Rated PG. Same staff from the original. Same actors. We might have a problem here

Rating: 3/10 (16 June 2007)

Not only does the entire cast of the original Fantastic Four return for a second installment, the flaws make a return as well. Whether it's the painfully obvious product placement, the bad acting, lack of action, cheesy lines, pointless scenes, lack of chemistry amongst the main two characters, low usage of the villains, mediocre treatment of the villains, lack of character development, or the abundance of jokes falling flat, Rise of the Silver Surfer is practically a prettier and more polished version of the original failure film. While it is a much more entertaining movie than the first, it still needs a bit more work in order to even compete with the hotshot comic book franchises like X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman.
In Rise of the Silver Surfer, we see the Fantastic Four preparing for the wedding of the century, as finally Reed and Sue are getting married. However, there are new threats approaching, hindering the wedding and also messing with the fate of the world. An alien from outer space is entering Earth and creating massive craters for unknown reasons. To add to the mayhem is a return of an old villain, whose hatred towards the heroes is stronger than ever. Upon all this lies an even greater danger lurking deep in space. Quite a lot for a film that's only 92 minutes. This would explain the lack of development and lack of action sequences.
We can start by bashing the acting. Besides the performances of Chris Evans (Human Torch) and Michael Chiklis (The Thing), the acting in Rise of the Silver Surfer is rather awful and laughable, even at the more emotional moments. There are several scenes in which are accidentally funny, and many lines awkwardly delivered, especially that by Ioan Gruffudd (Reed) and Julian McMahon (Dr. Doom). Not supporting the lack of decent acting is the writing, which becomes just as dreadful. There is a lot of cheesy dialogue in this movie, and while the story had potential, ultimately doesn't deliver because of the lack of screen time share by the Silver Surfer and Dr. Doom. Most of the movie we see the Fantastic Four fighting and bickering amongst themselves, while the villains kick back and wait for their moment to shine.
There are many good stories in the Fantastic Four comic books; it shouldn't be that hard to flesh out a good storyline involving the heroes and villains. The handling of the villains and enemies are just as bad as in the original. Dr. Doom is one of the roughest scoundrels in all of Marvel, yet is limited to a mere joke and side note in the second installment. Doom was wreaking a bit more havoc the second time around, but yet again doesn't deliver the sense of danger and fear that is presented by over villains in other comic book films. The Silver Surfer is heavily underused, as he was able to showcase his cool-looking powers in just one chase sequence and another run-in later in the movie. Also not helping is how the audience is never able to explore the origins or the motivations of the mysterious being. Worst of all is the totally unique image and portrayal of the planet-eating monster Galactus. There are comic book fans that will squeal in anger upon seeing its appearance.
The short action sequences of Fantastic Four were nicely handled and drawn-out, but just didn't last long enough. There weren't enough showdowns, not enough epic battles, and most certainly did not deliver on the climax. By the end we'll see stupid departures and a slew of cop-outs, as well as anti-climactic scenes, massive plot holes, and unnecessary emotionally heavy moments (you'll see why). The special effects were a mixed bag as well, as the Silver Surfer and doomsday effects were done nicely--but then contradicted by the effects of the Fantastic Four in action (especially the stretching done by the main character). Add a ridiculous dance sequence, bad jokes sprinkled, and blatantly obvious product placement, and we have ourselves the biggest disappointment of the summer blockbuster season.
Bottom Line: With so many things wrong and going against it, Rise of the Silver Surfer disappoints and is a letdown in almost every single possible way. Granted its better than the original, the franchise still needs major changes, or at least a totally different cast. Is it too late for a Fantastic Four Begins? Seriously, stop making a joke out of the enemies. Stop screwing around with a potentially good franchise. This movie isn't going to attract any new fans nor would it please the people already fans of the comic book. Skip this and read the books, you'll be much more entertained and have a better chance of feeling like you got your money's worth.