Let’s face it, after 2005’s uncharismatic bore called the Fantastic Four, there’s was nowhere to go but up when you’re talking about the sequel, FF : Rise of the Silver Surfer. In fact, if you lower expectations upon seeing it, you may actually have a good time.
First things first, let’s talk about those expectations. Casual viewers are more likely to enjoy this popcorn flick, while fanboys will scream atrocity and add another film to their long list of wrongfully adapted comic book movies. Yes, there are MANY things in the movie that deviate from how they were done in original comics… just like every other comic story brought to the big screen. So let’s just be realistic here. Capitalism sometimes prevails to art - someone who’s willing to invest $130M in this movie should probably be afforded some leeway in order to make it globally appealing rather than enticing to just the small percentage of people that know the in and outs of the Fantastic Four story.
Sorry, but I also have get my gripe about the film’s acting out of the way, as that was clearly one of the faults of the first installment. Is it me or does Jessica Alba’s (Invisible Woman/Sue Storm) acting seem to get worse with each movie? She’s a pretty face and all, but c’mon, someone give this girl a Razzie! Ioan Gruffudd was equally stiff as Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, and the audience is forced to watch them share a number of excruciating moments together (the back-story of the movie is their nuptials).
On the other hand, saving the show (again) was Chris Evans, who was spot on as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, adding much needed pizazz and personality to the mix. In fact, Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing (The Shield’s Michael Chiklis) pretty much steal all of scenes they are in. Laurence Fishburne’s stoic performance as the voice of the Silver Surfer was an added bonus; he didn’t have much to work with, but he did a good job channeling his epic Morpheus-like sound from the Matrix trilogy.
The action and special effects of the movie can be summarized as hit or miss. It’s supposedly about the Silver Surfer, but you’ll have to wait a good 40 minutes to see a good action scene involving him. On top of that, he’s supposed to be one of the universe’s most powerful beings, but really doesn’t get to kick much butt. Also, most of the Fantastic Four’s powers don’t add much to the movie as they’re used primarily to perform parlor tricks.
Oh, and please prepare yourself to be distracted by some terrible CGI. Mr. Fantastic stretching looked like something you’d see back on the 80’s TV show Small Wonder with Vicki the Robot. And can someone tell me what’s with terrible dance sequences by superheroes this summer? First, I had to sit through Spider-Man 3, which had an emo Tobey Maguire shuffling as Peter Parker, now I have to see Reed Richards do some of the worst dancing this side of the Baxter Building. PHEW. Conversely, the action with the Silver Surfer and the Human Torch were actually quite well done, with some relatively exciting pursuit sequences that leave you wanting more.
In regards to the plot, it’s a simple story of impending doom coming to the planet Earth with the Fantastic Four tasked to save the day. Dr. Doom is up to his usual no-good and somewhat similar to the comic book story, Galactus is the main antagonist that has made an indentured servant out of the Silver Surfer. The visual form of Galactus is different than the comic book, but actually works pretty well for the movie.
All in all, this film was a big improvement over the first one and it’s not too bad for a summer flick. It doesn’t take itself too serious and makes for a good outing. Just be sure to leave your high expectations at home.
agreed. it was much better than the first, but still lacking something