upon. did mr. jk ultimately get any credits in this first travesty?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 11:28:36 AM CST

    SirBiatch is the self-appointed defender to black people. Don

    by iamjack'suserid

    Seriously. Look at the latest article that talks about X3. Somebody posted that 'we hate Berry', which we do. Of course, SirBiatch replies in defense of her.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 12:15:43 PM CST

    Actor Jack Colvin...

    by redd

    who played investigative reporter Jack McGee on The Hulk tv series has died at age 71.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 4:58:04 PM CST

    Ugh... more shitty FF nonsense to come.

    by a goonie

    Fantastic Four was pure junk. Chris Evans was the only thing that cracked a smile on my face for the movie's entire running time. Well, that and the hilariously god-awful effects. Seriously, the effects in FF1 are among the worst of any big-budget movie I have ever laid eyes on. The CGI and the rubber Thing suit were beyond disgusting. Chiklis is a good actor and he was always the most logical choice to play Ben Grimm, but his talent was wasted in the flick. Especially once he was buried underneath that ridiculous suit. Gruffod (or however you spell that dude's name) was terrible, McMahon was lame, and Alba was usual Alba: attractive, sure, but vacant, dull, and completely unconvincing. The story was idiotic, the little joke-y bits thrown in to lighten the mood were more embarassing than funny, and the story was nearly non-existent. People get fucked up in an electric storm, one guy turns extra-mean, gets strong, gets pissed off at other people who have powers but who didn't turn mean, then tries to kill them. Mean guy fails, gets shipped home on a big boat. End of movie. Gee, most semi-retards could write that shit in their sleep. With a pen in their ass. I'll at least say that the pacing of the movie didn't totally suck. I wasn't bored out of my skull the whole time, just shocked how moronic everything was. By bringing back Story and Frost, we're being set up for another batch of mediocrity, it seems. FF could make one helluva comic book picture, so hopefully one day we'll get a great one. It doesn't look like this sequel is going to be it, though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 6:09:02 PM CST

    a goonie, i completely disagree...

    by jig98

    i was totally blown away by this FANTASTIC FLICK. ioan grufford and jessica alba were ok. michael chicklis was very good. chris evans was pretty damn funny at times{especially the jiffy pop joke that was funny shit} all the jokes were a lot of fun and worked well with the story.{of course, kids saw this}. julian mcmahon was nasty and a little off in some moments and the special effects were surpisingly good. so, fantastic 4 was a great flick and the best of the summer{tied with super-nice episode 3} and for some, a "we don't give a shit if you love it or not" flick. that works well. FLAME ON! this sequel will be a good one, i hope. sucks it ain't comin' till 2007. hope transformers doesn't screw it over and doesn't get a 4th of july date like the 1st one had till that war of the worlds tv spot.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 6:19:52 PM CST

    Y'know what's great about Fox releasing another FF film

    by r.c. the "wise"

    I mean seriously, the TF film has the potential to make domestically what FF made worldwide.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 9:00:35 PM CST

    They should setup Silver Surfer in this one...

    by bong

  • Dec 07, 2005 11:05:38 PM CST

    The Invisible Latina Hottie

    by orionsangels

    Maybe in this one Jessica Alba can finally put on stockings while she's invisible. That's hawt! lol

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 07, 2005 11:41:34 PM CST

    Tim Story Sucks

    by scaredcrab

    Get his ass back on the semi-comedies and off the superhero flicks before he ends up directing Iron Man or worse, Spider-man 4!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 8:25:49 AM CST

    Well, at least it's not set in the 70s like Superman!

    by scrumdiddly

    *Shudder*

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:21:26 AM CST

    Story didn't direct Barbershop2

    by howstone

    He did the first one, and after FF 1 and Taxi, it looks like Barbershop, which I didn't see, but I heard was pretty good, was the anomoly. Taxi was one of the worst things ever put on film. If I could, I'd put a block on my TV to keep me from accidentally seeing part of it ever again (I watched it the first time for Gisele).

