Tier 3 Movie: The Fantastic 4 ... 5?

I know I'm in the very low minority, but I will die on this hill. The Tim Story Fantastic Four films from the early 2000s are still their best portrayal onscreen. Yes, they're not comic accurate but they were made in a time where studios were afraid to make go full comic book with their source material such as those early X-men films where they couldn't wear yellow and instead all wore black leather uniforms. I feel like Story's first Fantastic 4 film which is an origin did a great job of setting up our characters and their respective relationships before they get their powers. And when they do get their powers each character reacts in the way you expect them too because their powers are reflective of their personalities; Reed stretches himself too thin trying to take care of everyone, Sue doesn't feel seen or heard so she turns invisible and her force fields are her repressed feelings that shoot out, Johnny is "hotblooded" due to being young as well as "hotheaded" and is easily prone to anger or recklessness, Ben is the protector "the rock" if you will so naturally he gets turned into a big strong rock-like monster. If you watch that film's extended cut that was released two years after it came out there's a lot of content that was removed that would have changed people's perception of that film just being a cheesy 2000s superhero film. Ben and Alicia's (Kerry Washington) relationship is given a lot of screentime and development which is why they're together at the end of the film despite her just having one scene together with him in the theatrical version. Johnny also has an arc where he almost hurts somebody with his powers after using them frivolously to which he gets called out by the "public" he believed adored him and instantly gets humbled. It's a shame that was cut because in the theatrical Johnny never really learns a lesson when it's clear the narrative was setting him up to later. It's a much better early comic book film than people give it credit for, not perfect by any means because it still has problems such as Doom's portrayal but I appreciated at least that the screenplay had Doom have a relationship with the whole team and not just Reed Richards because it makes the moment when they take him on "together" later hold much more weight. And while he wasn't comic accurate Doom, I think Julian McMahon (RIP) did a great job selling the vanity and rivalry with Ioan Gruffudd's Reed. The second film Rise of the Silver Surfer is in my opinion a weaker follow-up story wise but I think has a bigger fanbase because the characters are actually allowed to be the characters and aren't bogged down by the origin but the plus side is since it's a sequel we've already gotten to know these characters and their roles don't seem forced. With First Steps, sure they've got a decent cast and budget but we're just plopped into their world and we don't really get a chance to know them as individuals and there's no internal group conflict. Like you, I want to see the Fantastic Four not their baby and I couldn't connect to any of them because none of them appeared to have any flaws or issues so where's the development?

Brianda Sandoval