by Brett Parker
If I were eight-years-old, I’d probably be thrilled out of my mind with the Fantastic Four movies. As a grown man, I find them to be cheap and underwhelming. This is a deep disappointment, seeing as how I always enjoyed the comics and that the films have the right idea about the material. Yet it’s hard watching good ideas coming up short on depth, resonance, and great opportunities for observational humor.
The sequel continues in the celebrity and supernatural adventures of the Fantastic Four, a group of scientists who were transformed into superheroes thanks to the powers of a cosmic storm. There’s Reed Richards/”Mr. Fantastic” (Ioan Gruffudd), who can stretch his rubber body to infinity, Sue Storm/”Invisible Woman” (Jessica Alba), who can turn herself invisible and protect herself with a powerful force-field, Johnny Storm/”The Human Torch” (Chris Evans), Sue’s brother who can turn his entire body into a flying ball of fire, and Ben Grimm/”The Thing” (Michael Chiklis), whose body is encrusted in an oversized rock shell. Since the events of the last film, the group has become overnight celebrities in the media while Reed and Sue got engaged. The first half of the film follows the Four as they embrace their new-found fame all while preparing for Reed and Sue’s big wedding, which gets about as much press as a Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie wedding would. The second half of the film turns more adventurous as the four encounter the Silver Surfer (a CGI creation voiced by Laurence Fishburne), an alien being who is sent to Earth by galactic forces to prepare for its destruction. The four struggle to stop the Silver Surfer and get to the bottom of his agenda. Things grow even more complicated when old nemesis Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon) resurfaces to wreak havoc.
To be sure, Rise of the Silver Surfer is a sequel that improves on the original. It’s funnier, more exciting, and has better special-effects sequences. For me, the best part of this material has always been the celebrity-worship of the Fantastic Four. Not only are these characters brave superheroes, but also media superstars who share the tabloids with Paris and Lindsay. Both films show the group dealing with paparazzi, product placement, and their own celebrity images. This film plays as a better example of these ideals, even if its fullest potential isn’t realized. The funniest scene comes when Johnny and Ben take Reed clubbing on the New York It plays like a goofy shotgun marriage between Marvel Comics and Entourage. The sequel also displays more thrilling action sequences supported by impressive visuals. The big “teaser trailer” scene in which Johnny chases the Silver Surfer through the air is a roller-coaster of fun and the introduction of the famous “Fantasticar” is put to great use in an exciting climax. In terms of special effects, the Silver Surfer himself proves to be a fascinating creation. He has the look of a silver academy award brought to life. He has the same compelling CGI aura of Gollum or King Kong. It’s also a nice stroke to have Laurence Fishburne’s smooth vocals breathe life into this famed character, as he dispenses corny yet fun fortune cookie wisdom. There’s always a choice, he teaches us. Wow, deep stuff. The Surfer should write a book with Phil Jackson.
Rise of the Silver Surfer is competent, harmless entertainment with a breezy comic book sensibility young fans will eat up, but I essentially have the same problems I had with the first film: it’s too much of a one-dimensional, juvenile enterprise that doesn’t dig deep into the wonderful ideas lurking within the material. We’ve reached a point in cinema where Superhero films are no longer disposable pop ventures but serious, powerhouse entertainments of the highest caliber. When it comes to this genre, Batman Begins and Superman Returns write the book. Batman Begins asked hard questions about its hero’s mythology and realized its full dramatic weight, making for a character study of endless fascination. Superman Returns may have been more of a traditional superhero adventure, but it used wonderful minimalist drama to flesh out the peculiar, melancholy emotions hidden within the material, making for something really unique. The popular Spider-Man series may have been rooted more in a quirky, comic universe but it snuck in moments of adult drama that could truly level you.
At a time when movies are digging deep and getting creative with its superheroes, Fantastic Four is keeping things boringly simple with cheap comic book sensibilities. Batman Begins helmer Christopher Nolan once explained that superhero movies truly work when it is realized that what works great in comic books does not necessarily work on the big screen. Fantastic Four appears to be unaware of this ideal, for the film plays like something that would work great in the comics but looks goofy and flat on screen.
To hear the scrapped pre-production ideas for Fantastic Four is to hear the exact direction the series should’ve taken. Both Steven Soderbergh and Peyton Reed were considered to direct. George Clooney was considered to play Rex Reed. John C. Reiley was considered to play the Thing. The original script read as an observational mockumentary of the Four’s fame, ala A Hard Day’s Night. What fun that all would’ve been. Sigh. Perhaps these bigger names could’ve rescued Fantastic Four from its second-rate fate. Tim Story is a director who had a modest success with Barbershop, yet I don’t think he’s suited for a superhero canvas. When you’re prepping a multi-million dollar franchise, hiring the director of Taxi might not be the wisest choice. This guy makes Brett Ratner look like Martin Scorsese. The performances are also flat and don’t make the characters as interesting as they should be. Only Chris Evans and Jessica Alba really have the big screen presence and charisma superhero characters demand.
I hope Hollywood wakes up and realizes the potential of the Fantastic Four franchise. There’s great humor and adventure to be had with these folks. I think some new screenwriters and a new director would be good for the series. Unless, by some miracle, Tim Story wakes up and realizes that films can be very special and deep works of art instead of just cheap Hollywood The Fantastic Four are characters of wonderful color and excitement, yet HollywoodHoward the Duck. products. treats it like its
The most interesting extra on the DVD is the behind-the-scenes production diary which shows stitched-together footage of the filming. What makes it interesting is not the crafting of the film, but the peculiar nature of Tim Story’s presence. He is seen in the footage as being extremely quiet and passive. Everyone else, from the production designers to the cinematographer, appear to be doing all the work while Story just nods approvingly. It made me think of Christopher Nolan when he made Batman Begins. There were stories of the great passion he put into the script and how he went beyond the call of duty in overseeing every day of production on the set. By comparison, Story appears more as a clueless bystander on his film set and that probably helps to explain the problems with the film I wrote about above.
As for the rest of the extras, there’s mini production features that overlook individual aspects of the film and a director’s commentary that will be as interesting as the viewer found the film to be. I was surprisingly impressed with the film’s deleted scenes, which are brief but would’ve added nice touches to the final cut. They include Johnny worrying about his action figure sales, Ben and Johnny running errands for Reed and Sue’s wedding, and Dr. Doom revealing the cold metal beneath his face. Overall, this appears to be the case of a DVD double-disc, special edition package whose special features are not enough to support the sinking film it is being featured with.
