# Is Fantastic Four cursed when it comes to film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023 "2015-08-05T01:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/81 "2015-08-06T14:48:28Z")
> [@Hiker](#): > > Alternatively you could try to be more of a Science Fiction movie. Also, what I think this version was going for. I’m really interested in if this was genuinely dull or if it was just not what people wanted from a superhero movie. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/82 "2015-08-06T17:54:50Z")
Just skip the fucking origins stories already. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/83 "2015-08-07T03:29:53Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > You’re thinking of Mister Miracle. [Miracle Man](http://marvel.wikia.com/Joshua_Ayers_(Earth-616)) is indeed an FF villain, albeit a lame one. The best Miracle Man, however, is the [Mick Anglo/Alan Moore/Neil Gaiman character.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvelman) D’oh! You’re right, of course. My brain connected Kirby to “Miracle” and somehow decided that was Scott and Shilo’s stage name. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/84 "2015-08-07T04:10:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Just skip the fucking origins stories already. That would be a good idea for the FF. The subplot is now irrelevant and it’s just radiation, a common origin for superheroes. At least Peter Parker became a new person after getting bitten by a radioactive spider, the FF are the same people they were before with some added powers. They don’t even have secret identities. There powers are each simple ones, a simple demonstration provides all the viewer needs to know. There’s nothing wrong with jumping right into the story with the FF. If you don’t know how they got that way, or who Dr. Doom is, it doesn’t matter because the audience will still get it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/85 "2015-08-07T05:07:34Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > T > There are plenty of examples, but consider the case of Conan the Barbarian. There have been three Conan movies now,… three? Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984), plus some canceled or upcoming films. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/86 "2015-08-07T05:42:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > three? > > Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984), plus some canceled or upcoming films. A [reboot](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816462/?ref_=nm_knf_t2) in 2011. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/87 "2015-08-07T05:43:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > three? > > Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984), plus some canceled or upcoming films. Conan the Barbarian (2011) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/88 "2015-08-07T11:18:20Z")
Maybe something good will come out of this mess. Perhaps, realizing that they’ll never get a Fantastic Four franchise afloat, Fox will sell the rights back to Marvel. That’ll give the MCU access to all of the F4 villains and associated characters like the Skrulls, Galactus, the Silver Surfer and more, and it’ll be able to integrate them into its film and TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/89 "2015-08-07T11:27:32Z")
I don’t want Galactus back, just Doom. Doom is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/90 "2015-08-07T11:45:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > three? > > Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984), plus some canceled or upcoming films. Not even having Khal Drogo star as Conan could make it memorable for you, eh? They shoulda adapted one of REH’s stories. Make _Rogues in the House_ or _Tower of the Elephant_ or _Red Nails_ into a movie, played straight and not over-padded, and people will remember it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/91 "2015-08-07T11:54:33Z")
There’s no room for Galactus in the Marvel cinematic universe, since Thanos is filling the niche of “cosmic-level threat” there. And without Galactus, it’d be tough to fit in the Silver Surfer. But other than them, yeah, all of that stuff is usable by someone who knows what they’re doing (i.e., not Fox). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/92 "2015-08-07T12:27:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There’s no room for Galactus in the Marvel cinematic universe, since Thanos is filling the niche of “cosmic-level threat” there. And without Galactus, it’d be tough to fit in the Silver Surfer. And after Thanos is gone? The cosmos is big enough for more than one it-level threat. Just have Galactus be a new arrival in our galaxy, eager to meet new life, new civilizations, and eat them. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/93 "2015-08-07T14:20:01Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > (lots of easter eggs here–a 5 second glimpse of a huge guy dressed in purple with a tuning fork on his head could cause nerdgasms, etc), Hell, I almost had one just reading it. Lol’d too. I agree both on the family dynamics being what makes them special, and on the rocket thing. Rockets are much cooler than portals and make much cooler flames. Uh, or hotter ones. You know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/94 "2015-08-07T14:34:07Z")
Are we putting “Seen it!” posts here or should there be a new thread? I won free tickets at work and saw it with my son last night. It was kind of a mess. It looked like a movie that has gone through several re-writes and brutal trimming and the climactic battle was not only nonsensical but managed to be both rushed and boring at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/95 "2015-08-07T15:08:37Z")
[The director is blaming the studio](http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/2015/08/07/22538401.html) for the final release. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/96 "2015-08-07T15:30:39Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > [The director is blaming the studio](http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/2015/08/07/22538401.html) for the final release. Most of the reviews I’ve heard make it sound like there were way too many cooks on this one, so I believe it. I really enjoyed Chronicle, so I’d like to see a director’s cut of FF. It probably won’t be want anyone wanted (Doom as a blogger) but it still might be a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/97 "2015-08-07T15:32:20Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > [The director is blaming the studio](http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/2015/08/07/22538401.html) for the final release. The director sounds a bit full of himself from other things I’ve read, but it’s not an unreasonable accusation. But I’m not quite sure why the studio started getting more hands on: was it because the plot wasn’t fitting the typical superhero blow up things template? Or because things were going over budget and the director didn’t seem able to handle things? If it was the first case, then maybe the movie would have been better coming from one vision instead of the clashing director and studio visions for how the movie should be. If it’s the second case, then I don’t know what would have helped, other than just picking a different director earlier in the shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/98 "2015-08-07T15:37:14Z")
I agree with the reviewer who said the movie is like watching a 100-minute trailer for another movie. There’s a lot missing, not just the Thing-jumping-from-an-airplane scene from the trailer. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/99 "2015-08-07T16:27:09Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > A [reboot](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816462/?ref_=nm_knf_t2) in 2011. Ah, that was delayed for so long, I honestly thought it was never released in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023/100 "2015-08-07T16:43:30Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > The director sounds a bit full of himself from other things I’ve read, but it’s not an unreasonable accusation. But I’m not quite sure why the studio started getting more hands on: was it because the plot wasn’t fitting the typical superhero blow up things template? Or because things were going over budget and the director didn’t seem able to handle things? If it was the first case, then maybe the movie would have been better coming from one vision instead of the clashing director and studio visions for how the movie should be. If it’s the second case, then I don’t know what would have helped, other than just picking a different director earlier in the shooting. [This review says what I was thinking:](http://io9.com/fantastic-four-is-the-most-self-loathing-superhero-movi-1722651722) > [@](#): > > People will draw lessons from the mortifying failure of Fantastic Four. Some of them will consist of judgments about Josh Trank—but knowing nothing about Trank beyond admiring his previous work, I’m sure this was just a mismatch between director and source material. Trank could very well have created a decent non-franchise movie about science gone wrong. It sounds like it could have been an interesting movie, but it would have been off-brand, and not a big blockbuster, sell a lot of toys and fast food tie-ins movie. So the studio changed things around, and it didn’t make it a good big blockbuster, it just made it a mess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fantastic-four-cursed-when-it-comes-to-film/727023.md?page=6)