Fantastic Four (2005 Film)

***Fantastic Four*** (stylized as ***Fantastic 4***) is a 2005 American-German[4] superhero film based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action *Fantastic Four* film to be filmed. A previous attempt, titled *The Fantastic Four*, was a B-movie produced by Roger Corman that ultimately went unreleased. *Fantastic Four* was released in the United States on July 8, 2005.

Despite being a box-office success, the film received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, *Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer*, was released in 2007. A reboot, also called *Fantastic Four*, was released in 2015.

## Plot

Physicist Dr. Reed Richards is convinced evolution was triggered millions of years ago on Earth by clouds of cosmic energy in space, and has calculated that one of these clouds is soon going to pass near Earth. Together with his friend, astronaut Ben Grimm, Reed convinces Dr. Victor Von Doom, his former classmate at MIT and now CEO of Von Doom Industries, to allow him access to his privately owned space station to test the effects of a biological sample of exposure to the cloud. Doom agrees in exchange for control over the experiment and a majority of the profits from whatever benefits it brings. Reed brings aboard his ex-girlfriend and Von Doom's chief geneticsresearcher Susan Storm and her ex-astronaut brother Johnny.

The quintet travels to outer space to observe the cosmic energy clouds, but Reed miscalculates and the clouds materialize ahead of schedule. Reed and the Storms leave the shielded station to rescue Ben, who had gone on aspacewalk to place the samples. Ben receives full exposure in outer space, while the others receive a more limited dose within the station. Back home they soon develop superpowers: Reed can stretch his body like rubber, Susan Storm can become invisible and generate impact resistant force shields, Johnny Storm can engulf himself in fire and fly unaided, and Ben becomes a rocklike creature with superhuman strength and durability. Meanwhile, Von Doom faces a backlash from his stockholders because of the publicity from the space mission, and has a scar on his face that came from an exploding control console on the station.

Ben's fiancee Debbie cannot handle his new appearance and decides to leave him. Ben goes to brood on the Brooklyn Bridge and accidentally causes a traffic pileup while preventing a man from jumping off the bridge. Ben, Reed and the Storms use their various abilities to contain the damage and prevent harm. The media dubs them the Fantastic Four. They move into Reed's lab in the Baxter Building to study their abilities and seek a way to return Grimm to normal. Von Doom, himself mutating, offers his support but blames Reed for the failure of the spaceflight, which has lost him his company.

Reed tells the group he will construct a machine to recreate the storm and reverse its effects on them, but warns it could possibly accelerate them instead. Meanwhile, Von Doom's arm has become organic metal, giving him superhuman strength allowing him to produce bolts of electricity, and he begins plotting revenge. He drives a wedge between Ben and Reed, who has rekindled his relationship with Susan Storm. Using the machine, Von Doom restores Ben to human form, while accelerating Von Doom's condition, causing much of his body to turn to metal. Von Doom knocks the human Grimm unconscious and captures Reed.

Now calling himself Doctor Doom, he puts on a metallic mask to hide his disfigurement, tortures Reed and fires a heatseeking missile at the Baxter Building in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Johnny Storm. Sue confronts Doom but is outmatched. Ben arrives to assist her, transformed into the Thing again by reusing the machine (speaking his signature line, "It's clobberin' time!"). The battle then gets spilled into the streets and The Storms combine their powers to wrap Doom in an inferno of intense heat, and Ben and Reed douse him with cold water, inducing thermal shock and freezing Doom in place. In an epilogue, Grimm informs Reed that he has accepted his condition with the help of Alicia Masters, a blind artist for whom he has developed feelings, and the team embraces its role as superheroes. Reed proposes marriage to Sue, who accepts. Meanwhile, Doom's statue-like remains are being transported back to his homeland of Latveria when the dock master's electronic manifest briefly undergoes electromagnetic interference, suggesting that Doom is still alive.

## Cast

* Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
* Jessica Alba as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
* Chris Evans as Johnny Storm / Human Torch
* Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm / The Thing
* Julian McMahon as Dr. Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
* Hamish Linklater as Leonard
* Kerry Washington as Alicia Masters
* Laurie Holden as Debbie McIlvane
* David Parker as Ernie
* Kevin McNulty as Jimmy O'Hoolihan
* Maria Menounos as the Sexy Nurse
* Michael Kopsa as Ned Cecil
* Kenny "Cowboy Kenny" Bartram as himself
* Ronnie Renner as himself
* Stan Lee as Willie Lumpkin

Rachel McAdams[5] and Keri Russell were considered for Sue Storm.[6]

As in almost all of the previous Marvel Comics-based films, *Fantastic Four* co-creator Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance. He is Willie Lumpkin, the postal worker who greets the team on their way to the Baxter Building elevator.[7]