'Fantastic Four' reviewed

An early online opinion of the forthcoming summer blockbuster about a gang of genetically transformed heroes.

Jul 12 2005

Having debuted in comic-book form more than 40 years ago, the Fantastic Four have finally hit the big screen in their own big-budget blockbuster, and the results are decidedly mixed.

First, the good – Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis are note-perfect as The Human Torch and The Thing respectively. Evans delivers smart one-liners with aplomb, while Chiklis imbues the monster with just the right amount of arrogance, aggression and tragic pathos throughout.

Indeed, in spite of some cringe-worthy scenes of sentiment (first with his wife, then with a blind girl), his orange block of granite nevertheless remains the best 'thing' in the movie.

Unfortunately, these two fine performances are unable to carry the film, and the bad in 'Fantastic Four' easily outweighs the good.

Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba are instantly forgettable as Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Girl, failing to convince as either intellectual eggheads early on or as charismatic heroes in the latter stages.

As for Julian McMahon, his dastardly Victor Von Doom comes across as more sleazebag than supervillain, making Doom perhaps the least threatening bad guy to grace the big screen since Nuclear Man in 'Superman IV'.

More alarmingly, the plot is near non-existent - a basic origin story that charts the genetic transformation of the Fantastic Four and their nemesis for an hour, then pads out the remaining 45 minutes with dull, lifeless, uninspired action.

The effects are poor, the soundtrack headache-inducing and the pace so pedestrian that you'll be checking your watch by the midway point.

The result is the worst of the summer films thus far, a less than fantastic debut for four characters that deserved better.

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