BEFORE: I've tried to link to this movie half a dozen times, the initial plan was always to start my superhero chain with this film. I could have linked to it from alien movies, disaster movies, astronaut films and films about explorers - but my plans never worked out that way, fortunately the list is very fluid. There's apparently some confusion over the title - IMDB calls it "4: Rise of the Silver Surfer" - and I guess "4:2" was too confusing.
THE PLOT: The Fantastic Four learn that they aren't the only super-powered beings in the universe when they square off against the powerful Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus.
AFTER: My history with the Fantastic Four goes back to the John Byrne era, the first issue I owned was #241 - and the next issue was #242, which started a storyline where the Fantastic Four faced off against Terrax (he was Galactus' herald after the Silver Surfer quit), and then against Galactus himself. But like this film, that storyline was a reference to the introduction of Galactus and the Surfer, in FF #48-50. Mixed of course, with the wedding of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman in FF Annual #3. Yes, my geek cred is strong.
Factor in the return of Dr. Doom, and you've got yourself a slam-bang movie. As an extra bonus, the Fantastic Four accidentally develop the ability to switch powers, which leads to circumstances both tragic and comic. I've got no problem with the casting of Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom, except for one thing - he's got no accent. Dr. Doom is supposed to be from an Eastern European country, but here he just sounds like he comes from California. How can they get the Thing's voice so right and Dr. Doom's voice so very, very wrong?
And Galactus only appears as a giant cosmic cloud, not the purple-helmeted giant from the original comics. But I think this is a nod to the new Marvel Ultimate Universe, where Nick Fury is black and Spider-Man is still a teenager.
But I have to say I really enjoyed this one. It's good to see my favorite heroes in movie form, with lots of action, and pretty decent special effects. Seeing the Human Torch chase the Surfer around New York was a particular highlight.
And I love it when my movie-watching links to the outside world - right after watching Reed and Sue get married, my parents and I drove down to Cape Cod for my cousin Tom's wedding...
Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans (recently cast as Capt. America, but I don't see it...), Michael Chiklis, Andre Braugher, with Laurence Fishburne as the voice of the Silver Surfer, and cameos from Brian Posehn and Stan Lee (as himself, a wedding guest)
RATING: 7 out of 10 tachyon pulses (I bet some people would rate this an apropos 4, but I have a soft spot for the FF)
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