Not as Bad as Feared

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2005)

Honestly, when I set out to see the Fantastic Four, I was pretty much convinced I was going to see something very painful. After the fiasco of Daredevil, and judging by some rather... interesting choices in the trailers, I pretty much figured that this was going to be another Comic Masacre. I'm glad I was pleasantly surprised.
The film managed to avoid being indecipherable to people new to the Fantastic Four without explaining every little detail to the point of being boring. It was a little goofy, the scene where our five main characters get their powers standing out as a good example of some moments which were unintentionally funny, but it managed to feel a lot like watching the actual comic book. As the Fantastic Four has always tended to be that way, I can't see it as a downside. The movie actually made me laugh at several points, Johnny in particular was hilarious, and I thought Von Doom was really well done.
The plot line is very slow-paced, and there isn't a whole lot of super-heroing all things considered, but as it had to explain five separate stories whilst trying not to give anyone the short-end of the stick, this is understandable. Some things that bothered me would only bother someone who was a little familiar with the Fantastic Four beforehand. I can't fathom Jessica Alba as Sue Storm. Her performance wasn't bad, but it just didn't feel as though she were playing Sue Storm. It felt as though I was watching Jessica Alba, and I didn't get that with any of the other characters. The special effects were fun, and some of the scenes managed to be shocking without an over-use of gore or violence. Another good thing about this film is its lack of preaching. There were no long-winded speeches on teamwork or heroics, and while there were definite and strong moral themes, especially about acceptance, they aren't shoved down your throat.
On the whole, I'd say it's a good film to see, especially in a group.