.JPG?itok=7Tyct7WM "Jail for preschool teacher who deliberately tripped toddler four times")
The family is made up of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who can stretch his body to incredible lengths; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who can render herself invisible; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who transforms into a fiery human torch; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who possesses tremendous superhuman strength with his stone-like flesh.
The movie takes place four years after the family gained powers, during which Reed’s inventions have transformed technology, and Sue’s diplomacy has led to global peace.
Both audiences and critics responded positively to the film, which currently has an 88 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and promising exit poll responses from opening weekend ticket buyers. An estimated 46 per cent of audiences chose to see it on premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats.
The once towering Marvel is working to rebuild audience enthusiasm for its films and characters. Its two previous offerings this year did not reach the cosmic box office heights of Deadpool & Wolverine, which made over US$1.3 billion, or those of the Avengers-era. But critically, the films have been on an upswing since the poorly reviewed Captain America: Brave New World, which ultimately grossed US$415 million worldwide. Thunderbolts, which jumpstarted the summer movie season, was better received critically but financially is capping out at just over US$382 million globally.
Like Deadpool and Wolverine, the Fantastic Four characters had been under the banner of 20th Century Fox for years. The studio produced two critically loathed, but decently profitable attempts in the mid-2000s with future Captain America Chris Evans as the Human Torch. In 2015, it tried again (unsuccessfully) with Michael B Jordan and Miles Teller. They got another chance after Disney’s US$71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019.
