So Kath and I went to see the latest FF movie the other day.
I liked it. Liked it a lot. Liked it beyond the whole “It’s a lot better than the first effort” vibe. The plot hung together, the actors were far more comfortable inhabiting the skins of their characters, the entire family vibe was pitch perfect. Bottom line, THIS incarnation of Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny actually seemed to like each other…even love each other. In getting that right, it provided a foundation for a quality film that simply wasn’t present in the first go around.
On top of that, we have the Silver Surfer. Understand, I remember when a Surfer movie was being discussed decades ago, back when such an endeavor would have required an actor painted in silver and standing on a board…a less than impressive prospect. No more. Now we have a Surfer who is a combined effort of special effects wizards, Doug Jones, and Laurence Fishburne, and the results are spectacular.
And ultimately? It feels and “reads” like a 1960s Stan and Jack effort.
How many Marvel films can you really say that about? That they feel THAT old school, that you can bring your kids to it with relative impunity? It’s not dark, foreboding, terrifying…it’s the Lee/Kirby FF, right down to such story developments as Doc Doom endeavoring to steal the power of the Silver Surfer.
And yeah, yeah, yeah, Galactus is a cloud. But you know what? Galactus was always presented as a force of nature anyway, so hëll, why not take that to its logical extreme? Personally, I think “Ghostbusters” has forever ruined the concept of some big terrifying entity stomping about New York City anyway.
Definitely worth your time and money.
PAD
• 
I don’t like the greasy, charismatic Doom. I want the scarred and pìššëd øff Doom
Oh, great! Now I have this image of Galactus as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in my head for the rest of eternity…
I tried to like it but couldn’t. They stripped Sue down to just a nagging house wife. And Reed’s powers were only ever used for jokes.
There’s more, but those are possibly my two biggest complaints.
Wow, did we see the same movie? I even liked the first movie, so I didn’t expect this one to be so… incredibly… bad! Somehow, the acting is even worse this time, the dialogue was so horrendous it made me want to weep at times, the attempts at humor were nauseating, and the plot didn’t make a lick of sense.
I didn’t care about Galactus being a cloud so much. I took more issue with the fact that the Surfer being separated from his board makes him lose his CGI. I just don’t know what to say about that.
Sue wasn’t a nagging housewife. She was a bride-to-be. Very different vibe, and totally realistic given the situation. And Reed’s powers were important. Besides supporting the . . . uhm . . . dagnab no-spoilers rule . . . large round structure in the vicinity of the water, for instance, they were important to the denoument.
And I agree, this one was very good. Much better than Spidey 3, IMESHO.
It’s amazing to see the number of completely polarizing views and reviews of this film. But then, it’s becoming like that for every film, isn’t it?
Personally, I enjoyed it a lot and thought it was better than the first. Galactus is still an impressive visual, and even Alba’s eyes weren’t quite so freaky after awhile. The “how do you beat Galactus” outcome seems a little too simple, but for all I know that’s how it went in the original story.
Doom was probably my big disappointment. McMahon just doesn’t bring the right presence to the role, and, in seeing the plague spread from the Spidey films, he spends more time without the mask than with.
As for the “lose his CGI” with Surfer, I think the change in color, from shiny silver to dull, was simply to show that the board is his power. I don’t see anything wrong with that, and it still looked fine to me.
Not really bad, but if I never see it again I won’t be sad about it. Still, it was better then Ghost Rider.
“And yeah, yeah, yeah, Galactus is a cloud.”
Um… Spoiler?
I liked it lots and as a huge Silver Surfer mark I had pretty high standards. They did right by the character and he looked great.
Doom was terrible, both in his snarky Eric Bischoff persona (seriously, I could not get his resemblance to the former WCW chairman out of my mind) and in his armored role. He looked better this time but Doom should not be tossing off weak one-liners like “you want my board? Well come and take it, Richards!” or whatever. This is the freaking Lord of Latveria, not the guy that Reed pantsed at a frat party.
But I agree with PAD’s review–the family dynamics were good, the jokes were amusing (the kid filled room I saw it with was roaring to a degree I haven’t seen at most comedies) and while I think they could have pulled off a more mechanical Kirbyesque Galactus, I was satisfied with what they did.
“And yeah, yeah, yeah, Galactus is a cloud.”
Um… Spoiler?”
Um…no. It’s been discussed on line for six months, it was in the trailer, and it’s in the first ten minutes of the film. There’s spoilers and then there’s taking things to the point of absurdity.
PAD
Well, this was the first place I heard about it. And having not seen the film yet, I was unaware it was revealed in the first ten minutes. I admit that one mitigates concern over spoilers, but the first two qualifiers (online discussions and trailers) do not. Trailers often give away far to much material. Subsequently, I don’t watch trailers. Online discussions often use spoiler warnings (particularly this blog of yours, hence my question as to whether this qualifies as a spoiler as opposed to an accusation) and I participate in almost zero online discussions anyway.
Yeah, It’s been on line for six months or so, but not everybody knows that. Some people don’t surf the web as much as others, some don’t blog on lots of different sites and still others may avoid online spoiler types of sites.
I had only once come across the then rumor of what Galactus might be in the film months ago and had forgotten about it. I tend to read sites that have strong spoiler rules or warning systems and don’t blog in lots of places. I can’t be alone in this.
But to be fair to both sides, you shouldn’t log on to a discussion thread about a film/show that you haven’t seen yet but plan to see. Unless the comments are restricted to just whether or not people liked it, you’ve gotta expect to see comments about things that are actually IN the movie that you’ve yet to see.
Still, it’s alway nice to tag a thread as allowing or restricting spoiler posts or comments.
I liked it much better than the first, and it was a lot more fun and faithful than any of the Spider-Man movies, which I also liked.
My kids took me for father’s day and we all had a ball, even my wife who doesn’t much like comics. This was as close to getting true Silver Age Lee/Kirby on the screen as I ever could hope for. Getting three of the their best stories on the big screen in one big movie was an exciting experience. I grinned through the whole thing. I’m not sure the critics understand the family dynamic that has made the FF so popular through the decades. I think it’s telling that one of the reasons it is doing so well is because it’s a family movie.
Reed is my favorite FF member, so I was especially glad to see that he became more authoritative and more of a leader this time, and the special stretching effects were outstanding. I’m definitely going to see this one in the theater again.
Hoy Murphy
This spoiler discussion is just plain ridiculous. What Galactus looks like is just not a spoiler. It doesn’t spoil anything in the story at all. If he said how Galactus was defeated (OMG, spoiler!! The bad guy loses in the end) or what happens after Johnny first encounters the Surfer (OMG, another spoiler…Johnny has a run in with the Surfer), then maybe I could understand the point of this whining.
As for the movie itself, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Just a fun popcorn movie, better than the first one (which I enjoyed too).
“What Galactus looks like is just not a spoiler. It doesn’t spoil anything in the story at all”
That’s your perspective. But there is no decree that what you find to be important in this regard is universal.
“then maybe I could understand the point of this whining.”
It was a question. Nice of you to reinterpret it as something more. Says bundles about your disposition.
I thought it was terrible. Reed NEVER seems in command, Doom comes off less like a major threat and more like a villain from a daytime soap, and the recap by Ben when they all rode in the Fanatasticar was the most stilted dialogue I’ve heard in a long time. BIG disappointment.
Having said that, the Surfer was awesome,(though I’m waiting for the inevitable Youtube remix using Fishbourne’s lines from What’s love got to do with it, and Ben and Johnny are spot on for me.
It was heads above the first movie, and I was grinning throughout almost all of it. Boat-loads of classic superhero fun, very much Lee and Kirby’s adventure series brought to life on the screen.
That said, there’s an obvious problem with a third movie, which is that (sorry, FF fans) Fantastic Four basically topped out back in the 60’s with the stories they used in this film; the F.F. never managed to produce iconically powerful stories again after Lee and Kirby.
After the first Spider-Man, we were waiting with bated breath to see how they’d handle Doc Ock, Harry as the new Goblin, and Venom. After the first X-Men movie, in which the X-Men dealt with the mutant side of extremism, it was time for the human side – and after that, the Dark Phoenix Saga was a no-brainer. Were Daredevil to receive an unlikely sequel, it would be Born Again time.
But Doom, Silver Surfer, and Galactus were the only concepts that’ve come out of the Fantastic Four series popular enough to achieve iconic status. What’s FF.3 going to offer that we’re going to be thrilled about after Galactus? The Mole Man? Annihilus and the Negative Zone? Psycho-Man? The Frightful Four?
All DECENT concepts, but certainly not in the same league as Galactus, Surfer, and Doom – and sequels have to take things up a notch.
Their best bet would probably be the Black Panther, but I think those rights have already been signed away.
I liked it a lot. I liked it more than Spider-Man 3 which was just spoiled by changing the guy who killed Uncle Ben,
I thought Stan Lee’s cameo was great, right out of FF Annual #4. The family dynamic was spot on. The Surfer was perfect. People who don’t like this movie don’t like Lee and Kirby’s FF.
George
I liked it a lot. I liked it more than Spider-Man 3 which was just spoiled by changing the guy who killed Uncle Ben,
I thought Stan Lee’s cameo was great, right out of FF Annual #4. The family dynamic was spot on. The Surfer was perfect. People who don’t like this movie don’t like Lee and Kirby’s FF.
George
In Peter’s defense, he usually goes out of his way to signpost spoilers well after the point when most people involved in a discussion should know what’s going on. And it’s also safe to think that if somebody is reading this blog, they’re probably reading one or more comic book or SF-related sites, in which this is pretty much old news.
I have to say, I liked the sequel more than the original, but that’s a bit like saying I liked getting hit in the head with a brick rather than getting hit in the head with a cannonball. My main reason for seeing it was because I wanted to see what Doug Jones, one of the nicest guys in the industry and a tremendous non-verbal performer could do with the Surfer. In that regard, the combination of Jones, Weta (who did the digital FX) and Spectral Motion (who created the starting point suit used on set) did a great job. I also think that Spectral did a nice job in improving the Thing suit, although I still wish they had been allowed to go even further with the brow, but I suppose one could still argue that this is the original Kirby Thing seen in the first year or so of the book.
I suppose my problems with the second film are pretty much the same as the first, namely the terrible miscasting of Julian McMahon and Jessica Alba. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re both superb actors; they’re just not right for these roles. Why cast a beautiful Latin actress and then put her in a blonde wig and blue contacts which simply don’t work with her natural skin coloration? And I agree with the previous post about wanting to see a scarred version of Doom, not the pretty boy version, who should have been seen for all of five minutes in the first movie until a big-ášš machine blows up in his face, scarring him forever. And (spoiler warning coming up) Doom is basically regenerated into Pretty Boy Doom, doesn’t that pretty much take away the rationale for wearing a heavy uncomfortable mask? And unfortunately, McMahon’s voice also lets down what should have been a major moment in the film, which was the meeting between the Surfer and Doom: his voice just doesn’t have the gravitas of say, a James Earl Jones, a Patrick Stewart or a Ian McKellan and the scene suffers as a result.
Finally (and one more spoiler coming) I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but the obligatory Stan Lee cameos are really starting to get on my nerves. I know, long-time fans will be happy to remind me that both Lee and Kirby tried to crash Reed and Sue’s wedding in the original story only to be turned away, but the fact that Lee had played Willie Lumpkin the mailman in the first film should have precluded him from playing STAN LEE in the second one. I find it mildly insulting that in their pursuit of ‘Wouldn’t it be really cool if…’ that somebody had to say, ‘Don’t worry, nobody will notice!’
All of that being said, I also have to admit that I wasn’t in the greatest mood to see the film because of the guy sitting front row center who was playing with his Sidekick the entire time, and since he was sitting in the front, there was no way to get away from that brightly lit screen in the front. After a half hour, I had to go to the manager and ask if they would either throw him out or give me a ticket for the next showing. Needless to say, they didn’t want to throw him out, so I went to the next show and had to sit through the first half hour all over again. Doesn’t really put you in the right kind of mood to enjoy a film.
“In Peter’s defense, he usually goes out of his way to signpost spoilers well after the point when most people involved in a discussion should know what’s going on.”
Yes. As I said: “Online discussions often use spoiler warnings (particularly this blog of yours, hence my question as to whether this qualifies as a spoiler as opposed to an accusation.”
Galactus eats planets. Of course he’s going to be surrounded by a cloud of gas.
Hoy Murphy (burp)
Slightly off topic since I haven’t seen the movie yet, but:
Why didn’t you write the novelization for this one, PAD?
I’m guessing you just had a bit too much on your plate at the time (multiple comics, new original novel, Spidey 3 adaptation, etc.) and had to pass. Would that be it?
I liked the original Fantastic Four movie, and I loved this one. It didn’t have me closing my eyes or wincing like I did all through Spider-Man 3, and had humor that actually made me laugh. Best of all, it had heroes that actually seemed heroic to me. I’m looking forward to seeing it again.
I wasn’t as disappointed with the cloud Galactus as I thought I would be going into the film. I thought it was a really good movie.
Joe Nazzaro said, “but the fact that Lee had played Willie Lumpkin the mailman in the first film should have precluded him from playing STAN LEE in the second one.”
That’s just it, Joe. It wasn’t Stan Lee at the wedding. Would you believe it was Willie Lumpkin trying to pass himself off as Stan Lee?
You find that hard to believe?
How about J. Jonah Jameson posing as Willie Lumpkin posing as Stan Lee?
No? Then what about-
Seriously, I know what you’re saying. In fact, it would have been amusing if he’d played Willie Lumpkin, and wasn’t able to get in.
“But I’m their mailman. Reed Richards knows me, personally.”
“Sure he does, pal. He just forgot to put your name on the list. One of the downsides of knowing them absent-minded types. Take a hike.”
Or words to that effect.
That having been said, I’ll take this Stan Lee cameo over the one in Spider-Man 3.
But you know what would have been really great? If Julie Schwartz were still alive and he’d made a cameo in a Marvel movie (with, Stan, of course, doing the same in a DC movie). Yeah, I know. It probably never would have happened, but it still would have been cool.
As to the film, I enjoyed it. No Butler ex Machina. That’s very important. Though I agree with Joe Nazzaro that Doom’s reasons for wearing the heavy, uncomfortable mask were pretty vague. Or should we say pretty much non-existent.
The title’s interesting, though. Rise of the Silver Surfer. Why “rise”, which, among other things, suggests a resurrection and/or an ascendancy in power? That title would fit, for example, in a movie about Norrin Radd’s transformation.
Why not “Ride of the Silver Surfer” instead? After all, he does ride around on his board. Well that’s easy. Most people would mentally add a “B” to the beginning and spend the whole movie asking, “where is she?”
Rick
My question about the whole “Galactus-cloud” thing is this: They constantly refer to the cloud as “he.” Why couldn’t we have at least gotten a Kirby-Galactus silhouette at some point during the climax, just to show that there was something IN the cloud?
Eric,
I don’t recall anyone using the pronoun “he” with reference to the cloud. The Surfer said his people call it Galactus.
Are you sure “he” didn’t refer to the Surfer?
Rick
1//Oh, great! Now I have this image of Galactus as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in my head for the rest of eternity…//
Not that far off. Dan Aykroyd was, (and maybe still is) a comics fan, in at least one interview he acknowledged that the Marshmallow Man was a homage/parody of Galatus.
Though I agree with Joe Nazzaro that Doom’s reasons for wearing the heavy, uncomfortable mask were pretty vague. Or should we say pretty much non-existent.
Hey, it’s an ancient Latverian symbol of benevolence, man. Or something, anyway. (A friend and I burst into uncontrollable laughter when they first showed the mask in the first movie, with the plaque “Thanks from the people of Latveria” or something like that. I can just see it: “In recognition of your tireless efforts following the Doomstadt Earthquake of ’94, we, the people of Latveria, present you with the traditional Scary Iron Mask of Charity.”)
Okay, here’s my favorite FF2 story. Back in September, I get a call from Doug Jones, who’s coming into New York from the FF for a day or two to do some promotion for Pan’s Labyrinth and would I like to maybe meet up for lunch? So we’re sitting in some cafe uptown, and I suddenly thought to myself, ‘Holy šhìŧ, I’m sitting here with the Silver Surfer!’ I guess you’d have to be a comics fan going back to the classic Lee/Kirby comics of the sixties to appreciate the sheer coolness factor of that moment for me!
Did we see the same movie?!
I have a feeling Peter’s making sure he’s not burning any bridges.
I liked the movie, but didn’t like Galactus, the cloud. It reminded me too much of Ego, The Living Planet.
I couldn’t help thinking that the only reason Galactus was a cloud was because of budget limitations.
I liked the original FANTASTIC FOUR movie (the one with the same cast as RISE, not the Harvey Corman bomb), but I thought RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER was absolutely terrible. The first half had nothing but bad comedy (notably Reed’s “dance”) and the second half had more bad comedy with the power swapping. There wasn’t a single good line of dialogue, and Chiklis and Braugher’s massive talent was not used at all here. And the only slightly exciting part was the initial chase with the Torch and Surfer; after that, all downhill.
In fairness, I didn’t mind Galactus becoming a cloud: How would the non-comic book folks have reacted to a giant in a purple-and-blue outfit with a tall helmet with flat horns? And that’s about everything good I can say about this.
BTW, why was the Surfer making giant holes around the world? The only reason I can find for this is because the filmmakers decided it was more exciting than just having him fly around until Galactus came to chow down.
(And in the shameless plug category, my full review of this is at The Armchair Critic, http://thearmchaircritic.blogspot.com/ )
My only interest in it is morbid curiosity. I’m sure I’ll end up seeing it on cable sometime. That’s how we saw the first one. For better or for worse, our five year old loved that one. And, he wants to see this one. Personally, I’d rather have my eyes gouged out.
I’m not spending a penny to see it, though (beyond what we already pay for cable movie channels, that is…they’ll run it whether we subscribe to those channels or not). Nor am I making any special effort to do so.
No, I think the Surfer did refer to Galactus more than a few times as a ‘he’… And maybe it was just me reaching too far for a nod to the original Galactus, but I would’ve sworn I saw a pointy-headed helmet-and-shoulders shadow while the Surfer was addressing the cloud’s core. If so, it was a very subtle nod.
I’ve noticed that a lot (at least in my circle of friends) of the old school Kirby and Lee FF fans enjoyed “FF2”, while the newer and younger fans who dislike the early stuff tend to dislike the movie. I wouldn’t say it’s a hard and fast dividing line, but as far as sweeping generalizations go, I’m rather fond of the notion.
Landry Walker –
Says bundles about your disposition.
This thread is obviously now filled with spoilers, according to your view of things, yet you are continuing to post here complaining instead of stopping your viewing of this thread.
Do you expect PAD to remove this thread or something?
BrakYeller –
but I would’ve sworn I saw a pointy-headed helmet-and-shoulders shadow while the Surfer was addressing the cloud’s core. If so, it was a very subtle nod.
You wouldn’t be the first person to make that claim: others have said it’s there. Or all of us are just wanting to seeing something that isn’t there.
I also thought that the the shadow of Galactus passing Saturn was pretty similar to what the comics version would give for a shadow. 🙂
Craig J. Ries: “This thread is obviously now filled with spoilers, according to your view of things, yet you are continuing to post…”
And so what? Posting is not synonymous with reading. I’m not reading any post that does not directly relate to the conversation I engaged in. In fact, past my initial post I have done nothing but respond to statements specifically directed at me or the topic I chose to introduce.
Craig J. Ries: “…here complaining instead of stopping your viewing of this thread.”
By all means, point out one instance of my “complaining”. And note that the bit of mine you’re quoting is a response to someone who labeled my question and subsequent response as “whining”. What, I’m supposed to treat that person with respect? Why?
