What do you want -- a dark, wrenching movie about a rubber guy and an orange rock guy?
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
So much...is bungled with inept storytelling and watered-down dialogue, and Story is so powerless to right the course, that Fantastic Four winds up more dopey than fun.
All-talk, no-action superhero flick is a dull, drab mess of shallow plots, dull characters and bland effects.
Everything about it bears the stench of amateurs, from the unspectacular special effects to the sitcom-lame dialogue to the butchered storyline.
No doubt Roger Corman's version was worse, but it was probably more entertaining.
Falls below even the likes of Batman & Robin and The Punisher and all involved should be ashamed of actually inviting comparisons to the shelved Roger Corman adaptation.
The most endearing terms I might come up with for this film are 'dorky' and 'cute,' but 'cute' is never what a superhero movie aspires to be.
A painful, sluggish black hole of simultaneous bad ideas and no ideas at all.
A not-great movie made slightly better by the addition of some extra character development and breathing room, the Fantastic Four Extended Edition is a must-own for fans of the original comic book.
The happiest comic book movie on earth... By now the only way to give us something different is to show people who enjoy being superheroes.
Meet Mr. Mediocrity, the Human Kindling, the Obscure Woman and Whatchamacallit. They form the Mediocre Four and boast the power to slightly entertain and somewhat enthrall.
faces a huge obstacle, and doesn't overcome it well ... develop 4 heroes and 1 villain in less than 2 hours and provide an exciting story full of visual wonder.
Poor Ben Grimm suffers the most tragic fate. He is transformed from the charismatic, brilliant actor Michael Chiklis into a giant prosthetic goofy suit that fools no one.
Aficionados of the comic book will cringe... but hey, it's a fun popcorn flick.
Low indeed have Marvel's fortunes sunk when this is the best they can send against their archrival's superior Batman Begins.
Whole chunks of necessary explanation feel like they’ve been left on the cutting room floor
Potential audiences would be better entertained by reading all the reviews to see how many synonyms can be used for the word "bad." And it would be much cheaper, too.
An overinflated B-movie with no grace, no subtext, no wit, and featuring beefcake/cheesecake actors who look like they've been plucked from the soaps.
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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