Chris Evans as Johnny Storm chases after the Silver Surver in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2007).
© 20th Century Fox
Grade: B
Reviewed Format: Theatrical Release
Rated: PG
Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Doug Jones
Writers: Don Payne and Mark Frost, story by John Turman and Mark Frost, based on characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Director: Tim Story
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Reviewed Format: Theatrical Release
Rated: PG
Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Doug Jones
Writers: Don Payne and Mark Frost, story by John Turman and Mark Frost, based on characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Director: Tim Story
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
By: Abbie BernsteinDate: Friday, June 15, 2007
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a case of a sequel that’s better than the original. Granted, the first Fantastic Four didn’t set the bar all that high, but it was good-natured fun. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer runs with that vibe and couples it with its ongoing-storyline advantage to hit the ground running – or, in this case, hit the atmosphere flying.
Reed Richards, aka the stretchable Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd), and Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba), are trying to prepare for their wedding, despite the extreme demands constantly made of them as superheroes. Sue’s publicity-happy brother Johnny, aka the Human Torch (Chris Evans) and pal Ben Grimm, aka the Thing (Michael Chiklis), are in support of the big day, but fate keeps intervening. Something is causing strange freezes to occur in all parts of the Earth, along with gigantic holes. What we know and the Fantastic Four will soon learn is that these mysterious phenomena are connected to an alien who looks like a silvery figure on a flying surfboard (Doug Jones onscreen, Laurence Fishburne supplying the voice), who in turn is connected to something that causes entire planets to erupt and die. One side effect of the alien’s presence is the release of the Four’s nemesis, the presumed-dead Dr. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who promptly tries to turn the whole situation to his advantage.
There’s danger, humor, romance, tragedy, hope and a lot of special effects here, most of them very good, a few not so good. The new film doesn’t hit its jokes so hard, nor try so hard for pathos, with the result that both comedy and drama flow a lot more easily. The actors all appear to be having a good time, with Gruffudd giving Reed some dignity, Alba being charming as Sue (despite Sue’s irritating subplot about trying to be a conformist – what planet does she suppose she and Reed will be raising their kids on if they stop saving this one?), Evans playfully brash as Johnny, Chiklis showing deft timing under a ton of makeup as the hulking Ben and McMahon putting such zest into Dr. Doom that when he tells the fantastic folks, “I hate you,” it’s a laugh line because he means it so much. Jones is eloquently graceful as the alien with the terrible burden.
The movie has its problems. For starters, the screenplay by Don Payne and Mark Frost, based on a story by John Turman and Frost, in turn based on the comics created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, can’t quite figure out how to involve everybody in the climax, with the result that the finale feels somewhat skewed. There’s also the inevitable tradeoff – by achieving the relatively light tone that seems his goal, director Tim Story (who also helmed the first film) turns down the possibility of dramatic resonance. There is at least one rather startling, albeit not gory, death here, and the film isn’t aimed at five-year-olds, but there is overall a family film vibe here. Even someone not familiar with the comics can sense that there may be more to this particular premise than wound up on screen.
Now, let me say...the first X-Men and Fantastic Four films were lacking...having been under funded and under executed by Fox. But I hope they will shoot new, and extra footage, for the first films...and add new and expansive special effects to those films to bring them up to the standards set by their handsome looking sequels, very much like how George Lucas enhanced his old Star Wars films with the Star Wars: Special Editions.