Mostly entertaining Stan Lee comics movie.

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2006)

When I am in the mood for escapist fun, movies from comic books is one of my favorite genres. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X-Men, and a few others have all made into superbly entertaining movies. I am not familiar with the Fantastic 4, so I viewed this movie as a neophyte. I enjoyed it very nicely, especially because Jessica Alba is in it. I became a fan of hers in the Dark Angel TV series and, even though she isn't an outstanding actress, she does OK and is just great fun to watch.
So the story here is 5 astronauts are on a mission when some sort of cosmic radiation cloud sweeps over them. At first, after they get back to base, it appears that no harm was done. However, eventually they all begin to change from "altered DNA" such that they each develop a different "fantastic power." Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) had been on a space walk and thus was most exposed, so he became very heavy and very strong as a man who looks like a collection of small boulders. Sue Storm (Alba) gets the power to become invisible, her brother Johnny can burst into flames and fly by jet propulsion. Reed becomes elastic, can stretch long distances. But the 5th person, Victor Von Doom, becomes the evil villain. So much of the rest of the movie had the Fantastic 4 in battle against Von Doom who wants to eradicate them and be in sole power.
SPOILERS. In a final showdown in the street, the four combine their powers to get Von Doom very hot, then quench him with water, to turn him into an immobile metal man. In the end we see him, a statue of sorts, being loaded into a shipping crate then sailing off to parts unknown, along with many other crates. However, we glimpse a sign of life from his crate, setting up the inevitable sequel.
(Note: Kerry Washington who plays Alicia Masters looks so much like star Jerssica Alba, they could be twins.)