6.20.2007

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Who's have imagined that a surfing alien and transforming a classic comic book character into a big cloud would not be the biggest problems with the new superhero movie? Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is the latest summer sequel -- and a pretty bad one.

The first half of this movie focuses on Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) and Susan Storm/the Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba) trying to get married after the past three weddings were interupted. Johnny Storm/the Human Torch (Chris Evans) and Ben Grimm /the Thing (Michael Chiklis) are also here, but they have nothing to do but small comedy scenes. The wedding plans are interruped by the Silver Surfer, a cgi character voiced by Laurence Fishburne who flies (surfs?) around making big holes in the planet. (I'm not making this up.) Then there are more attempts at comedy as the Human Torch switches powers with other FF members he touches, a humorless general (Andre Braugher) with a grudge against Richards but who has to work with him, and the return of Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon). And none of it works.

This movie is really, really bad. The acting is weak throughout -- and given how good Braugher and Chiklis are, this is quite a waste -- and there's not a single interesting line of dialogue. Apart from an early chase between the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer, there's no excitement here either. While the original Fantastic Four movie was silly and lighthearted fun, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer just falls flat.


Overall Grade: D

Reviewed by James Lynch

No comments: