Doomed: The Untold Story of Roger Corman's the Fantastic Four (2015)

Doomed: The Untold Story of Roger Corman's the Fantastic Four (2015). 1h 25m | Not Rated

“Roger Cormanu0026#39;s officially unreleased production of u0026#39;The Fantastic Fouru0026#39; is a fun if bewildering viewing experience. The special effects are pointedly outdated, the narrative writing is questionable, some inclusions are outright flummoxing; that the 1994 movie is enjoyable is largely a matter of constant, shocking disbelief at what one has beheld. That the picture struggled with a low budget is one matter; how much the eyebrow-raising writing and direction could also be attributed to that low budget is another matter entirely. The history of this production is rather astounding in and of itself, and the idea of a documentary laying it all out is welcome indeed. Thereu0026#39;s maybe not a major wealth of information herein beyond what one can learn elsewhere on the Internet, but u0026#39;Doomed!u0026#39; still does a good job of providing further perspective on the fiasco.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe image that quickly emerges as we watch this is that the cast and the crew who were directly involved with the making of the movie were genuinely excited about the prospect of working on such a property as The Fantastic Four. Everyone was very ready to do their part, and mostly proud of what they were able to do with recognition of the minimal resources that were available. The point is made that the history of live-action adaptations of Marvel comic books was very spotty up to that time, so the vibe on-set was a combination of u0026quot;working within modest expectationsu0026quot; and hopes of creating something better and memorable, a new high water mark.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe enthusiastic if rushed work during the early 90s production is notably contrasted with the secretive, then-undisclosed, and somewhat shady dealings behind the scenes. Whether intentionally or as blunders of mismanagement, people sitting in posh offices made decisions regarding the superhero team as a property that all but ensured the movie never really had a chance, and all the contributions of the cast and crew were effectively destined for oblivion. True, all this information is known and can be discovered elsewhere, but itu0026#39;s the personal testimonies of those involved, and tiny peeks at the process, that really make u0026#39;Doomed!u0026#39; worthwhile. Their early earnest energy is distinctly opposed with building frustration; details about aspects like some of the filming locations, the post-production efforts, or the score composition all give a delightfully vivid panorama of the entirety of the quagmire that was u0026#39;The Fantastic Four.u0026#39;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis documentary itself is generally well made, compiling film clips, behind the scenes footage, multiple interviews, and stills to tell the story of a feature that was basically ghosted. Marty Langfordu0026#39;s sequencing and editing orders the material into a simple, roughly chronological timeline from conception to reaction, while the filmmakers did a suitable job of collecting it all in the first place. I donu0026#39;t think itu0026#39;s entirely perfect; the production values are a little too glaringly bare-faced, as one quite anticipates from Z-grade distributor Uncorku0026#39;d Entertainment, and intertitles displaying relevant quotes are wholly unnecessary since those quotes tend to echo sentiments that are often spoken aloud shortly thereafter. For whatever deficiencies one may perceive, however, the very idea of u0026#39;Doomed!u0026#39; is gratifying, spotlighting a project that deserves remembrance even if only for the labor that went into it. Thereu0026#39;s perhaps nothing about this feature thatu0026#39;s so essential as to demand viewership, but for select audiences – cinephiles or Marvel fans most of all – itu0026#39;s an enticing look behind the curtain at a movie that never truly got off the ground. Clocking in at an easy 85 minutes, u0026#39;Doomed!u0026#39; is an enjoyable, worthwhile view if you have the chance to check it out.”