# The Fantastic Four; is anyone gonna see this turd? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422 "2005-07-07T06:01:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/101 "2005-07-08T03:59:55Z")
Hmm…thought Action Weekly was a separate title from Action proper… (The point that it was around, I was reading books from the 60s, mostly.) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/102 "2005-07-08T12:18:58Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Hmm…thought Action Weekly was a separate title from Action proper… (The point that it was around, I was reading books from the 60s, mostly.) No, Action Comics Weekly was Action Comics proper. There was no separate monthly title running contemporaneously. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/103 "2005-07-08T12:32:40Z")
Well, I saw it. Much better than the trailers and this thread led me to expect. While Doom’s origin was not what I would have preferred, the rest was quite good. They hit all the right notes and the charactor dynamics were right out of the first 10 issues. Good action scenes too, so there. Also, I thought Ben Grimm looked good, for all those complaining about his foam rubber look, I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/104 "2005-07-08T14:12:18Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Well, I saw it. Much better than the trailers and this thread led me to expect. What i want to know- was there any sort of sequel setup? because, like most of the comic geeks in this thread, I’m waiting for the Silver Surfer and Galactus to show up. -stonebow, who wonders if they’ll ever try an ‘Avengers’ movie ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/105 "2005-07-08T14:48:52Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > No, Action Comics Weekly was Action Comics proper. There was no separate monthly title running contemporaneously. Nifty. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/106 "2005-07-08T14:53:45Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Is the F4 really the “longest running comic book series in history”? Maybe they meant team book, which would be almost accurate. FF #416 was the last issue of the original series, but only because the title was rebooted with volume 2 a couple months later, then again with volume three a year after that. After a while, volume three returned to the original numbering. Of course, if you’re going to forgive FF its reboots and volume changes, you’ve got to do the same for JLA, which has then been running consistently since 1960 – first in “Justice League of America,” then relaunched a month later with “Justice League,” which became “Justice League International” and then, later, “Justice League America,” which ended in 1996 but was followed a month later by the “Justice League: Midsummer’s Nightmare” miniseries which was followed the next month by “JLA,” which is still running today. As noted, Acton Comics and Detective Comics continue today from the 30’s. Batman has been the featured character in 'Tec since issue #27. Superman has been the main character in Action since #1. Although Action did go to a weekly anthology format for a while in the late '80’s, Superman was one of the strips contained therein for its whole run (albeit only on two pages). Action did, however, take a six-month hiatus after Action Comics Weekly. But 'Tec never did, and of course Batman and Adventures of Superman are both still published; they’ve been going continuiusly since the '40’s. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/107 "2005-07-08T15:20:30Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > [Oh, you’re so young…](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072419/) Dude, I’m not _that_ young…although I would have been five when that came out and probably, therefore, in its target audience. 😛 Never saw it, though, so can’t comment… And I actually kinda liked Howard, because I saw it after all the bad reviews came out and therefore went in expecting very, very little. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/108 "2005-07-08T15:29:28Z")
> [@](#): > > The New York gossips are still talking about a disastrous movie premiere that happened two nights ago. Apparently everything went wrong that could go wrong Wednesday night at what was supposed to be the splashy premiere of “Fantastic Four,” in which stars and press were shipped out of Manhattan and onto Liberty Island. The fun was dampened by a torrential downpour that soaked the cast and shook up their ferry, rendering one of the movie’s stars, Jessica Alba, too seasick to talk to the press. Another of the film’s stars, Ioan Gruffudd, whose date “hobbled about in a broken Jimmy Choo heel,” had but one word for a reporter who asked him how he felt on his big night: “Moist.” Then the projector broke just a few minutes into the film, necessitating a retreat to a Manhattan theater; the firework finale was backwards and obscured; the boats for the return trip were late to arrive; and the whole debacle didn’t finish up until 2 a.m. Other gripes: “The chairs were soaking, and the only food was ice cream.” Said one attendee, "“It was quite possibly the worst film premiere ever.” Come to think of it, maybe the gossip press would have been talking about it even if it weren’t a slow gossip day. (N.Y. Observer’s Daily Transom, Page Six, Gatecrasher) And Rotten Tomatoes is at 21%. That’s tied with _The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D_ and 1% lower than _House of Wax_. Gulp. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/109 "2005-07-08T15:39:12Z")
> [@Stonebow](#): > > What i want to know- was there any sort of sequel setup? because, like most of the comic geeks in this thread, I’m waiting for the Silver Surfer and Galactus to show up. > > -stonebow, who wonders if they’ll ever try an ‘Avengers’ movie I think Marvel is looking at a separate Silver Surfer movie with Galactus, unrelated to the FF. Also, it’s unlikely they’ll do an Avengers movie, but there is apparently an “Ultimates” animated production in the works. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/110 "2005-07-08T16:12:10Z")
