Fantastic Four (2005)

I never expect too much of big screen remakes of successful comic strip characters. Garfield and Scooby Doo are just two recent examples where the translation of the character was good, but the plot was weak or non-existent. Why, then, did I shell out my hard-earned cash to see the Fantastic Four?

Well, it's like this. When I was a child, the American comics I had at home were, quite frankly, very girly. Archie and Richie Rich were the order of the day. Very, very saccharine, but I always loved going to visit my cousins. Not only did they have different toys, but they also had different comics. Harder comics, with lots of crash, bang and thud. I'm talking about Batman, Superman and the Fantastic Four.

For some reason, I've always liked the quartet of Richard Reed (Mr Fantastic), Sue Storm (Invisible Girl), Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (The Thing). I don't really know why! Maybe it was because they seemed more human and more real than many of the other comic superheroes around. Whatever the reason, I knew I would have to see this film, even if I ended up being disappointed.

THE PLOT:

Four astronauts and their boss go out into space. When a cosmic storm hits, they are exposed to radiation which alters their DNA and gives them superpowers. The film follows the four as they come to terms with their new status, and deal with old relationship issues. At the same time the evil Victor Von Doom (their boss, who has also been altered by the experience), is growing ever more megalomanic and is obsessed with bringing the four down. There's a final showdown with the inevitable result.

MAIN CAST:

Ioan Gruffudd: Reed Richards.

Jessica Alba: Sue Storm.

Chris Evans: Johnny Storm.

Michael Chiklis: Ben Grimm.

Julian McMahon: Victor Von Doom.

THE ACTING AND THE SET:

The acting was good, with the best performance in my opinion from Michael Chiklis as Ben, who loses his wife through his changed circumstances and has to adjust to people's reactions to him. This provides moments of great sadness that humanise the film. Chris Evans (no, not that one) is very good as cheeky daredevil Johnny Storm, the annoying but likable bad boy of the group. I don't think Julian McMahon is sufficiently menacing as Victor Von Doom. He often looks like Darth Vader's less successful younger brother. Performances from the actors playing Richard Reed and Sue Storm, are less than stunning. Maybe Jessica Alba was just meant to be eye candy.

The New York setting was the perfect backdrop for car crashes, chases and battles of all kinds, with familiar tourist locations such as Times Square and the Statue of Liberty, making several appearances. The snowboarding scene is spectacular; you can almost feel the snow and ice.

WHAT I THOUGHT:

>This was an enjoyable film! The special effects were well done, but not overdone, a touch of restraint that is often conspicuously absent from Hollywood blockbusters. Each of the heroes gets the chance to display his or her powers, often in an amusing way. The Invisible Girl's tendency to fade in and out, makes for some embarrassing moments, while Ben struggles with everyday human activities such as eating or drinking. I enjoyed the scene where Richard Reed insinuates (literally) himself between Ben and Johnny to stop a fight, and there are some spectacular fiery scenes from Johnny Storm.

There were several moments of humour, some of them almost slapstick, relating to the superpowers. I won't spoil it by revealing them all, but there is an amusing scene where Johnny Storm snaps his fingers and a flame lights.

The people who have every edition of the original Marvel comic series, will no doubt have some fault to find with its translation to the big screen. I came away having been thoroughly entertained. I didn't think it was great, but it was certainly watchable. For me the film filled in some of the blanks about the characters, and I'll certainly be tempted to see the next in the series, which was artfully set up at the end.

In the wake of successful film adaptations of comic books like SPIDERMAN, X-MEN and this summer's BATMAN BEGINS, you would hope that some real effort was made into bringing one of Marvel Comics' most beloved properties to life. The premise of FANTASTIC FOUR should be familiar to anybody who's picked up a comic book in the last forty years: while in outer space, a group of scientists become exposed to radiation and are granted superhuman powers which they decide to use to safeguard humanity, namely from their arch nemesis, the power-hungry Dr. Doom. After toiling in development hell for years (not to mention surviving an ultra-cheesy, bargain-basement 1994 adaptation that is one of the most bootlegged sci-film in history), this film finally saw the light of day this summer, but the end result doesn't exactly live up to its considerable potential.

Its special effects and action set pieces are decidedly low-rent, and it lacks the strong character development from which the aforementioned SPIDERMAN and X-MEN movies greatly benefited. Unlike those films, FANTASTIC FOUR never bothers to delve too deeply into how these new powers might actually affect someone's life or the question of one's responsibility to the public when one possesses such abilities; here, adopting the role of 'superhero' is almost a given for our heroes. The exception here would be the disfigured Ben Grimm (a.k.a. The Thing), to whom actor Michael Chiklis brings real pathos and gruff humour. Otherwise, Jessica Alba and Ioan Gruffudd (as estranged lovers Sue Storm and Dr. Reed Richards, respectively) fare the worst, being miscast in underwritten roles, while Julian McMahon brings a bit of spark to the proceedings as the greedy control-freak Victor Von Doom. Chris Evans as Sue's impudent younger brother Johnny Storm takes full advantage of his character's devil-may-care attitude and makes him fun to watch.

True, FANTASTIC FOUR could have been a much better film, but its light, unassuming touch isn't always a bad thing. Give it credit for not wallowing in moroseness as in the otherwise solid HULK movie from 2003. This movie never pretends to be anything more than an unpretentious popcorn flick, and if you approach it that way, you'll have a good time. As such, FANTASTIC FOUR is not so much 'fantastic' as it is merely 'adequate', but while I don't typically praise studies in underachievement, I'll take a well-grilled hamburger over poorly cooked filet mignon any day.