Fantastic Four 1-2 Reviews And Comments

Fantastic Four 1-2 Reviews And Comments - SPOILER WARNING
Both movies are mentioned here. It sounds... 20% FF2, 80% FF, with general comments on the whole story. The Spoteye 5.19.07: Fantastic Four Posted by Scotty Flamingo on 05.20.2007 One of the best/worst comic book movies of all time. Do you have a certain movie, show, or celebrity that you love, but you don't see much praise about? OR, do you have a certain movie, show or celebrity that you despise, but you feel like you are the only one because of mountains of undeserved praise? This column is about those things that seem to be unfairly criticized or forgotten completely, OR it is those things that are overrated and overvalued. This isThe…Um…Bullight Spoteye!. Yo, it is Scotty and it is another column here at 411. With Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer coming out soon, I thought I'd go after the original as it is one of the most disjointed movies I've ever seen. I never caught the first movie in the theater, or even DVD. I thought the effects looked week, and Dr. Doom looked silly. Eventually, I saw the film the same way I see most movies I don't care enough about to go to the theater and see, I caught it on HBO. I found that most of my instincts were correct. However, I also found pieces of a great comic book movie intermingled with the ****. The Story There is nothing wrong with the basic plot of FF. Four people get superpowers and struggle with supervillains and their own personal issues. Johnny Storm embraces his powers, while Ben Grimm is crippled with depression. In the end, the good guys learn to accept their powers and each other. Pretty simple and a good blueprint for a first movie. Of course, there are a few storylines that bring down the rest of the film, including having the Fantastic Four's arch nemesis, Dr. Doom, being part of the accident and gaining his own powers through it. The Major Players Reed Richards – The leader of the team and one of the smar-*test*-('") men on the planet. Ieon Gruffudd is ok here. There is nothing too horrible about his Richards. He is emotionally detached, which is good. However, the character comes off as too young and naïve. Reed is supposed to be the "Dad" of the group, and here he just seems like an older nerdy brother. Sue Storm – I've heard a lot of complaints about Jessica Alba as the Invisible Woman. I agree with a lot of them. She's basically eye candy. Don't get me wrong, Sue Storm is supposed to be a hotty, but she's the "Mom" of the group. Add to the fact that she's smart. Maybe not as smart as Reed, but she can hang with him. Here she is more like the damsel in distress who took a few science classes. The Human Torch – Studios always want to get the teen heartthrobs in their movies for the teen audience. It is that mindset that hurt the characters of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Those characters should have been played by older, more mature actors. However, here is where you can use the Tiger Beat cover boy. Johnny Storm is your typical self-absorbed teenager, except he has superpowers. Chris Evans does a great job with being more concerned with being hot than saving the world. The Thing – This is the strongest part of the movie. Michael Chiklis does an excellent job as Ben Grimm. He plays the character as an average joe who just had his life ruined by being turned into a monster. Unfortunately, Chiklis's (is that how you plural that??) performance cannot hide what is a pretty piss poor make-up job. The look of the Thing here is no better than the infamous Roger Corman Fantastic Four Thing. The Thing looks more like a fat burn victim than a man made of Rock. He looks incredibly rubbery and it is a distraction throughout the movie. Dr. Doom – And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where Fantastic Four completely bombs as a movie. Dr. Doom is THE quintessential comic book villain. He's over-the-top, he speaks in third person, and he rules his own country. His is NOT a corporate shark. I swear, Hollywood cannot create a villain that isn't either a high power executive or a high ranking military officer. Julian McMahon absolutely blows as the demented doctor. I've never liked McMahon's previous work. I hate Nip/Tuck and couldn't stand his character on that show. However, at least that character is SUPPOSED to be a slimy weasel. McMahon totally downplays being Dr. Doom. His Doom is more concerned about clearing up his skin and flirting with Sue Storm that ruling the world and destroying that retched Richards. This is a part where you can totally ham it up and overact your ass off, and McMahon seems bored with it. I don't blame McMahon for everything however. The writing for his character is atrocious, with plenty of lame one-liners. There is also the previously