A Fantastic Bore. Foursome marred by lousy writing and directing
Fantastic Four (2005)
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Reviews Counted:195
Fresh:50
Rotten:145
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: Fantastic Four is a goofy, mediocre entry in the superhero genre.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:22-07-2005
Synopsis: Inventor, astronaut and scientist Dr. Reed Richards' (Ioan Gruffudd) lifelong dream is close to being realized. He is spearheading a trip to outer space, to the center of a cosmic storm. There he... Inventor, astronaut and scientist Dr. Reed Richards' (Ioan Gruffudd) lifelong dream is close to being realized. He is spearheading a trip to outer space, to the center of a cosmic storm. There he hopes to unlock the secrets of the human genetic codes for the benefit of all humanity. Extensive government grant cutbacks nearly dashed the visionary's hopes of the historic flight, until Reed accepted a financing deal with his old college rival, Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), now a billionaire industrialist. Reed's crew for the mission includes his best friend, astronaut Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis); Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), Von Doom's director of genetic research and Reed's ex-girlfriend; and Sue's hot-headed younger brother, pilot Johnny Storm (Chris Evans). With benefactor Von Doom in tow, the four set off for the exploration of a lifetime. The mission is uneventful – until Reed discovers a miscalculation of the speed of the approaching storm. Within minutes, the event threshold is upon them. The space station is engulfed by turbulent clouds of cosmic radiation which genetically transforms the crew. Their DNA is irrevocably altered…and so is their future. Back on earth, the effects of the exposure are quickly revealed. Reed gains the ability to stretch and contort his body into any shape he can imagine and, as leader of the group, is given the name Mr. Fantastic; Sue is able to render herself invisible and to create and project powerful force fields as Invisible Woman; Johnny becomes known as The Human Torch, as he can now engulf his body in flames and take flight at will; and Ben, whose freakish transmutation is the most shocking, becomes an orange-colored, rock-like, superhumanly strong creature, The Thing. Together, they turn tragedy into triumph and catastrophe into coalition, using their unique and formidable powers to thwart the evil plans of their now steely-eyed, iron-fisted nemesis Dr. Doom and to protect the citizens of New York City against any threat that may arise. Astronauts. Superheroes. Celebrities. To the world, they are the Fantastic Four. To each other, they are a family. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Laurie Holden, Hamish Linklater
Director: Tim Story
Director: Tim Story
Screenwriter: Mark Frost, Michael France
Producer: Bernd Eichinger, Avi Arad, Ralph Winter
Composer: John Ottman
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Fantastic Four
On its own terms, Fantastic Four is a pretty lousy movie, but it looks even worse coming on the heels of so many recent first-rate comic book adaptations.
Tim Story -- who, based on his previous work in the small-scale Barbershop and the painfully poor Taxi, was clearly the wrong man for this job.
With a sort of backdoor approach to superherodom, another comic strip from the minds of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hits the celluloid.
Fantastic? Uh … hardly. “Fantastic Four” was No. 1 at the box office because of a good old-fashioned advertising campaign.
A fairly dull, thoroughly mediocre adventure--hardly the cinematic treatment Marvel's first family deserves.
The feature is neither disappointing, nor memorable. It is just average, which is something a superhero or band of heroes cannot be.
An obnoxious movie in which potential adventure is sideswiped in favor of watery characters and dialogue that feels like it was lifted from five or six reality shows.
Fantastic Four functions at the level of a below average Saturday-morning cartoon.
There are four different movies in The Fantastic Four struggling to get out.
...another comic book movie with a lot of special effects. ...a complete waste of time.
There were some things to like about F4 scattered throughout. The ingredients were all there, but the chefs need to be replaced
It’s not particularly fantastic, but Fantastic Four is passable summer popcorn fare.
Unlike most recent comic-book adaptations, Fantastic Four doesn't think it's about anything. In fact, it's doubtful that the film thinks, period.
Superheroes are only as good as the supervillain, so let's get these forces clashing early on and often.
Heaven forbid a summer blockbuster embrace its popcorn-munching appeal and rescue the industry from the 2005 box office slump.
If exposure to cosmic rays made all women look like Jessica Alba, then every Lifetime movie should glow green.
Latest News for Fantastic Four
September 14, 2009:
Chris Evans Talks Scott Pilgrim, Fantastic Four Reboot ![]()
He was Johnny Storm in the "Fantastic Four" movies and he's got a role in the upcoming "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," so it's only natural that Chris Evans talked about both... More...
September 01, 2009:
Fox Pushes "Reboot" Button on Fantastic Four ![]()
"The Fantastic Four" will be the next superhero franchise to get the reboot treatment: Fox has hired Akiva Goldsman to produce an overhauled adaptation of the long-running... More...
March 13, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Fantastic Four to Get Reboot
This Week's Ketchup leads off with lots of big news for three of Marvel Comics' biggest properties (Thor, Iron Man and Fantastic Four), followed by sequels for Taken, Hard... More...
March 09, 2009:
A Reboot for Fantastic Four? ![]()
Could "Fantastic Four" be the next Marvel-inspired film franchise to get the reboot treatment? That's the word from IESB's sources, where it's said that the new version will... More...
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