The Not-So-Fantastic 4

[cathyr19355]

Last weekend, esrblog and I went to see the latest Fantastic 4 movie.

No spoiler cuts are necessary for any review of this one, because in overall mediocrity it was a lot like the original one two years ago.

Ioan Gruffudd, as Mr. Fantastic, made a valiant but doomed effort to be convincing in his role despite the comic-book thinness of the script. Jessica Alba, as Sue Storm, his financee, did a reprise of her unconvincing I-just-wanna-be-a-regular-all-American-girl performance from the first movie, while Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm did amiable, sit-com level comic relief.

Doug Jones, playing the Silver Surfer with the aid of Laurence Fishburne's voice, gave the most convincing performance of the movie. esrblog, who once followed the Marvel comics on which these movies have been based closely, claims that the plot was surprisingly true to the original comics. He was particularly hostile to Alba's performance, which he dissed as "plastic", and he considers her unattractive.

Overall, not an awful movie, nor a great one. If you're not a big Marvel fan, wait till it comes out on DVD and get it from Netflix or something, and save yourself $10.

Comments

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

USA Today did a story on page 1D the Thrusday before it was release lauding Alba's role as not the usual comic book heroine, but rather a strong woman whose costume covered her entire body. Sounds like they were so busy getting that set up that they forgot to give her any real character.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I thought the trailer was so boring that the movie probably wasn't worth seeing. The problem with this method is that I don't generally see enough movies with unpromising trailers to see whether my theory has predictive power.

[terriwells.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think you just saved me $10. :-)

[bippimalin.livejournal.com]

"Alba's performance, which he dissed as "plastic"
Yeah, she's got something plastic over her. It worked in Sin City, but I keep expecting her to turn all stiff limbed like a barbie everytime I see her in other movies. :)

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

Sadly (or possibly tellingly), this is the kindest, most positive review of that movie I've seen yet. Every other review I've seen so far has been people warning all their friends not to get within five hundred feet of a theater showing the film.

[flaviarassen.livejournal.com]

I, too, find her unattractive.
Then again, I'm a heterosexual female.
Seriously, she's somewhat pretty, but something's... off.

& then there's Ioan Gruffudd.

It says a LOT that I actually DON'T want to sit through this
just to see him...

Actually, it's his beauty that keeps me from enjoying him in
the role. HE IS TOO YOUNG TO BE REED RICHARDS, &@%$# it! He
needs at least 10 years to even begin to look right for this.