FANTASTIC FOUR

(2015) 100 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review:  In 1961 Stan Lee launched the Marvel Silver Age of Comics with issue number one of the Fantastic Four featuring the adventures of Scientist Reed Richards, pilot and best friend Ben Grimm, fiancé Susan Storm and her kid brother Johnny Storm who became superheroes after their rocket encountered cosmic rays on their way to beat the “commies” to the moon.

Reed became the man with “fantastic” stretching powers, Susan was the Invisible Girl now. Johnny Storm became the Human Torch and poor Ben Grimm became the rocky, monstrous The Thing.

Leap ahead to the 21^st century and we are now witnessing the latest failure to bring the quartet successfully to the big screen. That latest film makes the heroes adult teenagers who are imbued with their powers when their attempt at interdimensional travel goes awry…leading to the same results. Also in the movie is Dr.Doom as the 5^th member of the team who takes villainous turn once granted his powers.

These movies fail every single time because they stray too far from the source material from the comic book. If someone would do a straight up adaptation…maybe even make it 1960’s period piece then we might have something here. The first two movies that came out were too goofy and not serious enough…this one is deadly serious to the extreme. No balance can be found.

Also the movies always tie Dr. Doom’s origins into the FF’s. Not necessary. In the comics he was an evil genius who was also adept in sorcery. If it ain't broke don’t fix!

If this had not been an FF movie and was just about some young scientists exploring interdimensional travel then it would have been a good movie but the weak efforts to make them superheroes in the last half hour fails.

Not helping things was a much publicized war between director Josh Trank and 20^th Century Fox which climaxed with Trank dissing his own movie on the web.

The best outcome will be that Fox sells the rights back to Disney (who makes the Avengers movies) and it gets hit out of the park like they did with Iron Man, Ant Man and Captain America to name a few.

Best Scene: Not a scene but the overall relationship between Reed and Ben was nice.

A.C.’s Rating: Matinee

.

HITMAN: AGENT 47

(2015) 96 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  Already rebooting the HITMAN movies we find Hollywood telling the tale of Agent 47…a genetically enhanced assassin said to have no emotions making him the perfect killing machine.

In this movie an evil corporation (is there any other kind in movies) called Syndicate International is out to find the missing scientist who created the Hitmen originally. They go after the man’s daughter hoping he will lead them to the scientist. At first the woman is duped into thinking they are the “good guys” especially when Hitman Agent 47 shows up seemingly to kill her. He is actually there to protect her and find her father for his own agenda.

Early on in this movie I couldn’t help thinking someone has been watching too much TERMINATOR. There were elements from the 1984 and 1992 films that were clearly echoed her. Especially in the form of the Syndicate’s thug…a man named John Smith (played by the actor who plays SPOCK in the new TREK movies) who has some sort of metal enhancement beneath his skin making him almost unkillable. Hitman and the woman Katia are on the run from him. Drop in the Terminator, Sarah Conner and Kyle Reese and you’ve got pretty much the same movie.

I wasn’t into it early on as the Hitman is a hard person to like with his lack of emotions he doesn’t make a compelling character. Soon that took a back seat to the spectacle of the onscreen violence. I was almost in awe of how many “:red shirts” also known as the Syndicate’s henchmen get wasted by the Hitman. I haven’t seen a trail of bodies that big since JOHN WICK.

I almost felt bad for them..I know they were the baddies but to see that many people wiped out in short order was shocking.

The movie also redeemed itself with the locations in Singapore near the end of the movie. I’ll never travel there but seeing the  area made me wish it were a short trip.

It is set up for a sequel. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

Best Scene: Agent 47 fighting John Smith on a busy subway track

A.C.’s Rating: Matinee

.

SINISTER 2

(2015) 97 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  Evil demon Baghoul is back to steal the souls of even more children. In order for him to do this they must commit to his power by killing their entire families while capturing the proceedings on super 8 film. Yeah, its sounds ridiculous but when you like horror movies you’ll buy just about any premise.

Returning from the original film is The Deputy. I forget his name.  No longer on the police force he has been roaming the country trying to prevent any more deaths at the hand of Baghoul. Now the demon is at work tempting the younger of two boys belonging to a mom living at a farm in a remote area of Illinois or Indiana. Estranged from her wife beating husband the mom is oblivious to her son’s nightly meeting with Baghoul’s ghost children he has previously claimed who are showing him the movies to indoctrinate him.

The young boy ultimately rejects the ghosts and they instead indoctrinate his older brother who is nearly as loathsome as the estranged father.

Can The Deputy who has discovered this new family save the day (and romance the mom) before it’s too late?

Nothing special…but an interesting diversion for about 90 minutes. Routine story enhanced by the haunting setting of the isolated farm house.

Best Scene: The mom, her ex and the good son are tied up in cornfield on crosses and doused in gas while the evil son is flicking a lighter. Pretty chilling stuff.

A.C.’s Rating: DVD

.