Review: Fantastic 4 - Rise of the Silver Surfer

2 & 1/2 - PG (Average, clean family film)

What can I say? Its better than the first but that ain't saying much. The best I can say is that the kids and I had fun for the 89 minutes we spent together in the theatre. It certainly isn't boring and it does keep the story moving.



What's good about it?

• Michael Chiklis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004821/) as "The Thing". Does a great job of getting The Thing right in terms of character and personality. Some of the dialog he has to work with is weak and the suit still looks horrible to me (looks nothing like rock).


• Chris Evans (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262635/) as "The Human Torche aka: Johnny Storm". Lots of fun. Has the best lines of the movie. A bit over the top but makes it fun and the only one who really looks comfortable on screen doing his thing. BTW: The flame effects look great.


• Silver Surfer. AMAZING! The effects were the highlight of the film. Even made the lame parts better. Bravo to the effects team. It single handedly carried the film in many places. In fact, I would say that these effects alone are worth seeing it in the theatre.

What's bad about it?

• Ioan Gruffudd (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0344435/) as "Mr. Fantastic". He is hardly. Doesn't act like the leader, his stretching effects look terrible and there is just no charisma. The guy is a good actor, maybe he was mis-cast.


• Jessica Alba. I don't find her particulary attractive and her acting is so terrible that is probably a big part of my disinterest. She was absolutely horrible and her died blonde hair is distracting. Looks so out of place on her.


• Julian McMahon (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573037/) as "Doctor Doom". I don't know this guy's other work but this is freakin' horrible!!! He was so pitiful as the evil villian. Made his first movie look amazing in comparison. He fell flat on his face in this one.


• Too Short - 89 minutes! Come on.


• Ridiculous story. Guy that flies on a silver surfboard around the cosmos? Ludicrous but fun.


• Galactus. Why does he have to be a cloud? Didn't they know EVERY fan was going to freak out about that? Why build in that kind of hate?

All in all, a good time for summer movie. I did not hate it and that is something to be said because I had pretty low expectations. I still don't think Tim Story is that great of a director but improvement I will give him.