Better than the reviews

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2005)

I feel that many of the movie critics have been a little harsh on the Fantastic Four. Granted, "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" did not become the greatest comic book movie, especially sharing the year with two of the best, Sin City & Batman Begins. As a fan of the FF in the pages of Marvel Comics, I can say the film was rather true to the characters. The bickering between the Torch & Thing, Reed's lack of people skills despite his brilliance, & Susan's role as the glue which holds the team together are displayed in all their Marvelous glory. Of all the characters, the Thing came off the best. I enjoyed many of the small touches such as his calling Susan by the name Suzy, his voice sounding exactly like I pictured it all of those years reading, and the tragic portrayal of his appearance. The plot of the film, featuring a Doctor Doom very different from the comic, was lacking in my opinion. This fact is not enough for me to give it a bad review. I think the director understood that the FF may have had to be presented little more campy & less serious than some other films of the genre. I've read complaints that the characters just seemed to go with the flow, not really being amazed as a real person would at gaining such powers. There's something to be said for that, but again I think that was done on purpose. If you like super hero movies, I think you'll enjoy the Fantastic Four. If you're sarcastic about every little "unreal" thing that happens, stay away. If you're a really big fan of Dr. Doom, I'd also recommend staying away.