    The casting wasn't the problem with the first one (I liked the idea of Julian McMahon as Doom), and the FF always had a lighter tone than some of the comics that have been made into films. But the execution was terrible, and most of that goes to choices the director made. Neo Zeed was right; Joe Dante would be a great choice for this.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:28:40 AM CST

    Flamboyant Four

    by cocolopez

    Wow FF was awful. There were situations in this movie that were so ridiculous- I thought that The Thing's wife coming down from her New York City apartment in the middle of the night with lingerie on- walking the streets so comfortably wearing that was more unbelievable than the FF's super powers- or how about the situation on the bridge when the FF first really see their potential- The Thing's wife just happens to be on the bridge and she throws her ring at him. Uggh. This was the most moronic superhero movie yet and there's been quite a few clunkers. Given- anyone who really thinks a good movie can be made about the FF should do us all a favor and jump off a cliff sans parachute- but this was an insult even to campy superhero movies- None of the actors were even on the same page- a sequel? Shoot yourselves now. Either that or rate it NA16- no adults over sixteen. Not that sixteen year-olds will enjoy it- I see 14 being the maximum...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 12:48:36 PM CST

    Jessica Alba ate my load...

    by kenshiro_kane

    ... of crap that I fed her when I told her that she was perfect for the role of Sue Storm. THIS WAS THE GREATEST FILM THAT PEYTON REED NEVER MADE.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 2:46:24 PM CST

    Ribbons -- Why Alba took her clothes off

    by nachokoolaid

    So the marketing folks could quickly show that shot in the teasers, trailers, and commercials, and the films automatically engages the male adolescent target audience. Seriously.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 09, 2005 9:37:35 PM CST

    You all...

    by azlam orlandu

    ...care too much about the fucking Fantastic Four. Fuck the Fantastic Four. They never were that cool and simply never will be. They're classics in their own right and I respect them, but I don't expect shit out of them. What wouldn't Jesus do? -Az

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 09, 2005 9:41:28 PM CST

    Moviemack...

    by azlam orlandu

    ...die. Haven't you realized that yet?
    -Az

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2005 6:37:33 PM CST

    Christopher Reeve WAS a Hero

    by barron34

    It is a bit late, since this Talkback seems to be over, but I have to disagree with John Byrne's nonsense that Chris Reeve was not a hero since he didn't "choose" to be paralyzed. Of course he didn't choose to be paralyzed, but he DID choose to fight back nobly against his condition, and he did choose to fight for others who were also in that terrible predicament. Reeve could have chosen to give up and hide away, and no one would have blamed him, but instead he fought back heroically against his infirmity. THAT was a choice, and it was an heroic and courageous choice, in my opinion. Many people who have suffered paralysis now have hope and inspiration that they would not have had if Chris Reeve had not chosen to fight as bravely as he did. Christopher Reeve WAS a hero, and remains so today, in the memory of many people. I wonder if John Byrne would react with so much courage and grace as Reeve did should Byrne himself ever suffer paralysis. I doubt it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 12, 2005 12:18:57 AM CST

    FF movie toys

    by oliviscus

    No one seems to have noticed that they are marketing toys based on the FF video game in the movie toy series. The upcoming figures of Annihilus and the Doombot are nowhere to be found in the movie, yet they are being pushed as movie toys. I find this ironic for a couple of reasons. 1) the movie would have been much cooler with their inclusion and 2) there doesn't seem to be any intention of including these characters in the sequel. Anyway, this all means nothing. I am sad to hear Story will be back - but twenty years from now we might get a slightly better relaunch like Batman did. I am a FF fanatic and I can admit the FF movie sucked - except for a few moments. But Batman Begins was choking on some cock, too - the best part was where Scarecrow freaked out and saw the tar Batman. Bale added nothing extraordinary to the role.

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback