It's NEVER Too Early For Movie Hype

[Illiterati-migration]

The FF movie is going to suck! (I wish I didn't feel this way, but I do. )

 

I won't go so far as to predict that the film will suck, but I'm not hopeful that it won't. But who knows, maybe they'll pull it off.

 

I 'hope' it doesn't either. I just think it will be almost impossible to pull off an FF movie. Almost all of the charm of the FF stems from the characters interaction w/ each other over many, many years and issues. I don't see how they can pull off all of the following without making the moive LOTR-length:

 

-FF origin

-Doom origin & leader of Latveria

-Reed/Doom history

-Reed/Ben history

-FF establishing themselves (Baxter Building intro, etc)

-Doom plot to destroy world/FF

-FF defeats Doom

 

I know people will say "they" (Hollywood) were able to do it w/ the X-men, but that is pretty easy when you think about it. All the X-men were born w/ their powers (easy origin). Prof. X has 'school for gifted children' (establish X-history), Magneto introduced as one time ally of Xavier, etc....Characterization is easy:

 

Cyclops - goody-goody, leader type

Jean - Star pupil

Wolverine - the 'x-factor' of the team, renegade

Prof X - the Leader of the team

The others - minor role players

 

I just think that in order to do the FF right, it would take more screen time and money than the studio is going to invest. And, I think if they aren't going to do it "right" (ie, Spider-Man), they shoud shelve the project entirely.

 

I really do hope they make me eat my words, but this has 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' written all over it. And those were characters that anybody that made it thru high-school should know.

 

That's fanboy talk!

[chrisco37]

That's fanboy talk!

 

According to JC's Dictionary of Comic Terminology, it is the opposite of 'fanboy'. A 'fanboy' (in the derrogatory sense) is someone that will love it regardless of quality, hope that it will be made because 'it's better than nothing', etc....

 

I hope it doesn't get made unless it's going to be done right.

 

[chrisco37]

An animated FF for kids as a summer kid blockbuster!?!?

 

A space-based sci-fi FF film could succeed rather well - something like a trip to Mars, cosmic rays, the devourer of planets eats the big red one, the FF return to Earth in time to save it. CGI shouldn't present a problem, it's all about the story...

 

Never said summer time blockbuster. Said an 'animated feature aimed at kids'.

 

Lots more can be done in an animated picture as far as time constraints than in a live-action movie.

 

I actually like your premise, but I doubt that the adult/teen movie going public would be as open to "Galactus: Devourer of Worlds" than say.....kids!

[delekkerste]

That's fanboy talk!

 

According to JC's Dictionary of Comic Terminology, it is the opposite of 'fanboy'. A 'fanboy' (in the derrogatory sense) is someone that will love it regardless of quality, hope that it will be made because 'it's better than nothing', etc....

 

I hope it doesn't get made unless it's going to be done right.

 

 

I think it's possible to make a good FF movie. I mean, come on, we've seen it done before, with Roger Corman's 1994 version!

 

My take is that the announced FF movie cast isn't very impressive (no one that is a proven box office draw), the whole quasi-comedy approach is worrisome and I think the concept and the popularity of the FF are past their sell-by date. Now, with the right creative team and actors, maybe they could revive an aging franchise and make it fresh again for today's audiences, but I think it's a lot easier said than done (and much easier done with characters who are more entrenched in the popular culture than the FF, like some of the iconic DC characters).

[chrisco37]

I think it's possible to make a good FF movie. I mean, come on, we've seen it done before, with Roger Corman's 1994 version!

 

My take is that the announced FF movie cast isn't very impressive (no one that is a proven box office draw), the whole quasi-comedy approach is worrisome and I think the concept and the popularity of the FF are past their sell-by date. Now, with the right creative team and actors, maybe they could revise an aging franchise and make it fresh again for today's audiences, but I think it's a lot easier said than done (and much easier done with characters who are more entrenched in the popular culture than the FF, like some of the iconic DC characters).

 

He says what I think. But in a much more logical, well-worded manner!

 

That's my biggest problem w/ the idea of an FF movie. Yes, to us, the are great characters. But, to the general population, I think Gene is on the money....they are way past their 'sell-date'.

[Kevin Boyd]

That's my biggest problem w/ the idea of an FF movie. Yes, to us, the are great characters. But, to the general population, I think Gene is on the money....they are way past their 'sell-date'.

 

I disagree... if anything, lack of public perception works in the movie's favor. All the film-makers must do is deliver an entertaining product, and from the sounds of it they aren't veering far from the source material. If they do deliver, and advance reviews are strong then the film will do quite well.... the fanboy audience will bring in the initial crowds and let the word out.

 

Sure, not having an A-level cast may hurt box office targets... but it also saves millions by casting recognizable but inexpensive faces like Alba and Chiklis. Having an A-list actor certainly did not help Catwoman.

 

Next-to-worse case scenario (worse being a complete bomb) is you end up with a Hulk... a film that does well in the box office initially even with b-list actors, has strong DVD sales but is perceived in general as a weak film and you build a better sequel (as they did with Spider-Man 2 and X2).

 

Kev

[delekkerste]

Next-to-worse case scenario (worse being a complete bomb) is you end up with a Hulk... a film that does well in the box office initially even with b-list actors, has strong DVD sales but is perceived in general as a weak film and you build a better sequel (as they did with Spider-Man 2 and X2).

 

With all due respect, I don't think that's even close to the "next-to-worst" scenario. The Hulk had a blockbuster first weekend, racked up $132 million at the domestic box office alone and did not have B-list actors (Eric Bana is/was an up-and-coming young star while Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte are respected *movie*, not TV, actors - it makes a big difference - and Jennifer Connelly was an A-list actress fresh off her Oscar win for A Beautiful Mind). If that's the "next-to-worst" case scenario for the FF film, then my name is Norrin Freakin' Radd!

 

Also, the Hulk is a character that had his own TV series, TV movies, multiple cartoon series and has been much more in the public consciousness in the form of merchandising, etc. since the hey-day of the FF in the 1960s and early 1970s. A lot of people were going to see The Hulk movie whether it was directed by Ang Lee, Spike Lee or even Lee Majors for that matter. The FF will be a much harder sell. An impossible sell? No...but I would take the "under" bet of your "next-to-worst" case scenario all day long.

[Kevin Boyd]

With all due respect, I don't think that's even close to the "next-to-worst" scenario. The Hulk had a blockbuster first weekend, racked up $132 million at the domestic box office alone and did not have B-list actors (Eric Bana is/was an up-and-coming young star while Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte are respected *movie*, not TV, actors - it makes a big difference, ask any producer - and Jennifer Connelly was an A-list actress fresh off her Oscar win for A Beautiful Mind). If that's the "next-to-worst" case scenario for the FF film, then my name is Norrin Freakin' Radd...

 

Also, the Hulk is a character that had his own TV series, TV movies, multiple cartoon series and has been much more in the public consciousness in the form of merchandising, etc. since the hey-day of the FF in the 1960s and early 1970s. A lot of people were going to see The Hulk movie whether it was directed by Ang Lee, Spike Lee or even Lee Majors for that matter. The FF will be a much harder sell. An impossible sell? No. But I think I'm a pretty good judge of risk and I would take the "under" bet of your "next-to-worst" case scenario all day long.

 

Boy Gene, you also forget that advance word on the Hulk wasn't very good. Reviews were not positive... so yeah, the Hulk had a good start because of public awareness... and stopped dead after a stellar opening weekend. Imagine what would have happened if people actually had liked the film.

 

Bana was about as up and coming as the fellow that is going to play Reed Richards. And we are still waiting to hear about the casting for Doom... Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte have not been A-list movie actors in decades. Yes, Connolly was coming off of her Oscar win in a Beautiful Mind, but you can't argue that she had any box-office draw on her own. If that was the case then House of Sand and Fog would have had better box office.

 

The Hulk does have better market penetrance... but the FF are not exactly forgotten... they have had three cartoon series (not to mention Fred and Barney meet the Thing) and have had a successful magazine published for over forty years.

 

They have as much public perception as say, the Thunderbirds, Starsky and Hutch, et al.

 

I still feel the worse case scenario is that it's a bomb.

 

The next-to-worse case scenario is that it's a modest hit financially but not critically, like the Hulk.

[FFB]

Next-to-worse case scenario (worse being a complete bomb) is you end up with a Hulk... a film that does well in the box office initially even with b-list actors, has strong DVD sales but is perceived in general as a weak film and you build a better sequel (as they did with Spider-Man 2 and X2).

