In order to grasp this notion, lets delve into the schematics of what makes the Fantastic Four the entity that they are. First of all, what sets this team apart from other super-hero groups is the scientific and discovery element behind them. Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm where not meant to be saviors who fought injustice to fix the world from its evil clutches. Rather they were essentially adventurers who sought out the best of humanity in a cosmic way. Basically, when the forces of evil are not lurking in the shadows, the Fantastic Four still seek the knowledge and discovery to evolve civilization into its utmost potential. This is what the reboot is giving us in the case if re-imagining these heroes to us. Although Fantastic Four, and its sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer (Also, lets not put into existence the 1994 Oley Sassone version) had a campy feeling to it, I must confess its action sequences to be my guilty pleasure for the sake of entertainment purposes. Yet, it is this new reboot that emphasizes more of a scientific approach to how Mr. Fantatsic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing came to be.
According to the late great legend Jack Kirby, his son Neal Kirby indicates in a recent interview that (in regards to his father) “ he was a big fan of good science fiction…it had to make sense scientifically.” This is the key and crucial element by which this reboot might not necessarily fail, and how it can progress in terms of true character development. While the new film deals with inter-dimensional and alternate universal realities instead of cosmic rays, we examine how this new found experience affects each character. Actors such as Reg E. Cathey who play Dr. Franklin Richards bring us the old-school “professor” image that showcases the interest of scientific advancement, while Miles Teller gives us a younger Reed Richards who hungers to improve that advancement. This gives actress Kate Mara the ability to give us a Susan Storm who is surrounded by high expectations from a man such as her father. Simultaneously from the looks of the trailer Michael B. Jordan plays a Johnny Storm who still has that brash spunk, but at the same time has a maturity where he takes his surroundings seriously in coping with such supernatural and paranormal forces. In this case Jamie Bell gives us a Benjamin Grimm who we see is “influenced” by his New york Neighborhood, and draws us into that loyal man he is known to be.
Now, its not to say this film will not have its flaws. While Toby Kebbell plays Victor Domashev instead of “Von Doom” we thankfully get a programmer who is also self obsessed with the hunger of scientific involvement, but simply interpreted from a villains perspective. Remember a true villain such as this only envisions himself as the messiah hero himself. Yet, fans still have not seen a live action projection of the Dr. Doom who dictates his own nation for the sake of his own agenda and inner beliefs. So, its complex at this point to see the position by which this rebooted fantastic four will take us, and if it shall progress with success or failure. Do we need this to continue as a stand alone, or an eventual cross-over? While we wait and see how the results are displayed, one thing is for sure. This rendition of The Fantastic Four is attempting to establish the wonder of its scientific roots, but will it be in the fashion of comparing Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man versus Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man? After all, how many variations can hear of “ITS CLOBBERING TIME!”?