Craig J. Ries: “Do you expect PAD to remove this thread or something?”
No. Why are you trying to suggest I need motive beyond the one I have repeatedly clarified? I’ll copy and past AGAIN, as the actual content of my posts seems to be largely ignored and instead labeled as “whining” or “complaining”:
Me: “hence my question as to whether this qualifies as a spoiler”.
I enjoyed the movie although I agree with some of the assessments regarding the comedy… some of it was pretty dumb but some of it was “classic” FF. Generally, the movie was enjoyable although it had a few moments that left me scratching my head… such as the point when Ben runs up to a crane to uh, watch Johnny fight? And not help or do anything at all?
Silver Surfer got a very decent movie adaption– nothing too terribly different from his comic book origins. The only “tinkering” was the board power connection and that was easy to buy (not like Sandman being the third gunman in front of the library etc. heh). Got Norrin Radd in. Got the deal and Shalla Bal (though not mentioned by name) in. Got the Power Cosmic in. Pretty good for being run through the Hollywood mill!
And yeah I gotta say, the sfx was done just so to cast glimpses of Kirby’s big purple God. The shadows on the planet, and the fiery red/orange core of the vacuum cloud definitely were designed to evoke classic G. I was slightly disappointed we didn’t get to see a big square pupil heh.
Frankie Raye too! Although one wonders when Johnny found out her first name…. hm.
I enjoyed the movie although I agree with some of the assessments regarding the comedy… some of it was pretty dumb but some of it was “classic” FF. Generally, the movie was enjoyable although it had a few moments that left me scratching my head… such as the point when Ben runs up to a crane to uh, watch Johnny fight? And not help or do anything at all?
Silver Surfer got a very decent movie adaption– nothing too terribly different from his comic book origins. The only “tinkering” was the board power connection and that was easy to buy (not like Sandman being the third gunman in front of the library etc. heh). Got Norrin Radd in. Got the deal and Shalla Bal (though not mentioned by name) in. Got the Power Cosmic in. Pretty good for being run through the Hollywood mill!
And yeah I gotta say, the sfx was done just so to cast glimpses of Kirby’s big purple God. The shadows on the planet, and the fiery red/orange core of the vacuum cloud definitely were designed to evoke classic G. I was slightly disappointed we didn’t get to see a big square pupil heh.
Frankie Raye too! Although one wonders when Johnny found out her first name…. hm.
Posted by deafscribbler at June 21, 2007 03:12 AM
“…Such as the point when Ben runs up to a crane to uh, watch Johnny fight? And not help or do anything at all?”
He bìŧçh slapped Doom with the crane, which was the final blow in the fight. It was a little dark, but that’s what happened.
I enjoyed this movie, and coming from someone who’s rarely, if ever, enjoyed an FF comic I guess that means somebody did something right. Alba’s best contribution to the film? “I’m on FIRE!!!”
I thought the actress who played Frankie Raye was oddly familiar but couldn’t place until I remember we saw her perfect ášš in season 1 of Entourage 😀
“Why couldn’t we have at least gotten a Kirby-Galactus silhouette at some point during the climax, just to show that there was something IN the cloud?”
It may have been my imagination, but I’m reasonably sure I saw exactly that.
PAD
You know, I had to look up Frankie Raye, because the name drew a complete blank with me (I don’t think I ever knew there was a female Nova); but when my friends and I were watching the film, and we got to the part where Johnny called her “Frankie”, I leaned over and whispered to one friend, “Frankie and Johnny?”
He got it and groaned.
However since this Frankie is apparently a reference to an established comics character, I’m going to guess that Frankie Raye and Johnny Storm are not meant to evoke the Frankie and Johnny of the folk song.
Rick
Why couldn’t we have at least gotten a Kirby-Galactus silhouette at some point during the climax, just to show that there was something IN the cloud?
I could swear I saw what looked like the shadow of Galactus’ helmet on a planet as he passed. I’ll try to find a link tot screen grab or something (just a matter of time before one shows up).
Did we see the same movie?!
