"Fantastic Four"
Reviewed by Chris Cappola
Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon. Directed by Tim Story. (2005, 20th Century Fox/Marvel)

There's two ways to go into a film like 'Fantastic Four' - either go in as a comic book fan or go in as a moviegoer. A comic book fan will analyse every little detail, comparing it to the original source, to other such adaptations and go in with more anticipation than the typical viewer. They are more prone to be disappointed because they have higher standards for these films. A moviegoer takes a different approach as they go in with some anticipation but are looking for a good action film - that's it. As a member of the latter group, 'Fantastic Four' has its share of flaws and is vastly uneven but it's actually not a bad action flick helped by four surprisingly strong cast members who are having fun with their roles.

The concept behind 'Fantastic Four' is pretty much a live-action version of 'The Incredibles'. Four scientists gain superpowers after becoming exposed to radiation and use their new-found abilities to fight their enemy Dr. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) who in true villain form wants total destruction of the world. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) is the leader of the group who is able to stretch while his partner Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) is a super-strong rock creature named The Thing. Reed meanwhile still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) who can become invisible while her reckless brother Johnny (Chris Evans) becomes a human torch. Interestingly, the scenes involving the foursome coming to use their powers is far more exciting than their attempts to stop evil mastermind Dr. Doom. It's always fun to watch the transformation of characters into superheroes and its very fun to watch these four people become enchanted, bewildered and amazed by their newly formed abilities and even more fun to watch what they would do with them. It's touched upon here, but only minimally. Instead, it ventures off into the good-old "let's stop the bad-guy" routine, which is tired and predictable.

The director is Tim Story who has his first big-budget movie to play with. He does a serviceable job. There is a lot that he could have done better, but he holds it together despite obvious flaws. The opening drags out much longer than necessary and the plot involving Dr. Doom is never convincing or exhilarating and seems like an obligatory plot device because of course, you need a villain. Why wasn't the villain more interesting? The explanation behind his justification for evil is not believable since he seems to be going through a rough few days. That's it. All of sudden, he wants world domination! There is a scene involving the foursome saving lives on a New York bridge and it is more realistic and interesting and the film should have focused on their attempts at saving lives and not foiling off uninteresting villains. The screenplay also could have been tighter and whilst it does have some funny one-liners, the dialogue at times is laughably bad especially when it requires the actors to deliver it seriously. The special-effects too are not always convincing, the action isn't always occurring as often as it should and characters brought in like a blind-woman (Kerry Washington) who befriends The Thing are short and unnecessary. The whole romantic subplot involving Reed, Sue and Doom is too obvious and not sincere. Quite simply, it is a very uneven film and it comes down to the direction, which tries very hard but doesn't always work. It's like a young boy playing in a big boy's world. He doesn't belong?et. Instead of trying to emulate the comic-book successes of the past, he should have just gone and made an original film. Many scenes seem like ideas that have been played out before and overall, it seems like a sea of wasted opportunities. It would be interesting how much he has learnt if he gets to helm the sequel.

One thing that everyone got right was the casting of the Fantastic Four who are surprisingly effective and their rapport with one another is genuine. They are having fun with the roles and it translates onscreen. Ioan Gruffudd is charismatic while Michael Chiklis is very good as The Thing. Jessica Alba has her moments where it's hard to take her seriously and Alba as a scientist? Yes, well that's a stretch, but she tries very hard, a trait that's becoming apparent in all of her roles. She's not always great, but she's an earnest actress. Chris Evans who shined in the recent thriller 'Cellular' is actually again the highlight and has a ball with his role and comes across the best of the cast. He also has the best lines and the coolest character of the foursome - this is an actor whose stock continues to rise. Conversely, the one weak link is Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom who may have suffered by the screenplay but he isn't menacing and isn't having fun with the role. Isn't it a dream of actors to play the villain and go all out? McMahon is more sleazy than creepy here. A wrong choice for such an important role.

'Fantastic Four' may disappoint a lot of comic book fans because films like 'Spider Man' have set the benchmark higher for the genre. It may be criticised for being closer to 'The Incredibles' than say 'X Men'. A fair assessment because it seems more PG-appealed than expected. Is that a bad thing? It is a financially strong move since that audience is a goldmine. By chasing the kids, did it ruin its credibility? It's not dark, it's not violent - it's all very cartoonish but that effect helps the film as essentially that's what it is - a live action cartoon. The film itself is a solid movie, but it's neither great nor weak. It doesn't take itself too seriously and everyone is having fun with a great premise particularly the awesome foursome cast. Handled more competently by a director with a clearer vision, it could have been up there in the 'Spider Man'-league. A solid if disposable live-action version of 'The Incredibles'.
out of 10
- Chris Cappola's Reviews

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