Fantastic Four

The disastrous screenplay is offset by the well-cast and well-played characters. It is necessary to rate this movie in the context of dumb commercial Hollywood flicks such as Van Helsing and not in the context of intelligent comic-book movies like X-Men 2. In other words, it’s entertaining rubbish whose stupidity is overcome by its naïve likability. It’s more entertaining and more endearing than Baywatch, but it’s main asset for male viewers is the honey-skinned professional non-actress Jessica Alba. (24/08/2005)

Very unaccomplished filmmaking that, with its dullness and clichés, hits you right in the eye. Yet it was a relative hit, how is that possible? Things happen in Hollywood, you know. I can't compare the film with the source material, but the characters were sketched quite decently and the whirlwind of good visual effects occasionally settles one down nicely (these ingredients evidently have too strong an effect on the American audience). However, the whole thing is quite cynical and insanely predictable. (03/12/2005)

The film has a plot that is foolishly muddled, made even worse by the leftist directorial treatment. The insensitive editing creates one logical gap after another, and the whole thing is held together solely by the force of opulent visual presentation, which must have consumed most of the hundred-million-dollar budget. However, even the spectacular special effects sequences, which undeniably include Oliver Wood's excellent camera work, cannot deny their own self-indulgence. The content aspect is incredibly empty, and the comedic elements could have given way to at least a hint of psychological background for the individual characters. Among them, the most captivating is the stoic Ben, portrayed by the excellent Michael Chiklis, who (if he appeared in a better film) could rival Ron Perlman's Hellboy, as the combination of classic latex and acting charisma is the only reason why this otherwise terrible Fantastic Four movie is worth watching. (27/09/2005)

An indication of the qualities of this movie is the fact that the best aspect of the movie is the utterly uninventive music. I can’t believe that a screenwriter the format of Mark Frost stands behind this joke. Maybe he took pity on it like a naive B-popcorn movie. But it would have to be appropriately swift and with good action scenes. But no. All told there are just two action scenes here. And to add to things, the first one on the bridge is one of the worst scenes that I have even seen in a wannabe A-movie production. The Fantastic Four is a high-budget soap opera with a comic book backdrop. Apart from the small detail that even a starring Natalia Oreiro is more entertaining. I must add that this is gradually “rotting" inside me to a point that I want to give it the lowest possible rating. (15/01/2008)

It's been a while since I've seen this. I know Chris Evans is hot and he rides a motorcycle in this. I know that if you're rubbery (Luffyyy :-D) and run out of toilet paper, you can reach into the next room for a new one. I know, McMahon was a better bad guy in Charmed. I know Jessica can disappear, but she has a thing for rubber. I know people can petrify after being hit by cosmic radiation of an unknown nature. A filmed comic that is (presently) at 54%. Do I really need to say more? (07/09/2010)