Scan and Pan
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Two years after the end of the first film, where Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) proposed to his girlfriend the Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba), the couple are still trying to actually get married. There's always some disaster interrupting their weddings, and this time it's the appearance of the mysterious Silver Surfer (body movements of Doug Jones, voice of Laurence Fishburne) and the return of the villainous Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon). When Mr. Fantastic learns that the Surfer's appearance heralds the end of worlds at the hands of his master, Galactus, the team--including the Human Torch (Chris Evans) and the Thing (Michael Chiklis)--must find a way to save the planet from certain destruction.
Director Tim Story (Barbershop, Fantastic Four) displays a surer hand with a big action and effects film this time around (the previous film was his first attempt at an effects-laden blockbuster), and the result more consistently provides entertainment value for the audience. Screenwriters Don Payne (My Super Ex-Girlfriend, which was similarly light and entertaining), Mark Frost (co-creator of television's Twin Peaks), and John Turman (Hulk) do a good job of combining action, humor, and fun characters into a satisfying whole. It may not rank among the elite superhero films, but its lighter approach to the genre is consistent with the tone of the classic Fantastic Four comic book stories. The X-Men and Spider-Man did the angsty stuff, the Fantastic Four were a family of adventurers. My only complaint is that more could have been done with Galactus, but the shorter running time does keep it from becoming bloated by unnecessary elements.
Cinematographer Larry Blanford (Operation Sandman) goes with a bright, polished look that's perfectly suited to the material. Production designer Kirk M. Petruccelli (Mystery Men, Ghost Rider) expands the visual universe of the Fantastic Four with a redesigned Baxter Building, our first look at Latveria and Castle Doom, the Fantasticar, and a military base in Siberia. John Ottman (X2, Superman Returns) contributes a light but dramatic score that fits the film's tone.
The visual effects are, well, fantastic, which is just what one would expect with Weta Digital (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and The Orphanage (Sin City, Superman Returns) involved. The Silver Surfer, digitally animated over the movements of Doug Jones, is particularly impressive. Fans of the comics may be disappointed by the non-traditional appearance of Galactus, but the effects still provide him with an awesome presence.
Gruffudd and Alba were solid as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman in the first film, but they've really grown into their roles. Gruffudd is a more commanding presence but he also deftly handles some funny scenes. I dare you to not have the urge to cheer when he tells off a certain character. Alba is more assured and her portrayal is much closer to the character in the original comics this time. Chiklis continues to literally rock the screen as the perfect actor to play the Thing and Evans shines again as the cocky, womanizing Torch. The chemistry of Chiklis and Evans again brings the Thing-Torch rivalry to life.
I thought McMahon was poorly cast as Doom the first time, lacking the charisma or the voice for the character, and nothing here makes me reconsider that opinion. The Silver Surfer doesn't have much dialogue, but combined with Fishburne's rich voice it gives him emotional depth and completes the illusion began with Jones' body movements and the visual effects to make the character come to life.
Kerry Washington is good in her few scenes as Alicia, the Thing's love interest, while Beau Garrett is right for the role of Frankie Raye, an attractive military officer who catches the Torch's eye. Andre Braugher is well-cast as General Hager and has several good scenes with Gruffudd. Comedian Brian Posehn is funny as the minister who keeps trying to officiate during the wedding attempts. Fantastic Four co-creator Stan Lee makes his usual cameo appearance, and this time it's an amusing one as a wedding crasher.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer should entertain comics fans and general audiences alike. Its light tone and lack of bloat easily puts it ahead of Spider-Man 3 as the best superhero film of 2007.
[4 out of 5 stars]
The second chapter of this superhero film franchise is one of the rare sequels that's better than its predecessor, being more consistently entertaining than 2005's Fantastic Four. It's also lighter in tone than most superhero films these days, making it a refreshing change of pace.
Two years after the end of the first film, where Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) proposed to his girlfriend the Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba), the couple are still trying to actually get married. There's always some disaster interrupting their weddings, and this time it's the appearance of the mysterious Silver Surfer (body movements of Doug Jones, voice of Laurence Fishburne) and the return of the villainous Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon). When Mr. Fantastic learns that the Surfer's appearance heralds the end of worlds at the hands of his master, Galactus, the team--including the Human Torch (Chris Evans) and the Thing (Michael Chiklis)--must find a way to save the planet from certain destruction.
Director Tim Story (Barbershop, Fantastic Four) displays a surer hand with a big action and effects film this time around (the previous film was his first attempt at an effects-laden blockbuster), and the result more consistently provides entertainment value for the audience. Screenwriters Don Payne (My Super Ex-Girlfriend, which was similarly light and entertaining), Mark Frost (co-creator of television's Twin Peaks), and John Turman (Hulk) do a good job of combining action, humor, and fun characters into a satisfying whole. It may not rank among the elite superhero films, but its lighter approach to the genre is consistent with the tone of the classic Fantastic Four comic book stories. The X-Men and Spider-Man did the angsty stuff, the Fantastic Four were a family of adventurers. My only complaint is that more could have been done with Galactus, but the shorter running time does keep it from becoming bloated by unnecessary elements.
Cinematographer Larry Blanford (Operation Sandman) goes with a bright, polished look that's perfectly suited to the material. Production designer Kirk M. Petruccelli (Mystery Men, Ghost Rider) expands the visual universe of the Fantastic Four with a redesigned Baxter Building, our first look at Latveria and Castle Doom, the Fantasticar, and a military base in Siberia. John Ottman (X2, Superman Returns) contributes a light but dramatic score that fits the film's tone.
The visual effects are, well, fantastic, which is just what one would expect with Weta Digital (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and The Orphanage (Sin City, Superman Returns) involved. The Silver Surfer, digitally animated over the movements of Doug Jones, is particularly impressive. Fans of the comics may be disappointed by the non-traditional appearance of Galactus, but the effects still provide him with an awesome presence.
Gruffudd and Alba were solid as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman in the first film, but they've really grown into their roles. Gruffudd is a more commanding presence but he also deftly handles some funny scenes. I dare you to not have the urge to cheer when he tells off a certain character. Alba is more assured and her portrayal is much closer to the character in the original comics this time. Chiklis continues to literally rock the screen as the perfect actor to play the Thing and Evans shines again as the cocky, womanizing Torch. The chemistry of Chiklis and Evans again brings the Thing-Torch rivalry to life.
I thought McMahon was poorly cast as Doom the first time, lacking the charisma or the voice for the character, and nothing here makes me reconsider that opinion. The Silver Surfer doesn't have much dialogue, but combined with Fishburne's rich voice it gives him emotional depth and completes the illusion began with Jones' body movements and the visual effects to make the character come to life.
Kerry Washington is good in her few scenes as Alicia, the Thing's love interest, while Beau Garrett is right for the role of Frankie Raye, an attractive military officer who catches the Torch's eye. Andre Braugher is well-cast as General Hager and has several good scenes with Gruffudd. Comedian Brian Posehn is funny as the minister who keeps trying to officiate during the wedding attempts. Fantastic Four co-creator Stan Lee makes his usual cameo appearance, and this time it's an amusing one as a wedding crasher.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer should entertain comics fans and general audiences alike. Its light tone and lack of bloat easily puts it ahead of Spider-Man 3 as the best superhero film of 2007.
[4 out of 5 stars]
Comments:
Post a Comment