mentioned transformation of Doom from a mad scientist to corporate suit. Equally poor is the decision to make Dr. Doom a product of the same accident that creates the Fantastic Four. Rather than having a suit of armor that he designed, Doom's actual skin becomes metal. Also, the dynamic of Doom as a political figure is lost here. Part of what makes Dr. Doom what he is, is that he has other resources besides super powers to take on his enemies. He has an entire nation of followers, he has an army of Doombots, he has a brilliant scientific mind, and he has knowledge of sorcery and magic. Here, he's just a rival boyfriend, a rich guy, or the jerk that you work with. That's hardly intimidating. In a couple of week's we will have the sequel. Will that film correct the mistakes of the original or continue down a forked path. Well, it seems that with a cool looking Silver Surfer, things could pick up. However, with the rumors of Galactus being little more than a giant storm cloud, it looks http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/54709/The-Spoteye-5.19.07:--Fantastic-Four.htm

Thanks to sjc. Movie Preview Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer THE SILVER SURFER If you felt that Jessica Alba's presence as Sue ''Invisible Woman'' Storm in 2005's Fantastic Four was a bit...invisible — well, you're not alone. ''She wasn't very layered,'' Alba admits. ''Kinda had one emotion. Kinda the same in every scene.'' For the new Fan Four film, Alba promises her character will have way more substance as she faces married life with Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd). Another relief: The sequel is not laden with the title Fantastic Four 2. ''Such a nerdy name,'' Alba giggles. ''Rise of the Silver Surfer's more epic.'' And this franchise will take any PR help it can get. While the first Fan Four grossed over $150 million, the critics were unfriendly and fanboys downright hostile. ('' massive turd,'' screamed one Ain't It Cool review.) ''Our was handicapped because it was an origin film,'' explains Evans, who plays the Human Torch. To that end, returning director Tim Story promises ''more action'' and a more villainous Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). ''We weren't able to really make him a badass ,'' says Story. ''I wanted this time for him to always be scheming.'' Really, though, it's the enigmatic and nefarious Silver Surfer — an all-CGI character captured Gollum-style by actor Doug Jones (Hellboy) — who will -*test*-('") this franchise's bona fides. (As Alba says, ''Fans love him almost as a Jesus figure.'') Story promises he's embracing the Surfer's origins as an extraterrestrial herald for a planet-devouring creature known as Galactus. But wait: Given the Surfer's power to transform matter at will, he's pretty much impossible to defeat, no? ''Tell me about it,'' moans Story. ''We did come up with a device which would weaken him. I'll just say that at some point, we find a way to divide him from .'' Must've been one gnarly wave. (June 15) http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20035167,00.html EDIT: Similar Article IN A SUMMER of surefire movie hits (or three-quels) it’s almost impossible to predict box office casualties. But one of the more vulnerable might be Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer given the likewarm reaction to the original among some fans and critics. The film – starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis – grossed over $150 million and set up the possibility of a franchise. But even by the admission of one of its own stars, Evans (who plays The Human Torch), it was far from a perfect beginning. “Our story was handicapped because it was an original film,” he told US magazine Entertainment Weekly in a recent interview. Hence, the sequel promises more action and more villainy from Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who spent most of the first film turning bad rather than really providing the Fab Four anything to deal with. What’s more, the superheroes must also face the arrival of enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, who comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. The Silver Surfer has long been a fan favourite and for the purposes of this sequel, he’s an all-CGI character that’s been brought to life, Gollum-style by Hellboy actor Doug Jones. As for Doom, McMahon told IndieLondon whilst promoting his recent film Premonition that there was plenty to look forward to. “Dr Doom comes back and he’s pissed off at the fact that he’s been melted and frozen and sent away in a casket on a long cruise. So when he comes back he’s bitter and twisted. To me it’s kind of like the Dr Doom that I know from the cartoons and comic books. “He’s always been a bit of a different character once we put him on film to what I