Movie Night: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Review #013: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Cast
Ioan Gruffudd (Dr. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba (Susan Storm/Invisible Woman), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Doug Jones (Norin Radd/Silver Surfer), Laurence Fishburne (Voice of Norin Radd/Silver Surfer), Julian McMahon (Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom), Kerry Washington (Alicia Masters), and Beau Garrett (Captain Frankie Raye) Directed by Tim Story.

Review
Speaking of trying and flailing around...The film is better then the first one as the actors at least try to be better with a story that tries to be unlike the first, which was a little too easy, though the movie doesn't quite exceed the level of acceptable excitement that a movie needs. The acting is decent, but it still really doesn't make an impression on you, seeming more like sock puppets trying to yell you to wake up in muffled voices, though once again Chiklis is decent. At least the Silver Surfer is entertaining. It's a little better then the first one, but it seems rushed (how so if its short I wonder) at 91 minutes, with the action happening quickly. Unsurprisingly, Doctor Doom is back, and he...still can't be a menacing villain. But it's still an okay film, better then the first, but if you expected way better (which I didn't), you might be disappointed. The film makes a few marks, but not enough.

With any luck (which looks dim), the new Fantastic Four will be better than this.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Fantastic Four.

Review #011: Fantastic Four.

Cast
Ioan Gruffudd (Dr. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba (Susan Storm/Invisible Woman), Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), Julian McMahon (Doctor Doom), Hamish Linklater (Leonard), and Kerry Washington (Alicia Masters). Directed by Tim Story.

Review
This film tries to be the Fantastic Four. It tries to be what you would like, with action and effects, however you notice the acting is standardized, with Chiklis being the exception, mainly because he seems to be the only one with a real story arc. It just feels so typical and less like an engaging movie. The film is just not very into what its adapting, like it wants to make something else, but it has to use this. It actually makes you wonder if it's better or worse then the 1990's version (which wasn't even released). This film seems to try to be like The Incredibles (with regards to the dynamic of the family vs the group here), however where the Incredibles made sense and had fun with the premise, this...just doesn't. You would have better luck picking a random Fantastic Four comic book as the movie. I remember once reading a comic book with Spiderman trying to be part of the Fantastic Four, and trying to evade their trapping of him. Why did I mention it? Because that is probably my only positive memory of the Fantastic Four. If you like blandness, take it and run with it.

With any luck (which looks dim), the new Fantastic Four will be better than this.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.