underwhelming..... some spoilers

Rating: 4/10 (7 July 2005)

the effects are just fine and do the Fantastic Four justice, the rest of the film is not up to the task.
With the exception of Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, the characters are largely uninteresting mainly due to an inferior plot which gives the Fantastic Four little to do other than mope, engage in tepid love triangles (ok Doom's a jerk but what does Sue see in Reed?), and trust the bad guy for no reason.
Which bring us to the most disappointing aspect; the 'villain'. Dr Doom, though played fine enough by Julian McMahon, (who is well seasoned at playing a soul-less cad on Nip/Tuck) is given little purpose other than he is just a bad guy at heart. As played in the movie, Dr Doom presents a threat specifically and personally to the Fantastic Four and no one else, which really undermines the villain's effectiveness. What is so 'fantastic' if the superhero group is not saving the city if not the world or doing something that matters other than saving themselves?
Fantastic four is OK, I would not advise not seeing it but I would suggest to temper your expectations. If you want to see a good movie based on a comic book, go see Batman Begins