The problem with this film, as I see it, is that it’s about the Four. The Four are the inheritors of a tradition, and it’s only used as a horse to carry the plot, not explored. They are the Adventurers. Doc Savage, Indiana Jones, the Challengers of the Unknown… The Fantastic Four. If they’d built it more that way, an external rather than internal plot, it could have been… fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/111 "2005-07-08T16:18:26Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > And Rotten Tomatoes is at 21%. That’s tied with _The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D_ and 1% lower than _House of Wax_. Gulp. I’ve learned that you can’t go by what the fanboys say, any more than you can go by what the mainstream critics say. The mainstream critics (for the most part) don’t understand the F&SF genre, and the fanboys tend to savage a movie if it doesn’t totally rock their world. Frex, I found Underworld, Chronicles of Riddick and Alien vs. Predator to be absolutely fine B-movies – I’d argue that Riddick is a decent A movie. I’ve found the only safe course is to watch it myself. ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/112 "2005-07-08T17:52:55Z")
Well, I was planning on watching it with my brother, except he wants to go to a more expensive theatre instead of a cheaper one because the more expensive one is “better”. So, since I’m rather low on funds, I’m still deciding whether or not I should watch it because I don’t want to spend $8-10 CAN when I could have spent $4.25 CAN for the same movie. After reading this thread, I’m still split 50/50 on whether or not I should watch it. You see, Ebert gave “Constantine” 2 stars out of five. And I absolutely loved it. Ebert gave FF 1 star. So, maybe I’ll love this too. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/113 "2005-07-08T18:02:10Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > _The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D_ Which, in case you’re not aware, is based on a story written by the producer/director’s teenaged son. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/114 "2005-07-08T18:01:57Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > I’ve learned that you can’t go by what the fanboys say, any more than you can go by what the mainstream critics say. The mainstream critics (for the most part) don’t understand the F&SF genre, and the fanboys tend to savage a movie if it doesn’t totally rock their world. Frex, I found Underworld, Chronicles of Riddick and Alien vs. Predator to be absolutely fine B-movies – I’d argue that Riddick is a decent A movie. I’ve found the only safe course is to watch it myself. Well, I trust mainstream critics more than fanboys, and the “Cream of the Crop” section of RT has _F4_ at 14%. And there are quite a few critics who do understand F&SF but still have certain standards for what makes a good movie. I saw extended sections (not just adverts or trailers) of the 3 films you mention and can’t imagine ever willingly paying to subject myself to them (life’s way too short and there are too many actual good movies out there to catch), so YMOV. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/115 "2005-07-08T18:04:03Z")
Yeah, I’m aware of that. Nepotism at its nadir, it appears (a shame, since I have a couple good friends who worked very long hours on that film). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/116 "2005-07-08T18:05:31Z")
I don’t always agree with Ebert, but I think his reviews are well-reasoned and insightful. Anyway, he hated _Constantine_ and I nearly fell asleep during that. He loved _Batman Begins_ and so did I. So I don’t completely dismiss his conclusions. _Underworld_? A solid B-movie? To me it was just a two-hour-long burst of gunfire. None of the complex psycho-sexual stuff that vampire stories often feature. Boooooooring. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/117 "2005-07-08T19:16:13Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s because nothing, absolutely nothing, could be as bad a comic book movie as Spawn. > [@](#): > > Oh, you’re so young… > [@](#): > > I see your Spawn and raise you one Howard the Duck. > [@](#): > > I’m not so young, and Spawn is still the worst comic book movie, and I’ve seen Captain America and the Dolph Lundgren Punisher. I see your \*Captain America \* and raise you these [Captain](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078937/)[Americas](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078938/). I’m going to see \*Fantastic Four \* on a cheap matinee. My expectations are low. I’m hoping for some good explosions and fireworks. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/118 "2005-07-08T19:32:20Z")
_Howard the Duck_ may have had a chuckle here and there, and I thought _Spawn_ was mildly interesting (though I was previously unfamiliar with the comic book version, which apparantly helps). I stand by my selection of Cathy Lee “That’s Incredible!” Crosby as Wonder Woman in the worst feature-length superhero movie to date. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/119 "2005-07-08T20:05:06Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > rjung, a four-year-old has the attention span of a fruit fly. Nah, my kid could easily sit through a 90-minute movie if he’s into it. He went through the _Spongebob Squarepants Movie_ with nary a peep (though I did have to stop him from kicking the seat in front of him), and he’d devour my _Transformers_ DVD box set sif he had the chance. > [@cmkeller](#): > > My nine-year-old, seven-year-old and six-year-old loved the Garfield movie. My condolences. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422/120 "2005-07-08T21:47:19Z")
Just got back from seeing it. Enjoyed it. Many, many points in the film where I smiled at that point’s inclusion. Not the greatest movie I’ve ever seen, not even the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen, but I am more than satisfied with the result. Sure, a better FF movie could have been made, but what can you point to in this reality that _couldn’t_ have been done better? I like the one we got. I’ll be seeing it again, and I’ll be buying the DVD. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fantastic-four-is-anyone-gonna-see-this-turd/311422.md?page=7)