A worthwhile Comic-book movie

Rating: 6/10 (11 July 2005)

I just returned from seeing the movie, and I must say, it certainly was not as bad as I've heard it was. The acting came out rather flat at times, and the end isn't as spectacular as I'd hoped given the rest of the film.
Overall, this is an origin story, and does a good job of setting up the characters' personalities and the "family drama" that is inherent in the Fantastic Four comics. I would have liked a little more action, I suppose, but I'm satisfied with what I've seen and am hopeful for the inevitable sequel. If you really know the characters and story, you will understand why they weren't quite as fleshed out as they are now in the comics, since this is very early on in the whole story.
I might have given the movie a higher score if Jessica Alba could have acted more like Sue Storm and not someone else (Susan Storm is supposed to be a little more modest. I also sometimes wondered if she put her makeup on with a spatula). The movie fell short of fantastic, but was a fun view nonetheless. I loved Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and everyone else more or less got the characters down pretty well. A Good film, but not a Great one. Worth a watch, especially if you know the story and can perceive the little details they toss into the mix.