The Fantastic Four (1994)

20% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
38% want to see it
(4,854 ratings)

Unreleased to the general public and infamous for its poor quality within geek circles, this Roger Corman adaptation of the Marvel Comics supergroup is an interesting cult item that ranks up there with the dismal Captain America feature and the cheap Hulk TV movies. The story of the film goes back… More Unreleased to the general public and infamous for its poor quality within geek circles, this Roger Corman adaptation of the Marvel Comics supergroup is an interesting cult item that ranks up there with the dismal Captain America feature and the cheap Hulk TV movies. The story of the film goes back to the late '80s when Marvel Comics were licensing out their characters for mild profit in a time when the comic industry was failing. Enter a German company called Neue Constantin and producer Bernd Eichinger, who held the rights for almost four years before their contract was about to run out. In order to retain the rights to future remake/options and get out of paying a five-million-dollar fee, Neue were forced to put something to film, so they made a deal with Roger Corman's New Horizons studio to make the film quick and on the cheap for $1.5 million. Once the film was finished, Eichinger bought out Corman's interest, then turned around and sold it to 20th Century Fox, who were then prepping a 50-million-dollar adaptation with director Chris Columbus. The film then dove into virtual obscurity, save for the comic convention bootlegs and later through the internet. The storyline follows the basic framework of the comic, with the exception of a few minor details, including the introduction of a new villain, The Jeweler, who directly becomes responsible for the team's mishap in space and takes liberally from another one of the comic's famous villains, The Mole Man. In reference to its underground popularity, Corman now regards it as his most profitable film that never saw release, while Marvel president Avi Arad reportedly burned Fox's only print. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG,
Directed By: Oley Sassone
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Critic Reviews

Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
A painfully silly movie, one with more heroic intentions than actual assets.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
With the exception of Chiklis as Ben, the actors and their characters just don't seem charismatic enough.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
More interesting as a cinema footnote than as actual cinema; it sets modest entertainment goals for itself and flunks those.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
The Fantastic Four is a must see for any lover of bad movies. It's that awful.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Roger Corman's unreleased cheapo version is not a lost classic nor a so-bad-it's-good yukfest. It is just a mundane B-Movie.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

A marvelous curiosity of a film. Never intended for release, this was made to stop the rights from expiring. It's cheap, it's shoddy but it IS entertaining. The effects are amazingly bad, though should be commended given the circumstances. When the Human Torch is some… More
A marvelous curiosity of a film. Never intended for release, this was made to stop the rights from expiring. It's cheap, it's shoddy but it IS entertaining. The effects are amazingly bad, though should be commended given the circumstances. When the Human Torch is some bizarre animated, possibly computerish orange thingy, you can see that the filmmakers did the best with what they had. The "stretching" sequences are so painful, though always bring a smile. The Thing actually looks pretty good, shame he can't move about much. One thing the film does have going for it it a decent Dr Doom. Unlike the bastardised version in the 00's versions. Had we had this Dr Doom in those they would almost be perfect. It was an easy watch and never boring. This truly is a Roger Corman production and actually makes you wonder about if Corman took on other super-hero tales. This is a wonderful antidote to the crowded market place of today and a reminder that once Super-Hero movies were virtually impossible. It's not the multimillion dollar box office, it's the taking part.
Jason S

This is a really bad movie. I like it a little just because I am a big fan of the characters but the movie was just poorly made. All of the effects were sub par and the acting was really bad. Johnny Storm was so annoying you want to skip all the scenes that he is in. It's… More
This is a really bad movie. I like it a little just because I am a big fan of the characters but the movie was just poorly made. All of the effects were sub par and the acting was really bad. Johnny Storm was so annoying you want to skip all the scenes that he is in. It's also a little creepy as the beginning of the movie opens showing you that Reed and Ben are college students living at the Storm boarding house. Sue and Johnny are little kids. Sue is in love with this college kid and when they meet up in later years she might be 19 or 20 and Reed with the gray hair is all lovey dovey over her. And the story is just poor with a part put in that reveals that the Thing could change back into a man if he really wanted to.
Lafe F

Roger Corman's 1994 "The Fantastic Four" film is definitely low-budget, but there's something charming out it; which can't be touched in the big-budget 2005 blockbuster about the same heroes. The characters seemed closer to the comic book. The first half of… More
Roger Corman's 1994 "The Fantastic Four" film is definitely low-budget, but there's something charming out it; which can't be touched in the big-budget 2005 blockbuster about the same heroes. The characters seemed closer to the comic book. The first half of the movie was their origin story. Then the Four go up against a Leprechaun-like jewel thief and then Doctor Doom. The effects are cheapo and hilarious. We don't get to see the heroes utilize their super-powers enough. Sadly only a poor-quality dubs exist for the fans to experience, but it's a curious-flavoured treat to view.
Matthew Y

It's AMAZING how close to the source material this follows. The films creation is that of hollywood lore, Fox was about to loose the rights to the film and had to make a movie fast. So they hired a director that was known for making low budget films on time and at cost, then… More
It's AMAZING how close to the source material this follows. The films creation is that of hollywood lore, Fox was about to loose the rights to the film and had to make a movie fast. So they hired a director that was known for making low budget films on time and at cost, then lied to everyone involved that they were making a legitimate film. Of course it never saw the light of day (though bootleg versions abound on the internet). The story is actually not half bad but there isn't even close to the production design needed to do it justice and the actors are laughably bad (in a good way). Dr. Doom is portrayed as a dorky Darth Vader but it's a far superior adaptation than the character in the 2004 Fantastic Four film. The film, as it is, is good hokey fun a must see for comic fanatics, though anyone who isn't a fan of Ed Woodesc cinema should star clear.
Nicky M

No wonder it didn't get released lol
Sam C

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!