 Fox // Buy from Fox Store // Buy from Amazon.comWhen an experimental space voyage goes awry, four people are changed by cosmic rays. Reed Richards, inventor and leader of the group gains the ability to stretch his body, and takes the name, Mr. Fantastic. His girlfriend, Sue Storm, gains the ability to turn invisible and create force fields, calling herself the Invisible Woman. Her younger brother Johnny Storm gains the ability to control fire, including covering his own body with flame, becoming the Human Torch. Pilot Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong rock creature calling himself Thing. Together, they use their unique powers to explore the strange aspects of the world, and to foil the evil plans of Doctor Doom. I so wanted to enjoy this film, as I grew up a huge comic book fanboy and always counted the "Fantastic Four" - and the myriad of characters that graced its pages - as one of the shining lights of the comic world. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, this movie stunk. Hard. Lame script. Weak acting. Cheesy special effects. Almost a paint-by-numbers approach to filmmaking that did little to satisfy, thrill or entertain, even for a someone who so loves these characters. Disappointing is hardly a strong enough word for how I felt... So now we get an "extended edition," the release of which is timed nicely for the sequel to hit the theatres. Well, upon a second viewing - with 20 more minutes of screentime - my thoughts aren't quite as harshly negative, but still color me underwhelmed. I understand that the first film needs to introduce & establish the characters and story arc for those who didn't read hundreds of pages of FF4 journeys as kids... but this one is just weak overall, and that's a shame. What this 2-disc double dip does offer up, however, is a wealth of documentaries and featurettes not only on the film, but on the comics and Mr. Jack Kirby himself (the king of all that is cool in comics in the 60s.) I had a blast watching those documentaries, and tolerated the film itself. Here's hoping "Rise of the Silver Surfer" stinks less. Video A fantastic (pun-intended) looking transfer is served up for this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation, with crisp colors, razor sharp detail and zero film detrius. Audio A boomin' Dolby 5.1 surround mix delivers the sonic goodness in stellar fashion. Extras Closing Thoughts Pretty tame & lame comic book adaptation + superb collection of extras (spread across 2 DVDs!) = worth checking out for all of the featurettes & documentaries Labels: review |