I have a feeling Peter’s making sure he’s not burning any bridges.
There are enough folks on this very thread who liked the movie to show that one need not work for Marvel to have some love for it. And I don’t think PAD has been shy in the past about pointing out problems with Marvel inspired properties.
I thought the Sufer was cool with Annette
Count me as another one who liked it. I enjoyed the first one, but didn’t love it, and I’ve had my expectations-lower-o-tron set to maximum for this summer, but I was pleasantly surprised, for the reasons that PAD cites. I especially liked the Stan Lee cameo, for the FF Annual #4 reference. I’d be happy to see a third — I think they laid enough domestic groundwork in this film that the birth of Franklin is a logical plot for the next film. Obviously, that doesn’t have to mean Annihilus, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t, either. He’s just a big green stompy monster; you could apply any motivation to him and still have him work.
Geek confession: When Johnny spat out Frankie’s first name, I immediately said, “Oh, she’s Frankie RAYE!” loud enough for my friend to overhear, so I had to explain her whole deal over the ending credits.
I enjoyed the film too, oddly enough, and I didn’t care for the original at all. I agree that the casting of Sue and Doom were the biggest problems, but that was set with the first film, and there was little that could be done now. The film did seem very much in the spirit of Lee/Kirby. Wish I’d taken my fiancee though. I went with a comics fan instead, figuring I’d spare her what I expected to be an awful movie. But not only was it entertaining, it was also all about wedding planning, just as we’re planning our own wedding.
I found the film incredibly superficial and the Silver Surfer the only character with any human depth to him. Sure there was nice action, but Dr. Doom still comes across as a melodramatic characature and not the ominous presence he’s supposed to be. And the emotional drama and impact of the story wasn’t one tenth that of the original comic book sequence (FF#48-50? The memory for such facts fades).
In fact, I’d be more inclined to watch the Silver Surfer spinoff film than I would a Fantastic Four 3.
Major *SPOILERS* in this post, so be warned.
I came out of the theater having enjoyed myself. Maybe not as much as PAD but still, I had an enjoyable time. Until I started thinking about it. And the more I thought about it, the less I like the movie. And I still liked it better than the first one. How sad is that?
In the comics, it’s made very clear that the Surfer only led Galactus to uninhabited planets to feed on. In the movie, Sue accuses the Surfer of being responsible for millions (or billions) of deaths, referring to the planets that he’s led Galactus to in the past. The Surfer never denies this accusation. So, accepting the ridiculous notion that a being such as Galactus would bestow on his herald enough power to destroy itself, why didn’t the Surfer destroy Galactus long before now? By having the power to do so and still lead Galactus to inhabited planets to feed on, makes the Surfer a villain on a galactic scale. Not brave, not self-sacrificing, not noble like his comic book counterpart. A villain worse than Dr. Doom. And I think this is a travesty. Which is a real shame because they got everything else about him so very right.
Also, this is supposed to be a Fantastic Four movie, and where the hëll were the FF during the big, climactic battle scene with Galactus? Sitting on the ground with all us “normal folk.” You don’t have your heroes just sitting around during the big final battle. That’s just bad filmmaking in my opinion. And yes, you might argue that there were story reasons why they were down there, but if that’s the case, then this should have been fixed at the script stage.
I won’t even start with Doom and ridiculous necessity for “face time” for the actors. I’m just pretending that it wasn’t Doom at all but one of his Doombots.
Oh, and someone asked what the giant holes were that the Surfer was making. Besides the silly “access points” they were intended for in the movie (like a being as powerful as Galactus couldn’t drill his own holes), they can serve a higher purpose if they lead into FF3: Rise of the Mole Man. After all, the Surfe just dug giant holes into the Mole Man’s domain.
I’m with the majority here. I did enjoy it.
I don’t think Galatus was a cloud instead of a man for budget reasons, I just don’t think that there was anyway they could’ve translated the classic view to the silver screen. Not that a cloud would have worked in the comics, but the classic view is kinda funny looking when you think about it.
I was about to agree with those who see little possible strong villians for a third movie until it clicked: NAMOR