Fantastic Four
Directed by: Tim Story
Starring: Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffud, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content.
Parental Notes: This is a fairly standard comic-book movie. It’s not too gory, and there’s little in the way of sexually suggestive content. While the action scenes may be too intense for youngsters, it’s mostly harmless.
Movies made from comic books are a staple of the summer cinematic experience. This year we have “Batman Begins” and “The Fantastic Four,” and they offer remarkably different sorts of entertainment. Where “Batman Begins” makes an effort to be at least semi-realistic and examines the motivations and psychological states of its hero, “Fantastic Four” is clearly just out to entertain. For the most part, it succeeds, but like many first films about superheroes, it’s a bit bogged down with exposition. Hopefully, this potential franchise will follow in the footsteps of movies like “Spider-Man” and “The X-Men” and produce a superior sequel.
The Fantastic Four of the title are Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), and Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis). Reed is a world-famous scientist whose scientific successes have been dogged by financial failure. Reed used to be involved with Sue, but she’s now working for Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). When Reed and Ben approach Doom with an idea for a series of experiments on one of Doom’s stations, Doom agrees — but insists on coming along and upon Sue and her hotshot pilot brother Johnny with them.
As a result, all five of them are in the station during an accident involving a solar storm. This being a superhero movie, the storm gives them all unusual powers. After some time spent exploring these powers, they all master them to a great extent and our heroes wind up as the Fantastic Four: Reed is super-stretchy Mr. Fantastic, Johnny is the literally hotheaded Human Torch, Sue can vanish and throw force fields as The Invisible Girl, and Ben is now the super-strong rock-creature The Thing. I’m sure you can guess who turns out to be the villain of the piece; with a name like Victor Von Doom, he never had a chance at being a hero. At least he has an interesting mutation; his body slowly changes into metal and he develops the ability to control electricity.
Overall, the film is entertaining. There’s a fair bit of action and excitement, and plenty of humor. Johnny always has a quip at the ready, and although at times it is painfully obvious what he is about to say, more often than not he is good for a laugh. There’s a small measure of emotional weight as well; Ben’s mutation leaves him with a frightening outer form and he feels alienated not only from those he cares about (like his fianc