Blair Space: Fantastic Four

This article was published on Blair Space at:
http://movies.blairspace.com/reviews/175.html

Fantastic Four

If there is one thing Hollywood loves to do at the moment is it re-make comic book heroes. I mean in the last month we have had Batman Begins, over the past few years we have had everything from Spiderman to The Hulk and the latest one to come out is Fantastic Four.

Surprisingly enough the comic was based around four superheroes – Mr Fantastic who can stretch his limbs, The Thing who is basically a big rock, The Human Torch who can set himself on fire and fly and The Invisible Girl who can turn herself invisible and also do some kind of air attack (I never actually read the comic ;).

Conveniently their enemy Victor Von Doom (what a name!) who is infused with an excellent performance from Julian McMahon (Christian in Nip Tuck, Cole in Charmed) also has superpowers. So you just know the movie is going to end in a final showdown.

The movie starts with the five blasting into space and getting hit by radiation that “fundamentally altered their DNA.” When they return to earth they soon discover that they have some rather cool powers. Also, as their suites got hit by the radiation they can transform and be resistant to fire too also why the badges survive the punishment I’m not sure.

The movie isn’t one big battle between the four and Victor though; in fact it only occurs at the end and feels rather bolted on. The movie mostly tells of the story of them and how they arrived at this point, the final show down is actually quite a let down that is over pretty fast.

It doesn’t seem to know where it is – it seems a movie based at comic book fans which would not suggest a particularly young audience which is supported by most of the film but every now and then something will happen like them standing around smiling at the end or writing their name in the sky that seems to lower the standard of the rest of the movie. Maybe it’s just me.

There are some good moments of the films though, mainly the occasional joke that has been slipped into the film such as the addition of the badges to the suites or Sue in her underwear on the Manhattan bridge (what would this film have been without Jessica Alba?).

The performances on the whole are not too bad, particularly Julian McMahon who always puts on a good act. Feeling the emotion of Michael Chiklis is hard to feel when he is a giant pile of pebbles though, it just doesn’t really work in the same way it did with Beauty and the Beast.

I sat through the movie and maybe even enjoyed some of it but as another generic comic book to movie transition Famous Four doesn’t fail to disappoint as a below standard Hollywood film. Solid performances but a plot that lets the movie down and an ending which seals its fate.