It may not be fantastic, but it is good fun

Rating: 6/10 (18 July 2005)

It seems that naming a movie 'Fantastic Four' just provokes trouble, especially when it fails to be as, well... fantastic as everyone would hope it to be. But Fantastic Four really isn't as bad as most people would have you think. True, it certainly isn't one of the best superhero movies out, (it was certainly bad timing to be released short weeks after the superb Batman Begins) or even one of the best Marvel movies, but Fantastic Four is still solid entertainment, which, fortunately, is all it set out to be.
Director Tim Story shows a rare bit of logic (unseen in last year's atrocious 'Taxi') in recognizing the fact that the origins and powers of the heroes are too far-fetched to be taken seriously enough to play the movie in a darker, more serious manner, such as the X-Men and Spider-Man films. Instead, Story is content to make the movie fun. And herein lies his strength - the movie is fun. But it's when Story aims for the emotional impact that we recall how inept a director he has been in the past, and long to see how much better a more talented director would have made the film. Moments such as the rocky disfigured Thing being ostracized by society are often laughable rather than heartbreaking, if it wasn't for the strength of Michael Chiklis' performance. He makes us really feel Ben Grimm's pain, despite only being able to express it with his eyes, covered by his heavy latex suit, and his strong (no pun intended) performance rises above the mediocre script.
As is the case for the Thing, the spirit of the original characters is successfully brought to life by the cast. Ioan Gruffudd is an admittably obscure choice for Mr. Fantastic, when one reflects that actors such as George Clooney were considered, but he proves to be wise casting, capturing Reed Richard's sense of disconnection from reality, so concerned is he with the 'greater good' of mankind. He comes off as a believable man of science, and not a parody of one.
The casting of the simply gorgeous Jessica Alba clad in spandex will draw many male fans, but her performance is competent enough as well. Alba brings out the uncertain side in Sue, unsure whether to discipline her hotheaded brother in a motherly fashion, or act just as immature as him. (as she does during the inevitable romantic subplot, which is handled surprisingly tastefully, mainly due to the quirkiness of the very different characters of Reed and Sue playing off each other) As said brother, Chris Evans plays Johnny Storm as well as the script would allow, but the character comes off as disappointingly shallow - a typical immature hothead whose only objective is to have a good time. Another character who would benefit from more development is the villainous Victor Von Doom, whose backstory is changed from that of the comics to strangely resemble that of the Green Goblin from Spider-Man, right down to losing his business enterprise, and donning a mask from a personal collection. It's clear that Von Doom has always been a horrible person, but we are given no explanation as to why. However, Julian McMahon is suitably menacing, especially during the sequence of discovering his powers for the first time. While he may not be given a very developed character, McMahon plays the part for all it's worth, reeking cold, suave hatred and ego - a capable villain to counterbalance the varied powers of the four heroes.
Overall, Fantastic Four serves it's purpose, which was to be entertaining. It doesn't strive to be particularly profound, or express truths of human nature. (as the X-Men films do) But with a mediocre screenplay, and a director who proves decent at providing entertainment, but struggles to capture the dramatic moments, the film leaves much to be desired. There's a consistent sense of "what if...?" throughout, as if a better version of the film is just in sight, but not quite achieved. Perhaps with a more capable director and a slightly touched up script, Fantastic Four could have lived up to it's name. As it is, the "Fun Four" proves an equally effective alliteration, and one which, given the final outcome, is more accurate.
-7/10