From the start of the rumors it seemed this movie was destined to fail. There were complaints about changing races of some of the characters. Forget it about that. There was news that the origin story of how the FF came to be was greatly altered. True Believers can get past that too. Freshly returning from the theater I can sum up the experience of this film with one simple statement, "I'm sorry I paid money for that". Let us begin and yes nothing but spoilers.
Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell & Toby Kebbell are the five stars chosen to be the Fantastic 4 and the villain that is Dr. Doom. I have to admit, I took issue with the changes. But after reading a post from Michael B. Jordan I decided yea, approach it with an open mind. Also I spoke to my cousin a few times who is an avid comic book reader and he was always mentioning how there are alternate realities in the Marvel Comics Universe. To me that started to make the movie make more sense. Even if the people making the movie did not intend to approach the story from that angle, I could see it that way. What really tip the scales in favor of going to see this movie at the theater was the fact that someone had posted something about Sue being back to a weak woman who couldn't do anything. That kind of just like made me say, Okay I need to see this movie just to see how bad it really is. So I went. First and foremost I did not feel Sue Storm was in anyway significant especially since everyone would have died had she not be able to use her powers in several scenes in the movie before it's end.
By the numbers.
Subject... Yes that is what they were called, subjects, by a untrustworthy, evil government. The bogeyman of the modern world. In the Marvel Universe does the government fear and hate mutants and super humans? Yes of course they do. Do they think of weapons first when they see something new and powerful? In some cases, but mostly the government tries to control and/or defend against them. Okay enough about that.
Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. A brilliant young man, emphasis on young, who while still in elementary school, designs and builds a functioning device that transports an object from one point to another. This is also put together with scrap and operated with a mountain of daisy chained Nintendo 64s. The final component for his device is obtained from GRIMM's junk yard. So of course this is how their friendship starts.
Ben Grimm/The Thing. Granted I've never really looked up the reason for Ben Grimm meeting Reed Richards, or any of the other FF. Okay I take that back I just read it on the Marvel website. But in the movie, he is an abused boy that his brother beats on, who their mom gets after yelling at hitting his brother telling him you don't hit children. Yes he hidden message of child abuse was not lost on me. Its never really explained just how Ben assist Reed with her work other than giving him the one piece from the junk yard that Reed was trying to steal in the night like a very bad rogue. Reed who's father is apparently an electrician and a complete genius is using the a flat head screw driver to screw in a Philips head screw. Ben hands him a swiss army knife to keep from stripping the screw. However once Ben helps him move into the Baxter building he is gone from the screen until Reed sends him a thank you text along with a picture of the teleporter as it is finished. Ben is in turn invited to take a trip with a buzzed or probably drunk Reed on the teleporter to another dimension.
Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
From there Reed is discovered by a visitor at the high school science fair Reed is entered into with a beta version of his teleporter. Having completed one successful experiment to transport something across great distances, the two decide to make public their achievements. Things are a little hectic, but the experiment is a success and quickly dismissed as a magic trick. Ben and Reed are then disqualified from the science fair only to be approached before they can even react to the expulsion. Sue's adopted father, a scientist causally questions Reed while his daughter takes a picture of the device. Reed is offered a position at the Baxter Foundation, accepts, makes a few adjustments to Victor Von Doom's design and they soon build a working teleporter. Sorry, not shuttle or space exploration. But as I said, this kind of makes sense if you consider that maybe they found a way to another Marvel reality. The group, along with Victor is successful in their test, but the joy is short lived as the board members, brought in to view the test, announce they must contact the government at once and get NASA involved for future tests. Sue goes back to work, Reed, Johnny & Victor decide to get drunk. Like a late night drunk dial, Ben is awoken by Reed, who has had one too many, which probably means, two sips, and he tells his best friend who has been absent since he was accepted to the Baxter foundation that they have decided to teleport themselves but Reed will not go unless Ben goes with him. Easily enough, Ben is allowed into the building, the four guys get ready and set the machine on automatic, the teleport sends them to another dimension where they plant the United States flag and start exploring. Trouble happens and three of the four barely make it back to their dimension. Sue is caught in a burst of energy from the return trip.
