Movie Review: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
A world shatters into lifeless ruins and a silvery form streaks away from the debris towards Earth - so begins Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, this summer's latest superhero spectacle.
And for those who thought 2005's Fantastic Four was lightweight, this time it's much grander in scale - and we also have the iconic comicbook characters Silver Surfer and Galactus.
In the original movie we discovered the origins of the four who were altered by radiation: scientist Reed Richards (Gruffudd) became the elastic-bodied Mr Fantastic, his ex-girlfriend Susan Storm (Alba) got the power to disappear and generate forcefields, her brother Johnny Storm (Evans) was ignited into the fiery Human Torch, and Ben Grimm mutated into Thing with a body of orange rock.
They battled Reed's rival Dr Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who had evolved into an electricity-conducting metallic form by the same radiation.
It all sounds very comic-book - but these are not your ordinary superheroes.
All have obvious and extreme powers but no masks or secret identities, and represent an entirely different take on the genre.
The result is a dysfunctional family with bickering, comedy and tragedy.
And while the first movie frustrated fans with its radical changes from the comics, this time around director Tim Story has delivered a solid film that's light years ahead of its predecessor.
There are some stunning action sequences - for once, the impending disaster on Earth is not just in America but also involves the London Eye and the River Thames.
The story begins with Reed and Susan trying to plan their wedding amid a frenzy of media interest - then the Surfer appears causing havoc.
Dr Doom, apparently dead at the end of the first movie, is reawakened and, as the Fantastic Four discover Surfer is preparing Earth for destruction, Doom sees an opportunity for revenge. The heroes must try to stop the Surfer, stop Dr Doom and avertcatastrophe. But at what cost to themselves?
At 90 minutes, you may be thankful that the film is short. But it could have benefited from being longer to give more substance to its momentous events.
But in the end the movie succeeds on sheer entertainment value in bringing these classic characters to the screen.
And full marks to the moviemakers for the Silver Surfer (played by Doug Jones and voiced by The Matrix's Laurence Fishburne) - wonderfully achieved as the noble but tragic otherworldly being enslaved to a destructive force.
PS: Make sure you stay as the credits roll for a scene hinting at another movie.
VERDICT: *****
