Thats It????!!!!!!,

Rating: 6/10 (28 June 2007)

This was my first reaction as the film ended and I'm sticking to it.
BUT as I go from sequel to sequel,from Marvel movie to Marvel movie, and from OK movie to OK movie,so much "MORE OF THE SAME" is making it very difficult to write a relatively coherent, unemotional, and objective review.
Im no fan but I've do some research on the comic movie I'm about to see.
Few things are clear about the movie though.
1)ITS A HARDCORE FORMULA (accounting for demographics)FLICK. (read my review of spider-man 3to know what I'm talking about).
2)The budget was limited.
3)AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IF EVER THERE WAS A Children's FILM THIS IS IT.
The formula part is clear because.
1)The FF visit so many countries, its funny how the powerful general is always black and how so many scenes show Asian Army Men (haha in real life i wonder how many senior ranking generals are black and how many Asians are in the Army).
2)The special effects are strictly OK, Mr. Fantastic looks absolutely fake, Invisible woman does no invisible stunts (ones requiring extra CG), The Thing is there only to talk, all the special effects have been spent on Super Doom, Silver Surfer and Human Torch (and his super version).
3)This movie is more like the cartoons of FF, everyone knows that save for the Galactus angle (he devours worlds but is a vital part of the universe) there is nothing dark about the FF, in this sense this movie is ideal for children, no violence, only one person gets hurt and that too not visibly, the messages are all there making the right choices,doing your duty,accepting what you are etc etc.The burping and bear jokes are clearly aimed at them, the DANCING IN THE CLUB ALA SPIDERMAN MAY HAVE BEEN FOR MULTIPLE TARGETS (women,preteens,children) If you want to take children for a comic movie and are afraid about the sexual/violent/dark themes than this is the perfect movie.
IF YOU VIEW THIS MOVIE AS A Children's COMIC BOOK MOVIE THAN THIS MOVIE IS CLEARY AN 8-9/10, the only thing that pull it down is that even cartoon have more action (especially gun action though they always do no harm) then this movie).
Now for the justification of the summary..
I expected Jessica Alba to be hot BUT SHE WAS LOOKING HIDEOUS TO SAY THE LEAST, the signs were there when she kept going on record to say she wanted to look less sexy so people could take her more seriously as an actress YA RIGHT, FF is just the vehicle to prove your acting prowess.
I expected there to be at least one really big scene, but after almost every scene is was satisfied but craving for more. (The Millennium Wheel and the first chase scene were really good though).
The Thing and Torch provide lots of funny G rated jokes, this movie is filled with G rated humour.
Eye candy was non-existent the alternate track with the blonde "ohh so perfect and nice" army woman was pathetic, the scene where she Johny pleads her to trust him when shes threatening them with a gun WAS FUNNY AND SAD AT THE SAME TIME (the gun may have as much as stung......................none of them), haha the FF and Silver Surfer threatened with a gun, minutes away from disaster have time for a dialogue scene.
And the one fact that triggered the reaction, towards the end I expected a really big showdown between the most powerful character in the comic universe and his equally enigmatic but not quite as powerful servant, what i instead got was a damp squib that was stale enough to be ancient.
SO THATS IT???!!! THATS HOW EASY IT IS TO DEFEAT THE MOST Powerful COMIC BOOK CHARACTER EVER.(The mega powerful SS wasn't beaten with much effort either).
PROVISIONS FOR SEQUELS AND SPIN-OFFS HAVE BEEN MADE AS EXPECTED, I WILL SHAVE MY HEAD IF THERE Isn't At least ONE MORE FF AND A SILVER SURFER SPIN-OFF.
On a positive note Laurence Fishburne did an excellent voice-over of the SS as did Macmohan with Doom.
In all another film that just about meets the mark, BUT REALLY EXCELS AS A Children's MOVIE.
Ideal for a matinée (any cheaper) show with the family on a Sunday (which is what i did).
OR BETTER STILL WATCH ON TV WHEN IT COMES THERE.
Watch with sequel considerations, ratings, comic book, current crop of movies in mind.
-s NO BIG SCENES, every aspect leaves you with the feeling THATS IT?!!, so so acting, HIDEOUS ALBA, LACKLUSTRE END.
+/-s Children's MOVIE.
+s short and sweet, doesn't excel but manages to pull through on humour and a few memorable scenes dialogues,meets low expectations,VERY GOOD FAMILY/CHILRENS MOVIE.
total 6/10 (factoring in lowered expectations and sequel, once again careful analysis makes the movie go from just good to OK to bad to worse, but when i left except the end leaving a really bad taste the movie was OK and I've stuck to my original rating, gone are the times repeat viewing and careful analysis made the movie better).