The Fantastic Four
Published by Kaonashi April 5th, 2006 in Action, Film Adaptation, Fantasy, Sci-Fi.
Title: The Fantastic Four
Year: 2005
Director: Tim Story
Starring Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon
Rated: PG-13
Review by: Mark N. of Movie Masterworks
NoFace for Film rating: 3.5 out of 7
Synopsis: After exposure to cosmic radiation, four astronauts become the most remarkable, if dysfunctional, superheroes of all time. Unfortunately, the mission’s sponsor has also been transformed - into the world’s most lethal supervillain - setting the stage for a confrontation of epic proportions.
My thoughts: I remember reading The Fantastic Four comic books as a kid so I was curious to see how the movie turned out. I was hoping that it would be as well written as Spider-Man 2. I later found out that Spider-Man 2 was written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael Chabon so I ratcheted my expectations down some for FF. After watching the movie from Netflix (see ad on sidebar) it was exactly as I expected. For fans of the comic book, you will really be disappointed with the way they did Dr. Doom; at least I was.
In the comic he was just a man. This made him much more interesting because he had only his intellect to combat the FF. He made a great nemesis for Reed Richards who was also a genius. They were each other’s alter ego. In the movie, Dr. Doom (McMahon) is not just a man. They make him like the FF. Maybe the director thought it would be better this way because then they could use more CGI effects. The CGI effects were really good though. The human torch looked really cool when he ignited and he would leave a trail of flame wherever he went just like in the Marvel comic. I thought that the actor who played Johnny Storm (Evans) was too old for the way he acted which was like a spoiled 12 year old who always needed to get his way. Jessica Alba was pretty as Susan Storm so she did her job well. She has to strip naked when she turns invisible so that you can’t see her underwear floating in the air. Her husband Reed Richards (Gruffudd) is alright but he seemed too young for the part in my opinion. If I remember correctly, in the comic he has grey hair from age not from his accident. Ben Grimm played by The Shield’s Michael Chiklis was the most interesting character of the Four. He didn’t want his powers because they made him into a “monster” so there was always an inner struggle between wanting to be human again and being “The Thing” and kicking butt. Can you guess what he chooses? It’s clobbering time! 
I thought the director could have really explored poor old Ben Grimm character a bit more with his relationship with his wife but they kind of just glossed over it and it makes their relationship seem really shallow.
All in all, it comes down to why you watch movies. If you like to see cool special effects and super hero battles then I recommend The Fantastic Four. It’s entertaining in that regard. If you want a good superhero story with human characters then I recommend Spider-Man 2, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow or Batman Begins. Heck, the X-Men movies had better stories. After watching FF I had almost forgotten about it an hour later. I give FF 3.5 out of 7 reels on the No Face for Film scale. (average).
Technorati Tags: Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Thing, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, Dr. Doom, Spider-Man 2, Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow, X-Men, Batman Begins
5 Responses to “The Fantastic Four”
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I think that you were a bit too generous with your rating Mark. I would have given FF a 3, maybe even a 2.5. The trailer alone clued me in to how bad it would be, and when I finally watched it, I realized that it was worse.
You’re right on when saying that the Johnny Storm character was a whiny brat for someone who’s supposed to be an adult, and that Ben Grimm was the most developed character. I did think though, that the practical jokes he played on Ben were kind of funny.
Susan and Reed were so boring, I didn’t care one bit about their relationship. And of course let’s not forget the ridiculous notion of Susan having to strip naked so she won’t be running around in her underwear, which is obviously a cheap excuse to have Jessica Alba take off her clothes to make drooling fanboys happy.
Yes, I was trying to be generous. Please revise the rating to 2.5 reels if that’s okay. For Jessica Alba fans, I thought she was much better in Sin City. SC was a much better movie over all too; better cast, better writer, better director, better story… I could go on and on.
You don’t have to change your rating Mark. It’s based on your opinion
But if you still feel like changing it, then I’ll go ahead and change it.
Yes, Sin City is a thousand times better, as was Jessica Alba in it. I guess you couldn’t go wrong if the guy who did the original graphic novel was also the co-director.
Good job with your film reviews. I agree with your review of FF. I didn’t like Sin City that much. You can read my reviews and compare.
Keep up the good work.
David
Is it just me, or did Jessica steal the show in Into The Blue? I had to watch it again just to see her swimming.