Much Better than the Debut, but the Surfer is a Bit Watered-Down

Rating: 7/10 (29 April 2008)

The second installment in the Fantastic Four franchise is a more plot-driven reader's digest version of the classic Jack Kirby/ Stan Lee story of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. Those who do not already know what was left out of the screen adaptation will probably not feel the full depth and power of the original work - the Surfer's constant anguish, his loss of identity, the labyrinthine philosophical dialogue and the profound power of Galactus, and the hopelessness of our heroes' situation. Nevertheless, 4: The Rise of the Silver Surfer manages to connect the dots surprisingly well, and distills this great tale to its essence.
An astronomical phenomenon has come to earth, bringing with it environmental disasters and warnings of worse to come. The phenomenon is the embodiment of the power cosmic - a being infused with the ability to convert matter and energy at will. What does he want, and how long is the earth to survive? Meanwhile, back at Fantastic Four HQ, Reed and Sue are planning a wedding, and Ben and Johnny are beginning to settle into their characters. As the earth crumbles around them, the couple that binds our team of heroes are considering leaving heroism behind once and for all. But Reed's mind can not be contained, and when Victor Von Doom surfaces with new knowledge about the surfer, his competitive instincts and sense of danger are uncontrollably agitated.
I have long held the opinion that the saga of the Silver Surfer could not be made into a successful movie. Thankfully, this film does not attempt to tell the whole story, but only skims the surface of the surfer and Galactus' introduction. Jack Kirby's amazing artwork could never translate properly into the cinematic medium, and - again thankfully - the art directors and screenwriters involved in this film completely re-envisioned and reinvented Galactus, but left the surfer largely intact. In my opinion, this film did what it set out to do as well as it could be done.
The cast seemed both more challenged by and more comfortable in their roles in The Rise of the Silver Surfer. The script, editing and directing were all noticeably better than the introductory film, and the special effects were appropriately fantastic.
Recommended for fans, but not recommended for purists. As always, comic book fans should not let their expectations run away with them. Film is a different medium, and sometimes requires a radically different story.