felt he was. But his whole thing was: “Take over the universe, own everything, destroy the Fantastic Four and manipulate anybody’s powers if he can.” So that’s what he does…” So, with Doom acting the “badass” and constantly scheming and the seemingly indestructible Silver Surfer adding to the Four’s concerns, don’t bet against returning director Tim Story really helping The Fantastic Four to find their feet this time. And if that’s not enough, we’re also promised more of Jessica Alba, whose Invisible Woman/Sue Storm is given much more substance as she attempts to settle into married life with Gruffudd’s Mr Fantastic. Advance trailers certainly suggest a bolder approach, while early word from distributor Twentieth Century Fox suggests its aiming to broaden its appeal to a higher age bracket. Could it be that one of the more obvious tips for box office under-performance could yet have a Silver lining? Find out when Rise of The Silver Surfer opens in UK cinemas on June 15. Watch the trailer http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/fantastic-four-rise-of-the-silver-surfer-preview

Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer, An Expanded View Movie Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer Posted By: Tim / Source In 2005, movie audiences worldwide were introduced to the Fantastic Four, the fabulous quartet of superheroes that have captivated comic book readers since their 1961 debut in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four #1, created by Marvel legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Headquartered in the world famous Baxter Building in New York City, the Fantastic Four are dedicated to the betterment of the world through scientific discovery and defense against evil. With FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, the filmmakers are able to expand the scope of the first film and introduce new characters, and new adventures, for the world’s premiere superhero team. Director Tim Story explains: "We’ve got a new character coming to the scene, the Silver Surfer, who is one of the coolest comic book characters of all time. So we’ve upped the ante with bigger stunts, more action, and more CGI characters and situations. With the origin story firmly established, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER screenwriter Don Payne, a lifelong fan of the Fantastic Four comics, set out to take the next step with the series. "I wanted this movie to be the rare sequel that’s better than the original -- with more excitement, more drama, more humor, more action,” Payne says. "I also really wanted to explore where the characters are at this point in their lives. They’re much better off financially, but they’re dealing with the downside of celebrity. Sue and Reed are moving on and trying to get married. Ben and Alicia are enjoying being a happy couple, while Johnny’s got his own issues. So there are exciting things happening with characters and relationships. But most of all, I’m excited about the dimension added by the Silver Surfer.” FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER draws from an amalgamation of storylines from the Fantastic Four comic books, as well as new story developments and characters. "The movie draws from the first appearance of the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #48-50,” says Payne. "But we’re also using story elements from Fantastic Four #57-60, where the Silver Surfer encounters Dr. Doom. There are a couple of moments inspired by the recent Ultimate Extinction series as well.” The film’s main centerpiece from which the story unfolds is the sensational "Wedding of the Century.” Familiar to generations of comic book fans, the wedding between Reed Richards and Sue Storm, first depicted in Fantastic Four King Size Annual #3 in 1965, is the comic world’s equivalent to the historic wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di. But wedding plans ultimately go awry with the introduction of the Silver Surfer, when mysterious and destructive anomalies start appearing across the Earth and the Fantastic Four are called into action. The Silver Surfer, the "Sky-Rider of the Spaceways,” made his debut on the pages of Fantastic Four #48 in 1966. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at the early stages of the 1960s counterculture explosion, the Silver Surfer soon became a mainstay of Marvel Comics, appearing regularly in the pages of the Fantastic Four, and eventually launching his own self-titled series. The Silver Surfer, whose real name is Norrin Radd, is revered as one of the noblest and most tormented cosmic entities in the Marvel Universe. With his cosmic-powered board, he can absorb and manipulate the universe’s ambient cosmic energies. "I think the appeal of the Silver Surfer is that he’s a complex, tragic character,” says Don Payne. "He’s got a Zen-like detachment from the world, but he still feels compassion. He’s heroic, having basically sacrificed his own life to serve Galactus in order to save his planet and the woman he loved. However, in doing so, he’s also bringing about the destruction of other worlds and species -- so there’s a real moral ambiguity to him. He looks at the world and humanity through an outsider’s perspective, which people find fascinating.” "We try to stay as close as possible to the Silver Surfer from the pages of the comic book,” Tim Story adds. "Technically, what’s been great about this experience with the Surfer is, because he’s a CGI character, we’re able to create him from scratch, meaning I can sculpt him to look exactly like the comic book character. Our Silver Surfer is the Surfer we all know and love. So I think the fans and everyone who’s familiar with this character will appreciate that he’s going to be living and breathing exactly how they’ve always known him to be.” "Fantastic Four” saw the apparent demise of the Four’s arch-villain, the tyrant Victor Von Doom, who was encased in a shipping container and exported back to his fictional home country of Latveria. "It’s a fantasy movie so characters can come and go, and die and resurrect,” Ralph Winter explains about Doom’s return. "Doom has figured out how to come back. He’ll be interacting with everyone; still making eyeballs at Sue, still trying to denigrate Reed and thinking that he’s better than Surfer. He’s going to try and grab everything he can for himself.” "For the first time Victor and the Fantastic Four must actually work together to achieve a specific goal,” says Tim Story. "At the end of the day we’ll see that you can never trust Victor Von Doom. He always has an ulterior motive.” The plot and backdrop of FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER also reflect the global scope of the Fantastic Four. Whereas the first film was set entirely in the Fantastic Four’s home base of New York City, the follow-up takes place on the international stage. Screenwriter Don Payne explains: "It’s significant because the Fantastic Four are facing a global threat -- not just a threat to themselves or New York, but to the entire world. "We’re painting on a much larger canvas.” "A lot of the comic book movies that have come out are set in one city, one place,” notes Tim Story. "The whole thing about this series is that the Fantastic Four travels. They’re more explorers and travelers than they are superheroes to a certain extent. They’re going to Shanghai, and all over Europe. It’s just one of the coolest things about this comic book that we fully wanted to take advantage of because I think it will set our movie apart from most. "It’s always very exciting to revisit a character because you’ve had a chance to play him in the past,” says Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd about his portrayal of the Fantastic Four’s leader, Reed Richards, widely acknowledged as the smar-*test*-('") man in the world. "I’ve evolved a little bit over the last two years and grown older, so Reed Richards has evolved and has much more confidence and is much more in control. He’s much more of a leader this time. He’s happy in his position as being the leader of the Fantastic Four.” For Jessica Alba, who reprises her role as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, doing this movie was more fulfilling than the first. "In the first film I was trying to figure it out and stay as close to the comic book as possible,” she says. "Now I already know the character so I have a lot more freedom. Ioan, Chris, Chikie (Michael Chiklis) and I have all played these characters before so we’re all really comfortable with them, and it gives us an opportunity to discover new things about each other’s characters and ourselves.” Chris Evans, who plays Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, was thrilled to return to the character with much more knowledge about what makes him tick. "It’s a real treat as an actor, because you feel like you’ve not only spent some time in the guy’s skin, but you’ve been lucky enough to see what works and what translated,” Evans relates. While Johnny is the adventurous daredevil and biggest showoff of the team, the filmmakers decided to imbue his character with a little romance in this film. "They want Johnny to be a bit more ready for romance this time,” Evans says. "Because of Reed and Sue’s wedding, and Ben and Alicia’s relationship, it’s a nice story arc for Johnny to all of a sudden feel lonely. Though he discovers it’s more about realizing that the people in your life that you are lucky enough to love and be loved in return are truly valuable and shouldn’t be taken for granted.” Michael Chiklis, an Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner for