Fantastic Four: First Steps

[BentonGrey]

Well, the first teaser trailer has dropped, and...well, for years I've said that we've missed the window for a classic, comic-faithful Fantastic Four movie.  I was positive that we'd see characters switched out, changed in various ways to be more diverse, younger, more appealing, or what-have-you, and all of the attempts before now have shown that nobody has a clue how to actually tell the family-centric, wonder-filled stories that define the team.  However, I may well have been wrong, and if so, I will be extremely pleased to discover it. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzMo-FgRp64

The trailer really looks great, with a wonderful retro-future aesthetic, and it seems to be a pretty much comic-faithful adaptation, at least in the glimpse we get.  And they even seem to be telling the Galactus story...which, while that is an amazing story, is a tough place to start, and honestly, a tough story to tell in one movie.

Nonetheless, I've gone from expecting nothing good to being cautiously optimistic. 

[WyldFyre]

I'm more cynical about this one. I 'hope' I'm wrong but they can somehow make the trailers the best part of the movie and the rest of it be horrible.

I do like the look and feel of the setting, but I'll hold judgement for now.

[BentonGrey]

WF, that's certainly very true about trailers, and I don't blame you at all.  But, if the trailer is at all a fair impression of the film, then they've got several things right from the jump, including the fact that they are a family who love one another, even with their soap opera tendencies. 

It's still very early days, so you are right to be skeptical.  But...well, maybe I am starting to hope a little bit...

It would be nice to get a wonder-filled, hopeful, and joyful film in the current grim climate.

[Randomdays]

I liked the general feel of the trailer, and hopefully we've moved on from having another Dr Doom plot, especially since the Avengers are taking him on. It was neat seeing Herbie as well.

The Thing was the most worrying thing for me - seeing him in the kitchen talking recipes and such was never part of his background as far as I can remember, going all the back to the beginning.

Also, I'd prefer his typical grumbling voice that's been used all the back to the Hanna Barbera version in the 60's

[WyldFyre]

The Thing was the most worrying thing for me - seeing him in the kitchen talking recipes and such was never part of his background as far as I can remember, going all the back to the beginning.

Also, I'd prefer his typical grumbling voice that's been used all the back to the Hanna Barbera version in the 60's

This is one of my reservations. Ben was always more rough and tumble than Betty Crocker. I 'do' like the look of the CG Thing, and the costumes are a nice throwback.

It would be nice to get a wonder-filled, hopeful, and joyful film in the current grim climate.

I really hope you're right, but I cannot understate hollywood's ability to muck things up.

[BentonGrey]

Yeah, agreed.  Ben's voice is the weakest part of it.  It's just not "gravely" enough.  I rather think that the fellow who portrayed him on the 90s cartoon was just about perfect.  That's the voice I hear when I read the Thing.

I really hope you're right, but I cannot understate hollywood's ability to muck things up.

It's truly astonishing.  It seems almost as infinite as human stupidity itself.    I mean, is there a team that has more amazing stories and such ready-made characterization than the FF?  It just seems like a good movie would almost write itself.  And yet...

[Randomdays]

Minor rant;

The saying "if it's not broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.

So many companies, like Dizney to name one, think that they have to "modernize" or "update" classic books and movies, and usually (from what I've seen) they please a very few with this, and alienate almost every one else.

And they don't seem to learn from the bad reviews and low box office returns.

I sill haven't seen the last FF movie, and really have no plans to.

Just leave things as they are - its what the fans of the original work want to see, not what some someone new thinks we want to see.

I also think its disrespectful to the original creators. I have no problem with new takes on the genre like "The Boys", but why would you want to turn something classic into that?

On a side note, I just read that DC is working on a Sgt Rock movie again, this time with Daniel Craig in the lead. Some of the previous attempts I read about moved him from WW2 to the present or the future, gave him a German father to complicate him, gave him a comedy sidekick, or had him fighting zombies.

Minor rant over

[BentonGrey]

I agree completely, RD.  I always say, if you don't want to use the character as they exist, pick a different one, or make your own!

[SickAlice]

It's something I guess I call too far down the road? I do not feel like the trailer tells me enough outside the aesthetic. But it's so far away and I am not looking at getting tickets or if I'll wait for digital to think a lot about it. The thing I am very interested in is I found Fantastic 4 does not translate from paper to film well so it's always interesting to see how filmmakers try and approach it. Like you can see here something made them decide to go with this retro look as opposed to the edgy look the last attempt. It will be interesting to see then how it goes over especially with world audiences, people that aren't into comic books, and after market. I do know how star power works and think Pedro alone will fill seats.

My mother is excited. She was a Fantastic Four, Hulk and Wonder Woman fan when she was a kid, Fantastic Four being her favorite. She is who introduced me to comics then of course. I was very critical of the 2005 movie then and she loved it and she pointed out things about that were reminiscent of stuff she liked about the comic book in the 60's. Heroes Reborn was probably were I first read Fantastic 4 otherwise. But I am just noting it because I can see where they also derived elements from the very old comic books and am already wondering how that will go over with broad audiences. You know like right away enough people were excited to see H.E.R.B.I.E. for example where more people than not in the world probably have no idea what that even is. And I think he looks good, ready to sell some toys lol. Actually I predict a lot of Galactus toys are going to sell after this releases.

Otherwise again I'm just passive about it and will probably feel something a little stronger once we are closer to the release. Like right now I am the Daredevil and Last Of Us brain while anticipating Thunderbolts* It's akin in a way to me travelling. Right now aside sudden circumstances that is a year or better out from now so I am more focused on the now. Though I suppose my favorite thing about movies and shows is acting. I was a theater buff as a kid. And that's I was showing up for in things like Daredevil (I watched the whole Netflix about a month before Born Again) and The Last Of Us. So while I can Pedro whose acting I enjoy the previews so far really have not given me much to have an idea what the performances are going to be like in this. Knowing of course one component is the actor but the other the script they have to work with.

edit: Right on female Surfer or Shall or whoever this is. As a comic book fan since childhood it just looks out of place to me though maybe again this will not register with international audiences but I recognize a lot of these iconic scenes including where she floats toward the screen with Galactus behind her. But my brain remembers a male Surfer in that image drawn by a classic artist. I will not presume the reason and do not think anyone who says they know does.  Common reasons would be needing more women in the cast, artistic license or some sort of signature that makes this film stand out from the rest (as we see the various Spider-Man and Batman films). Or and I am hoping this is because of a big plot twist. We do know the multiverse is in play and leading up to sort of movie about Hickman's Secret War. But to my eyes it is contrasting and feels out of place for now.