A second tier film for a second tier superhero group

Rating: 5/10 (7 July 2005)

FANTASTIC FOUR is yet another attempt for Hollywood to capitalize on the resurgence of the superhero genre which began with the first SPIDERMAN. This resurgence has been uneven at best with some truly great films and some that are not even worth mentioning. The true greats distance themselves from the not so greats through their desire to treat the superheros as people with emotions and real life concerns that exist outside of their special abilities. Being a superhero is not all that "super." It is all responsibility with little or no reward. The great ones exploit this, and the bad ones ignore it. It is here where FANTASTIC FOUR mostly fails. The film seems more concerned with explosions and bad action sequences than real emotion. The human side is explored superficially with Ben Grimm's "The Thing" as he tries to gain an understanding of his new and frightening outward appearance, but it does not reach deep enough into his soul to make it memorable. Their are some entertaining moments so the film is not a total wash, but it definitely lacks the depth, complexity, and superior character study of really great superhero films like BATMAN BEGINS and SPIDERMAN 2.
Marc Richardson