 

With all due respect, I don't think that's even close to the "next-to-worst" scenario. The Hulk had a blockbuster first weekend, racked up $132 million at the domestic box office alone and did not have B-list actors (Eric Bana is/was an up-and-coming young star while Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte are respected *movie*, not TV, actors - it makes a big difference - and Jennifer Connelly was an A-list actress fresh off her Oscar win for A Beautiful Mind). If that's the "next-to-worst" case scenario for the FF film, then my name is Norrin Freakin' Radd!

 

Also, the Hulk is a character that had his own TV series, TV movies, multiple cartoon series and has been much more in the public consciousness in the form of merchandising, etc. since the hey-day of the FF in the 1960s and early 1970s. A lot of people were going to see The Hulk movie whether it was directed by Ang Lee, Spike Lee or even Lee Majors for that matter. The FF will be a much harder sell. An impossible sell? No...but I would take the "under" bet of your "next-to-worst" case scenario all day long.

 

I think what killed Hulk's legs was that the film was perceived by many as too boring. It had a great opening weekend (a record for a June weekend opening if I recall), but word of mouth was lukewarm and it quickly dropped off the face of the planet. If it would have had more action and if a few dumb scenes had been rewritten (and made more kid-friendly) I think Hulk would have done a lot better at the box office.

 

As for FF, I am concerned like the rest of you. A good, well-promoted film could do well, especially if the trailers look good. But that's a toughie with this property.

[joe_collector]

That's my biggest problem w/ the idea of an FF movie. Yes, to us, the are great characters. But, to the general population, I think Gene is on the money....they are way past their 'sell-date'.

 

Yep, the FF are four of the most uninteresting A-list Marvel characters, and by far the most difficult to bring to the big screen. I can't see any logical reason why this movie won't suck major hass.

 

On the flip side, Spider-man and Wolverine are the two most compelling, movie-friendly characters, and it's no surprise their movies have done extremely well.

[joe_collector]

According to JC's Dictionary of Comic Terminology, it is the opposite of 'fanboy'. A 'fanboy' (in the derrogatory sense) is someone that will love it regardless of quality, hope that it will be made because 'it's better than nothing', etc....

 

By jove, I think he's got it.

 

The best example of fanboy speak was when someone one here stated:

 

"It would be impossible for them to make a bad Daredevil movie."

[Silver Surfer]

-FF origin

-Doom origin & leader of Latveria

-Reed/Doom history

-Reed/Ben history

-FF establishing themselves (Baxter Building intro, etc)

-Doom plot to destroy world/FF

-FF defeats Doom.

 

I think the Doom orgin and his history with Reed can be done as a quick as a conversation by Doom once he has captured the FF. Wouldn't take too long if done in brief flash backs while he spoke. The Baxter Building intro could also be fast tracked and I don't think too many people would care. My biggest problem is what kind of plot will they build around Doom? The first 4-5 apperances by Doom in the early FF issues would be terrible plots to build a movie around. They would almost have to skip to issues 198-200 to get a doable story. Tough call.

 

Doom as the featured villain is a given but a Silver Surfer story would make for a better movie. I hope they at least introduce the Surfer at the end and this can lead into his own movie or FF part 2. Ultimately a Doom/Terrax/Surfer (FF 358-359) story would be awesome but this just wouldn't work for the first movie.

 

The more I think about it the more I think the movie will suck.

[delekkerste]

Boy Gene, you also forget that advance word on the Hulk wasn't very good. Reviews were not positive... so yeah, the Hulk had a good start because of public awareness... and stopped dead after a stellar opening weekend. Imagine what would have happened if people actually had liked the film.

 

I think the advance word on the Hulk was mixed...I know a large portion of the comic community was worried about the cheesy CGI and Ang Lee direction, but I recall that a lot of my non-collecting friends were pretty jazzed about it. And, the reviews on the film were mixed...it was not even close to being eviscerated like "Catwoman" is.

 

But, anyway, it just furthers my point that even a Hulk film that did not get stellar reviews or largely positive word of mouth still managed to be a modest financial hit. I can pretty much guarantee that if an FF film receives mixed reviews and gets no word-of-mouth buzz, the film will flop.

 

 

Bana was about as up and coming as the fellow that is going to play Reed Richards. And we are still waiting to hear about the casting for Doom... Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte have not been A-list movie actors in decades. Yes, Connolly was coming off of her Oscar win in a Beautiful Mind, but you can't argue that she had any box-office draw on her own. If that was the case then House of Sand and Fog would have had better box office.

