The biggest difference between the two versions is the added attention given to the relationship between Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) and Alicia Masters (Kerry Washington). But, given that those scenes are as poorly written as the rest of the movie, they were probably wise to leave them out of the theatrical cut even if they flesh out a key element of FF lore. The problem is that the movie is too lightweight and ridiculous to be taken seriously on any level. I get that Story and company were trying for a lighter, more family-friendly movie in comparison to the darker superhero movies that were coming out at the time. It's a fine choice, as the Fantastic Four is a family story. But family friendly need not mean inconsequential.
The best example I can give of the sloppy writing in the film is the simple fact in the course of two hours, the team never exhibits any true acts of heroism. After the requisite origin story and in between soap opera bickering amongst the characters and silly diversions in the everyday uses of their powers, there are two big setpieces that feature the characters working as a team of superheroes. The first is the big scene at the Brooklyn bridge, which basically boils down to Marvel's premier superhero team against... traffic (they graduate from this major threat in the sequel to take on a ferris wheel). Okay, it was their first time trotting out their powers, so one could forgive the fact that they're just fighting a mundane obstacle... if it wasn't for the fact that the whole thing is basically their fault.
All the crashes, mayhem, and millions of dollars in property damages happens because The Thing decides to hang out on the Brooklyn Bridge, and scares a guy into traffic. Vehicles start crashing, bridge supports start snapping, and firefighters are put into mortal danger due to the panic created by the hero, meaning that the Fantastic Four's big heroic introduction is basically them cleaning up their own mess.
The final battle, which eventually spills out into the streets of New York, isn't the result of the FF's heroic decision to save the innocent, but rather is simply the passive result of them being attacked by their nemesis Dr Doom (Julian McMahon), who wouldn't even exist were it not for Reed Richard's (Ioan Gruffudd) miscalculation that created the Fantastic Four. Doom wasn't attacking the city, or expanding his power, or even robbing a bank. He was going after our "heroes" in a personal vendetta that put innocent lives at stake. Worse, the FF weren't fighting the bad guy to prevail over evil, they were fighting to save their own skin. Basically, the movie gives them two moments to be heroes, none of which would have even been necessary if these heroes never existed. That's some crappy storytelling, and shows how little thought was given on how to move these characters from setpiece to setpiece.
Article comments