Not great, but far from bad.

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2006)

Fantastic Four is the story of five scientists who travel into space, and after being blasted by cosmic rays, gain special powers. Reed Richards can stretch any part of his body to any length. Susan Storm can turn invisible and fire force fields. Johnny Storm can generate flame. Ben Grimm has turned into a giant rocky creature with amazing strength. Victor Von Doom can generate electricity. As the four main heroes try to find the cure for their powers, Doom becomes power hungry and turns evil.
Fantastic Four is one of those movies that's not meant to be taken seriously. It's for pure popcorn entertainment, and it accomplishes that very well. The movie has a good blend of humour, drama, and action. Some parts are kind of corny, but that can go for any film.
The cast is good. Ioan Gruffud, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, and Michael Chiklis do good in their roles, and Julian Macmahon is awesome as Doom...Until he gets into costume, and he starts to overact a bit.
My main problem is the story. The movie captures the tension between the four, and Ben's stress with what he's become very well. However, it focuses way too much on that, and all the action in the movie is reserved for the last 15 minutes. Doom doesn't even appear in all his comic book glory until the end, and it's disappointing. Also, the Fantastic Four fight to save themselves at the end, and not for the lives of innocent people, like most superheroes.
The movie makes for a fun watch, but if you're looking for a serious film, this isn't it. 6.5/10