One word can describe this movie: Fantastic.

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2005)

Where to start...
I guess I'll start by saying that Fantastic Four is a fun, enjoyable movie. By no means is it a masterpiece film, but I love it, though being a big fan of the comics, and looking forward to the film for a while may influence that).
STORY The story in the Fantastic Four is nearly the same as in the comics, with the addition of Doom on the space-ship, and his reactions to the cosmic storm hitting the ship. The story is obviously not realistic, which isn't the point of the movie, because having someone turn into a rock or go invisible isn't realistic. For a comic book movie, I really like the story. It's not really cheesy or corny, but but kind of campy, which is the Fantastic Four I know and love. 8/10
CASTING In my opinion, the casting is nearly perfect. No cast will ever be perfect, because everyone has their opinions, but I feel this cast was excellent. Some I wouldn't have chosen, but they played their part like they were supposed to. 10/10
ACTING The acting was not superb, but it was good. Evans and Chiklis do the best jobs in the movie in my opinion. I also think Gruffudd and Alba did good jobs as well, not to mention McMahon's Doom, who was pretty solid as well. 8/10 SFX These effects were believable, stunning, just fantastic. 10/10 for the effects.
EVERYTHING ELSE There were only a few things I didn't like about the movie, which was some of the dialogue. (What happens when you super-heat rubber?) Outside of that, I found the movie enjoyable, fun, and very true to the comics, outside of Doom, who surprisingly was superior in the film. I like all the little references and similarities to things in the comics.
OVERALL I give this movie a solid 9/10. My 2nd favorite movie of 2005, behind Batman Begins, and just ahead of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Don't listen to the critics, go see the movie for yourself. You'll hate it or love it, but you should still have a fun time. I recommend this movie to people all of ages, as I think all ages will enjoy it if you're not expecting a masterpiece. Oh, and before I forget, I'm not a studio plant, as many people on the boards suggest.