MORE FUN WITH THE FANTASTIC FOUR
Written: Jun 15 '07 (Updated Jun 15 '07)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Very special special effects, humor
Cons: Acting not too great, but who cares
The Bottom Line: Suspend your "reality center" and just have fun with the Four.
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| mike.holmes's Full Review: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer |
"The Fantastic Four-The Rise of the Silver Surfer" is made special by, surprise!, it's special effects and the humor in the movie. Unlike most of the other "super hero" movies, this series is more light-hearted. Oh, the ultimate accomplishment of the Four is to literally save the world (with the help of an even more fantastic Fifth-person, not bottle) but, throughout the film there are humorous references at to just what is important to modern media.
I've frequently been a critic of films that are more "special effects-driven" than story or character driven, but the nature of this movie practically makes that irrelevant. The special powers given to the primary characters in the first movie give them a comical quality. "Egghead" Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd-"Black Hawk Down") is back with his amazing "rubberman" abilities. Beautiful Sue Storm (Jessica Alba-"Sin City", "Dark Angel") returns with her power to become invisible. Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) is again the virtual "human torch" who can race through the air at supersonic speeds and Ben Gimm (Michael Chiklis-"The Shield") returns to flex his rock muscles.
THE PLOT
The plot of the film is rather simplistic. Reed and Sue are all set to get married and the celebrity press is treating it like Diana's and Prince Charles wedding. In fact, although there are truly mysterious events happening all over the world (such as an entire bay near Japan freezing in a few seconds), the wedding story gets top billing in the media. This, in itself, is humorous but completely believable given the daily fascination with Paris Hilton's pokey problems, Brittany Spears' underwear flashings and Lindsay Lohan's drinking binges. While two or more wars rage in the Mideast, we get to see those bimbos on a nightly basis (plus throw in continuing sagas of O.J. Simpson, Don "Bad Hair" Trump and Rosie O'Donnell.)
Alas, even though Reed has promised Sue that nothing can stop their nuptial ceremony, a dastardly character known only as the "Silver Surfer" suddenly appears in New York during the wedding ceremony in his attempt to foil some security measures that Reed has set up.
In the meantime, we are re-introduced to the supposedly dead, Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who is truly an evil person (hell, with that name how could he not be). Von Doom says he wants to help the Fantastic Four and the U.S. Army help fight the Silver Surfer.
The bulk of the film concerns the fight against the surfer and his attempt to destroy our planet. The action is virtual non-stop and so are the wise-cracks. There is one particular running "gag" that concerns the characters changing identities.
WHY I LIKED THE FILM
As I wrote earlier, I knew going into this film that there were going to be no Oscars for acting. Each actor does what's expected of them but the strength of the film is the incredible effects by Mike Vezina ("X2", "I, Robot) and Andy Verhooven. Director Tim Story ("Fantastic Four", "Barbershop") keeps the action flying throughout the film and writers Don Payne ("The Simpsons") and Mark Frost ("Fantastic Four", "Twin Peaks") are expert at creating comedic moments in a film about possible world destruction.
In short, this is a movie to sit back and laugh along with the characters and marvel (or Marvel?) at what they can do with their bodies to save our planet.
Because the film is not overly long, full of laughs, and doesn't take itself too seriously (but does have seriously fine special effects), I'd give this movie 3.5 stars rounded up to Four.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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mike.holmes
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Member: Mike Holmes
Location: Odessa, Texas
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