Film Review: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Back in business.

I'm a luke-warm comic fan. Oh, i had a good share of knowledge in comic, but to considered myself as a fan, not just yet. I'm quite aware of DC's 52 and Marvel's Civil-War, i had read the greatest comic book of all time, Watchmen. But probably, that was it. However, if i was asked whence my allegiance lay, i would surely say, DC. Alas, as it turns out, more Marvel comic adaptation went to silver screen as oppose to DC's characters. I'm not sure whether it is more solid hard fact than personal subjectivity that takes hold when i say that so far, none of Marvel characters film has been good. This next Fantastic Four was no difference. In a nutshell, it's a boring, dry, tedious, incoherent, and superfluous. Thank god, that it only runs for a little more than 90 minutes.

If i had to chose which of the four i enjoyed watching, it's actually surprising myself, that i would say, it's Human Torch, Chris Evans. I once thought him as those adolescent teenager who arrive to screen expecting oohs and aahs from the ladies. But, after Sunshine and him being the closest to character arc in this mess, i could forgive him. Jessica Alba? to quote another review, "She can't act warm even if her hair is on fire". I liked her, but she can't act. Ioan Gruffudd, oh, kick him out of the screen, i don't care. And finally, Michael Chiklis, responsible for majority of terrible jokes and stupid one-liners, and there were many, sooo many. If it's funny, it's okay. But it's not. It's never funny. I even had to look at the back of my seat in order to satisfy my curiosity of who the heck could laugh at the jokes, it's a kid. The only time i laugh is when Stan Lee denied reception entrance at the wedding. Nobody laughed with me, not even the guys who sit in the back (who laughs all the time afterward). But of course, any comic fan would at least find it amusing that Stan Lee, the creator of the Family was denied reception entrance.

And then came Galactus and his hearld, Silver Surfer. For a prominent figure in the Marvel universe, Galactus is a underwhelming, but even with the word don't do justice to his appearance. And though i liked Silver Surfer animation and all, it still doesn't save this film to went to the abyss of boredom.

And please, don't make me get into the "drama" part of the film. Largely involving Jessica Alba's character (who can't act), the "drama" part is a pain, real pain to watch.

My Rating: * / ****