Superhero escapism at its most simplified and unashamedly enjoyable

Rating: 6/10 (11 December 2008)

From the very onset of its being announced, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer stood out as one of the least expected sequels of the year. After the lackluster box office and critical reviews of the first adaptation of the classic Marvel comics team, it seemed unlikely that any further mileage would be attempted to be extracted from the source material. However, Twentieth Century Fox saw differently, and a sequel was triumphantly declared, begging the question as to whether the franchise would follow the recently conventional superhero route of going darker and more complex. In the end, such concerns couldn't be farther away from the intent of the project, as Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer proves just as deliriously determined as its predecessor to entertain, even at the sake of complexity, its exploration of the coming of the Silver Surfer, one of the most fascinating in the comic's history being processed as superhero escapism at its most simplified and unashamedly enjoyable.
The story begins immersed in expositional drama, with the pending media circus of a wedding between Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman leaving the couple debating abandoning superheroism in favour of a normal married life. However, despite the intriguing subtextual examination of the cultural role of the superhero in a media obsessed society, the madcap pre-wedding antics may be cute but are often oversimplified or overstated, the occasional profound kernel lost amidst borderline excessive silliness (Mr. Fantastic "loosening up" at his bachelor party is fun, but a bit much). As such, it is almost a relief when the future of the world is threatened, and the real fun begins. The expanded scale of the conflict (saving Earth from destruction by intergalactic force Galactus and his herald the Silver Surfer) allows the special effects team to up the ante on flexing their big budget muscles, between exhilarating cosmically powered showdowns to more subtle touches (Mr. Fantastic's stretching ability looks far less artificial this time). John Ottman's triumphant musical score completes the heroic package, exemplifying the 'generic but undeniably fun' tone of the film.
Returning director Tim Story's continual desire to keep the mood light and fun may hamper the story's potential for actual gravitas regarding the pending end of the world, but the breezy exhilaration of the film is sufficient to prevent the viewer from devoting enough attention to the ludicrous situation, content to earnestly wow and cheer rather than fret matters such as realism, coherence or the vain attempts to make Jessica Alba appear blonde and blue-eyed. Story's penchant for nodding to fans of the comics also makes the film substantially more entertaining, with inclusions such as the Fantasticar proving rousing and exhilarating, and even his revamping of the ominous Galactus proving surprisingly satisfying. In an era of superhero films attempting to continually one-up each other on the 'dark and brooding' front, it is surprisingly refreshing to see a comic book adaptation with no more grandiose goals than to entertain, sporting such an unpretentious sense of fun that one can't help but go along for the ride in despite the numerous stumbles.
Once again, Ioan Gruffudd impresses as emotionally distant yet quirkily noble heroic scientist Mr. Fantastic, perfectly essaying the occasional comedic or dramatic moment which emerge from his aptly maintained front of stern focus. Unfortunately, Jessica Alba disappointingly delivers a far less inspired performance than even her usual standard as the harried Invisible Woman. Alba's flat, painfully unemotional performance is uncomfortably punctuated by her grotesque excesses in makeup, giving her the appearance of a bizarre doll rather than human being. Conversely, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the impish Human Torch and gruffly wisecracking rock-encrusted Thing prove the casting highlights, their comedic banter and irreverently charismatic performances providing the film with much needed emotional heart and comic relief.
However, returning antagonist Julian McMahon as Machiavellian Doctor Doom feels like a hasty last minute addition, his sparsity of screen time giving McMahon little chance to exude sufficient villainous menace or even appear to have much point as a character. In contrast, Kerry Washington is delightfully charming as the Thing's blind girlfriend Alicia, and Andre Braugher delivers a reliably disapproving performance as a gruff military general. Finally, the masterful motion capture movement of Doug Jones and melodious, otherworldly voice of Lawrence Fishburne combine perfectly to capture the mystery and pathos of the dynamic Silver Surfer, instilling real heart into a potentially overly artificial character.
To call Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer mindless entertainment would hardly be a substantial overstatement, as the film's primary concern of delivering light-hearted fun often comes at the expense of character development and credible emotional engagement with the story. However, mindless entertainment need not be seen as strictly a negative, and those willing to take the film for what it is, a piece of not overly challenging, fun and occasionally exhilarating superpowered escapism, may well find the film a rousing success - just don't expect to remember much of it days down the road.
-6/10