Well its come to this, hasn't it? Granted, I've only done three reviews on here. Yet I still got requests to cover the "Fantastic Four" film franchise. Well, if I must, then I will have to start on the last train to Crapsville. Oh yes, its time to revisit this little unreleased piece of cinema history.
The story goes like this: Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom were friends in college who tried to attempt an experiment on a comet that was due to pass over that night. However, things went wrong, and Victor's face ended up horribly scarred. Flash forward to the 1990s, where Reed, accompanied by his best friend Ben Grimm, and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm, who's mother just happened to own the boarding house where Reed lived, were going up in a shuttle to try and conduct another experiment on the same comet that was making another Passover. To do that, they needed this special jewel, which had been stolen and switched with a different one by the criminal the Jeweler. Because of that, the 4 ended up absorbing the comet's cosmic rays, and upon landing, they each found themselves granted with new powers. Reed could stretch his body to incredible lengths. Sue could make herself turn invisible. Johnny had the ability to manipulate fire. And Ben's entire body was transformed into an orange stone-like substance.
The story goes like this: Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom were friends in college who tried to attempt an experiment on a comet that was due to pass over that night. However, things went wrong, and Victor's face ended up horribly scarred. Flash forward to the 1990s, where Reed, accompanied by his best friend Ben Grimm, and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm, who's mother just happened to own the boarding house where Reed lived, were going up in a shuttle to try and conduct another experiment on the same comet that was making another Passover. To do that, they needed this special jewel, which had been stolen and switched with a different one by the criminal the Jeweler. Because of that, the 4 ended up absorbing the comet's cosmic rays, and upon landing, they each found themselves granted with new powers. Reed could stretch his body to incredible lengths. Sue could make herself turn invisible. Johnny had the ability to manipulate fire. And Ben's entire body was transformed into an orange stone-like substance.
From that point on, the gang gets captured by the villainous Doctor Doom, break free, Ben leaves the group, decides to live with the homeless in the lair of the Jeweler, everyone goes on a wild hunt for that damn jewel, everybody fights, costumes are put on, Doom is defeated, and everybody lives happily ever after.
Quite honestly, this movie is just really hard to watch. And with good reason. Apparently, the film was only made so that German producer Bernd Eichinger could hold on to the rights of the characters. It was never really supposed to be shown to anybody. Stan Lee even stated this in a 2005 interview. The costumes are somewhat pretty on par with early F4 comic book costumes, but looked tacky. And Ben Grimm's orange, stony appearance looks more like a guy with foam glued all over his body. The effects are incredibly cheap. And the acting was just subpar. Jay Underwood's Johnny Storm, for example, was way too goodie goodie and over the top. The Thing's voice sounded like someone talking through a snare drum.
But of course, even thought it wasn't released in theaters, and the big rumor was that Avi Arad destroyed all the prints so nobody would ever witness it, the film somehow found its way onto the comic book convention circuit. Today, it holds the distinction of being "so bad its fun". This year, there was even a documentary released, entitled "Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four", which told the behind-the-scenes details of the film's creation, and the reaction of critics, fans, and filmmakers alike.
But of course, even thought it wasn't released in theaters, and the big rumor was that Avi Arad destroyed all the prints so nobody would ever witness it, the film somehow found its way onto the comic book convention circuit. Today, it holds the distinction of being "so bad its fun". This year, there was even a documentary released, entitled "Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four", which told the behind-the-scenes details of the film's creation, and the reaction of critics, fans, and filmmakers alike.
The one place Eichinger did succeed, however, was in holding on to the F4 film rights. 11 years after this film was produced, he decided he wanted to give the Fantastic Four a new feature film. Only this time, it would be made to actually release to the public, with a big budget, and well-known actors...