Why All The Hate?

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2010)

I've watched this film a few times now, and I'm reviewing it on the basis of the extended edition, which to me is a notch or two up from the cinema version. There's more character moments, and a re-instated sub-plot for The Thing and Alicia; in truth the longer version feels more like the Fantastic Four movie that should have been released first time around.
If you want a dark, portentous take on the superhero myth, then go somewhere else. This is a movie aimed at a younger audience than say, The Dark Knight, and it dares to try to be fun and light-hearted - shock horror!!! It's not perfect but it's good entertainment.
The plot is a revamp of the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comic that founded the Marvel Universe. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffud,) Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) and her brother Johnny (Chris Evans) are involved in an experiment aboard a space station with Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon)to measure cosmic radiation. The cosmic storm arrives unexpectedly early, exposing the occupants to its DNA altering properties. They each gain superpowers (I'm sure you know what they are by now!) and Doom turns into an arch-enemy, hating Richards for ruining his business empire and taking Sue away from him.
In truth, Gruffud and Alba are not very interesting but Chiklis and Evans are great fun, and the Thing's fractious relationship with The Human Torch is well-handled. The final battle with Doom is rather good, too, with a few nods at other superhero movies such as Superman II.
So, if you're looking for an easy-going 2 hours I'd recommend this. These characters were always my favourites as a kid, and I had no problems at all with the changes made to the comics. Why all the hate?