“Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes” mixes the characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby with modern animation and anime-influenced design.
The Fantastic Four is a super-team. The team’s adventures are based on the Marvel Comic book.
Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) is the genius leader who can stretch his body like elastic. Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) can turn invisible and project force fields. Ben Grimm (The Thing) is an orange, rocky monster, and Johnny Storm (Human Torch) can turn himself into a flame and fly.
The melding of 2-D and 3-D animation could be jarring for some, and the designs aren’t directly lifted from the comic book. French animation house Moonscoop tried to modernize the look, with the “4” logo seemingly spray-painted on The Thing’s rocky hide and the Torch sporting a Japanese anime-style haircut.
Several guest-stars from Marvel Comics appear, including Hulk and Iron Man.
The featurette “From Origin to Animation” is a treat for fans, as Lee talks about the Fantastic Four’s creation. The “Rise of the Rogues” featurette showcases the Fantastic Four’s villains, including Doctor Doom. Also included is a partial reprint of the “Ultimate Fantastic Four” No. 1 comic book.
— Matthew Price