Almost Great, but "third act" is totally missing!

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2005)

The makers of the "Fantastic Four" got the characters and spirit of the original comic just right, and the story of how they got their powers and what they do with them once they get them is perfectly in line with the Stan Lee-Jack Kirby classic (The dark-skinned Jessica Alba does look a bit too young for the part, and a bit artificial as a blonde, but I don't think anyone will complain much because she handles the part well and still looks great).
But despite these positives, the screenwriters completely dropped the ball on the "third act"--what we regular people usually call the end of the flick, the slam bang climax,the part where the heroes save the world from the evil villain through thrilling daring do. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone out there, but let's just say that when the movie comes to its abrupt end, you will definitely feel as though about 20 minutes of action was left on the cutting room floor (or in the screenwriter's trash can).
Ultimately,however, "Fantastic Four" is not meant to be heavy like that pretentious, overpraised crapfest "Batman Begins." This is a light film, with lots of humor based on the realities of everyday life--more of a "sitcom with action" than "gothic opera with action," just as the comic was in the early days. There's not a thing dark about it. And in a way it is refreshing to see a superhero film that focuses almost entirely on likable characters instead of a huge ear-splitting, eye-assaulting cgi end-of-the-world mindblast of an action ending.
Even so, I think most folks who see the movie will leave the theater asking their friends and themselves "was that it?"