Fantastic Four

You’re at a comic book website, so I’ll assume you know who the FF are and, let’s face it, if you’re a Fantastic Four fan, chances are good that you’ve already plodded through multiple reviews of the movie. I know that I have. So what is it that I can offer you that perhaps some of the other reviews can’t? Emotion.

Huh? What? Am I gonna start cryin’?

Not on yer life!

When I first saw Wolverine pop his claws in that run-down bar in Canada in the first X-Men movie, I felt it; when Peter Parker, in his hastily thrown together Spidey wrestling outfit, webslings across New York after Uncle Ben’s murderer in Spider-Man, I felt it.

Tonight, I felt it again when Johnny Storm shouted “Flame On!” and fire engulfed his body. The best way to describe it is that it’s a feeling of elation that occurs when seeing characters I love hit their stride on the big screen. It doesn’t happen during just any movie either, it’s only when I know that the people that put their time and effort into this project got it right. It’s not a conscious thought though, it just happens, and you know what? That’s the key; that’s when I know I’m watching something special.

This thing has been panned left and right by critics and fanboys alike (there have been a lot of good reviews from FF fans though… hmm…). Maybe I can put any fears you have to rest by offering counterpoints to the popular gripes of other reviewers.

First off, and most importantly, this movie nails the feeling and tone of the Fantastic Four as much as Spider-Man and Batman Begins did with their respective characters. Now, with that being said, this is a light-hearted movie for the most part, but there’s also a lot of drama. You already probably know that, right? This is the Fantastic Four and that’s what you expect.

The highlights of the movie, for me, are the humorous and dramatic interaction between characters (pretty much the highlight of the comics for me too). Ben and Johnny go at it like feuding brothers just like in the funnybooks; Reed and Sue have something of a lover’s quarrel going on that’s sweet; Sue plays the older sister to Johnny as if she were his mother.

Obviously, if that was the highlight for me, then there should be no doubt that I enjoyed the acting. The gripes other reviewers have had over Ioan Gruffudd’s stiff performance as Reed show that those people don’t quite understand the character of Reed Richards. Ioan does a fine job as the brainy, straight-laced Mr. Fantastic. Sometimes his phony American accent cracks, but hey, I can let that slide.

What about Sue? Now admittedly, I’m usually pretty hard on Jessica Alba for delivering ghastly performances, but she does a pretty good job here with Sue. Alba’s brother-sister exchanges with Chris Evans’ Human Torch are surprisingly believable.

Michael Chiklis is outstanding as The Thing. The guy delivers a surprising amount of emotion while being caked underneath a lot of rubber. Since I’m speaking of the costume, I can officially say that all complaints of it looking unreal are completely off base. It moves well and has that great, early Jack Kirby look.

As others reviewers have stated, Chris Evans does an excellent job as the Human Torch. He delivers cheesy one-liners with no difficulty. Evans’ Torch comes off as a guy that’s excited about his new fame, which is a take that’s different from the other points of view. He’s also cocky and impulsive, which just screams Stan Lee’s Human Torch.

Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom is adequate, but nothing special. It doesn’t feel like he took the part and put his stamp on it. When’s he’s the duplicitous businessman at the beginning, he’s excellent. Unfortunately, after he learns of his own powers, he kind of loses all personality. Instead of being the genius, menacing villain that Doom is in the comics, he’s more or less just a crazy guy with a huge chip on his shoulder. That’s really my only complaint about the entire film.

Special effects? Besides the amateurish look of the space ship docking with the space station, everything else looks good. The Human Torch deserves special mention here because the effect of flaming up doesn’t just look good, it looks fantastic (pun, pun, pun!!)!

So, will you, the comic book fan, like this movie?

If you’ve read and enjoyed the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby era of the comics, then you’ll probably love it. If you’re an outright fan of the Fantastic Four, no matter what era, then you’ll love the fact that they did grasp the overall feeling of the characters, but you maybe be a bit turned off by some of the changes.

Is it a perfect movie? No, it’s not. Are its problems big enough to detract from the overall experience? Hell no, they’re not!

Please, by all means, discard the campaign of negativity that fanboys and biased journalists have been stuffing down your throat and just go see it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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