I cannot understand why this film did not receive more positive reviews

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2005)

I cannot understand why this film did not receive more positive reviews but I can see why it has been a box-office smash! As a long-time FF aficionado, I felt the movie remained true to the spirit of the comics. Other than the miscasting of the uber-sexy and non-blonde Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, I thought the rest of the cast totally nailed their characters, especially the Thing and the Torch. The interplay between those two caught the essence and original appeal of Stan Lee & Jack Kirby's creations perfectly. The special effects also did justice to the powers of the various characters: comparing favourably with the rather jerky CGI of "Hulk".
Interestingly, my wife, who knew next to nothing about the characters prior to viewing the movie, thoroughly enjoyed the film - much more so than Revenge of the Sith or War of the Worlds (I'm not sure I agree with her on these, but that's another story!)So you don't have to be a comics geek to enjoy this film.
I sometimes think critics don't know how to deal with superhero movies: above all these are meant to be fantasies and fun and cannot, in my opinion, be judged in the same way as more realistic action movies.
One good thing about poor reviews: one gets a pleasant surprise when you actually find a film that does not deserve them!