Not Batman, but not bad...

Rating: 7/10 (9 July 2005)

I went in this movie with low, very low expectations and thus came out pleasantly surprised.
Is this movie good? It depends. It doesn't all click together but it is good entertainment. My theater was full when I went and a loud applause came from the audience at the end. Everyone I went with liked it, and I heard several little boys wanting to see it again. That's probably the best demographic to be to enjoy this movie, but other age groups will find a fun-popcorn flick that you won't feel you've wasted your money on.
The best thing about the movie is the dynamic between the actors. They feel like what they're supposed to feel like: a bickering but loving family, and all the actors, especially Evans and Chiklis do a good job. I don't know much about the comics, but you do get a very good sense of their personalities. The only weak link would be Gruffud, which I'm sorry to say because I really liked him in Horatio Hornblower. Mr. Fantastic's just sort a boring character in this movie.
Another great thing about the movie is the humour. Batman was better overall, but it had a dryness that did hinder it from being truly enjoyable. This is where FF truly delivers. Most of the humour comes from Evans who is outstanding at hitting the right notes to make people laugh.
The weak point of the movie was the plot. There was no plot. There was the setup, and then Dr. Doom decides to kill them. That's it. No master plan, no ingenuity. Nothing. It really felt lacking. Somebody mentioned spoilers. I don't see how you could spoil the movie. It's very straightforward and rather predictable.
However, I always rate movies on how I enjoy them overall and I give it 7/10.