 

I would argue about the last point...comparing HOSAF to the Hulk is pretty pointless...the former was never going to be a blockbuster; it was essentially an art film. Anyway, people will pay money to see Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte and Sam Elliott because they are movie actors and customers are used to paying to see them. I'm not sure if they will take to "that Dark Angel chick" or "that bald dude from The Shield" in the same way...you know that TV success very rarely translates into movie success.

 

 

the FF are not exactly forgotten... they have had three cartoon series (not to mention Fred and Barney meet the Thing) and have had a successful magazine published for over forty years.

 

The difference is that people remember the Hulk series and cartoons, while the FF cartoon series are the stuff of an obscure Wizard trivia question. As for the title, it's been an also-ran in the comic book world for a loooong time...I think the odds are pretty good that it will struggle to find its movie audience as well.

 

I could be wrong, but, like I said, I'll take the "under" bet all day long on this film. It's got some huge hurdles to overcome.

[Mr. Zipper]

-Doom origin & leader of Latveria

-Reed/Doom history

-Doom plot to destroy world/FF

-FF defeats Doom.

 

I can only imagine what a travesty they'd make of the Doom costume. Think horrific Green Goblin helmet, but even worse...

 

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

[Silver Surfer]

The difference is that people remember the Hulk series and cartoons, while the FF cartoon series are the stuff of an obscure Wizard trivia question. As for the title, it's been an also-ran in the comic book world for a loooong time...I think the odds are pretty good that it will struggle to find its movie audience as well.

 

I could be wrong, but, like I said, I'll take the "under" bet all day long on this film. It's got some huge hurdles to overcome.

 

I agree. I can't say that I care for the direction this series has taken in recent years. Comic people will carry the film but I'd be surprised if hits $200M.

[joe_collector]

I can only imagine what a travesty they'd make of the Doom costume. Think horrific Green Goblin helmet, but even worse...

 

Actually, that's Dr Van Damme from the Adirondacks, you uncultured swine.

[Zonker]

Really good analysis on this thread regarding the difficulty in pulling off a FF movie.

 

Seems to me the appeal of the Silver Age FF is that was where Stan & Jack were doing their Big Stories-- and it was Grand Central Station for the early and still-unfolding Marvel Universe, yes? The FF might make a better TV series than movie franchise (not that a TV show would ever have the right budget to pull it off). There are potentially-great FF stories based on who else the FF interacted with in the early comics, but the characters themselves seem difficult to build a franchise around, so the audience would never wait around for FF Part 6: The Silver Surfing Sequel.

 

The best alternative might be to do an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-movie that retcons their origin into the arrival of Galactus, (similar to drbanner's scenario above), and neglects Dr. Doom altogether. (Otherwise you have spandex-overload a la the later Batman movies)

[joe_collector]

On that note, did anything read "Victor Van Damme" as Doom's name and think this could be ANYTHING but a comedy?

[Mr. Zipper]

I can only imagine what a travesty they'd make of the Doom costume. Think horrific Green Goblin helmet, but even worse...

 

Actually, that's Dr Van Damme from the Adirondacks, you uncultured swine.

 

 

I beg forgiveness. I am a mindless dolt.

 

I should have known that Latveria has been replaced by the fiefdom known as Lake Placid.

 

[Kevin Boyd]

An FF movie forum description from someone in the audience at San Diego:

 

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=18033

 

FANTASTIC FOUR: Avi Arad was adament that FF WILL HAVE the proper tone and is not a comedy but has comedy in it. It is about human connection and Story was a FF guy all his life. The actors don't know a comic book from toilet paper and they were honest about it but aparently Chiklis walked around the Con and was pretty blown away. He delivered a pretty decent "It's clobberin' time" with his Thing action figure in hand. Tim Story was clear that Doom will be Doom. I quote, "The character's name is Victor Von Doom." He said one of the actors (revealed in a week) has a wild accent and Latvia (?) will be part of the plot, although small I guess from the wording.

 

I was pretty livid with the casting of Alba but she is blonde and while I thought she couldn't act a lick, she either is genuinely ready and honored to do the role or she was acting it on stage well enough that I believed her, which would mean she can act a little if she was lying. The fan boys were lobbing jizz her way in the 6,000 seat auditorium when I thought she would get booed. The suits probably made a wise financial choice. The geeks were eating her up with a spoon and asking for seconds.