his work on the series "The Shield,” returns as Ben Grimm, The Thing, whose body was transformed into orange-colored rock by the cosmic bombardment in the first film’s origin story. Chiklis says that his character is still a curmudgeon this time around. "I think anybody living in that skin would be a little cranky,” he says. "But I guess that he’s over the initial shock and has moved on to a degree. Now he’s into the day-to-day business of helping save the world.” The spirit of relationships pervades the Fantastic Four in this film, and that even goes for a giant man made of rock. Ben Grimm continues his relationship with the blind sculptress Alicia Masters, played by Kerry Washington, which began in the first "Fantastic Four.” "I look at Ben Grimm as really the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four,” says Chiklis. "He’s the strongest, but he’s a gentle giant. And he gets really all mushy inside. And the idea of him having a love interest with Alicia actually makes the role much more satisfying. He’s not just sort of a grumpy curmudgeon who’s a one-line joke all the time. He has a heart and a soul and it’s the thing that makes you love The Thing.” Julian McMahon, currently starring on the FX series "Nip/Tuck,” reprises his role as the Fantastic Four’s archrival, Victor Von Doom, aka Dr. Doom. Initially an ally and benefactor to the Fantastic Four, due to his evil pursuit of power and world domination, he ultimately becomes their chief adversary. At the end of the first "Fantastic Four,” Dr. Doom was encased, locked away and shipped off to his home country of Latveria. "He sat in a tomb for a long time and he’s pretty upset,” McMahon prefaces about Doom’s inevitable return. "He’s a little bitter and determined to get back at the Fantastic Four, which is what he sets about doing at the beginning of the movie.” Reprising her role of Alicia Masters from the first "Fantastic Four” is Kerry Washington, who recently co-starred with Forest Whitaker in the acclaimed film "The Last King of Scotland.” Alicia Masters is a blind sculptor whose handicap allows her to see Ben Grimm for the man he is inside, not the hulking rock creature the rest of the world sees. "Alicia is very intuitive and insightful, and has wisdom beyond her years because of the blindness and how it’s affected her life,” Washington explains. A new addition to the ensemble is recent Emmy winner, Andre Braugher, who plays General Hager, a no-nonsense career soldier who is the U.S. government’s point man on investigating and capturing the Silver Surfer. Braugher, a longtime fan of the Fantastic Four comics, was pleased to join their world onscreen. "I remember very clearly when the first Fantastic Four comic book came out, and the introduction of all these characters, as well as the Silver Surfer and Galactus. So it’s really rewarding to be in this film. The chance to jump out of a helicopter, the tank work, and the rocket launchings are all a lot of fun. I think if you’re going to be in a comic book movie you ought to do some fun stuff.” Marvel Comics legend and creator of the Fantastic Four, Stan Lee, makes a now customary appearance in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER during Reed & Sue’s "Wedding of the Century.” In an homage to the final frame from Fantastic Four Special King Size Annual #3 from 1965, the wedding of Sue and Reed issue, Lee appears as himself as a party crasher to the wedding. However, he’s not on the list and is asked to leave. In the first "Fantastic Four,” Lee had a cameo as the Baxter Building mailman. With enduring characters and a global scope, the filmmakers hope that both fans and non-fans will embrace the film. "I think the film is relevant in the sense that the Four are dealing with a global threat,” says screenwriter Don Payne. "But the movie is really dealing with timeless issues of family and sacrifice. It takes a noble individual to stand up and make sacrifices for the good of humanity. There’s also more action, more excitement, more focus on the characters’ relationships. You want to keep it family-friendly, but you never want to dumb it down. It has to be a large-scale adventure, with just the right mix of action, drama, humor, and amazing visual effects. According to producer Ralph Winter, accessibility is the key to the Fantastic Four’s endurance and popularity with worldwide fans. "They’re a little lighter in tone,” he says. "You can see the sort of natural connection and squabbling that happens in a family. They have real-world problems like we do. They can’t hide their powers, the way mutants in X-Men movies can hide or change. These guys don’t; they’re right out there. It makes it a little more fun for everyone.” http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12128.html

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