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Marvel Comics' first family of superherodom, the Fantastic Four, hits the big screen in a light-hearted and funny adventure. It begins when down-on-his-luck genius Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd, Horatio Hornblower) has to enlist the financial and intellectual help from former schoolmate and rival Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck) in order to pursue outer-space research into human DNA. Also on the trip are Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis, The Shield); his former lover, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba, Dark Angel, Sin City), who's now Doom's employee and love interest; and her hotshot-pilot brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans, Cellular). Things don't go as planned, of course, and the quartet becomes blessed--or is it cursed?--with superhuman powers: flexibility, brute strength, invisibility and projecting force fields, and bursting into flame. Meanwhile, Doom himself is undergoing a transformation. Among the many entries in the comic-book-movie frenzy, Fantastic Four is refreshing because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Characterization isn't too deep, and the action is a bit sparse until the final reel (like most "first" superhero movies, it has to go through the "how did we get these powers and what we will do with them" churn). But it's a good-looking cast, and original comic-book cocreator Stan Lee makes his most significant Marvel-movie cameo yet, in a speaking role as the FF's steadfast postal carrier, Willie Lumpkin. Newcomers to superhero movies might find the idea of a family with flexibility, strength, invisibility, and force fields a retread of The Incredibles, but Pixar's animated film was very much a tribute to the FF and other heroes of the last 40 years. The irony is that while Fantastic Four is an enjoyable B-grade movie, it's the tribute, The Incredibles, that turned out to be a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi
On the DVD
The Fantastic Four two-disc extended-cut edition is the DVD that should have come out first. But if you did buy the original edition, you don't need it any more because this version has both the extended cut and the theatrical cut with the same commentary by Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, and Michael Chiklis. If you enjoyed the film, you'll probably like the extended cut as well, since it adds 20 minutes to the relatively short 106-minute running time. The new and extended scenes (which are also viewable separately) are mostly character interplay--Sue/Reed, Sue/Victor, Ben-Alicia (with a glimpse at a possible future villain)--plus some gags like Johnny heating up an elevator. The new cut has a new commentary by director Tim Story, producers Avi Arad and Kevin Feige, and screenwriters Michael France and Mark Frost, though they choose to talk about producing the film and not the new material. The second disc is practically worth the price of admission, with two hourlong documentaries. One is the history of the FF comic book decade by decade, with interviews of Stan Lee, Joe Sinnott, Walter Simonson, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Alex Ross, and Jim Lee (John Byrne is discussed but not interviewed). The second focuses on master artist Jack Kirby, including his work from the '40s on, life, work style, personal style, and far-reaching influence. The interviewees include many of the same from the other documentary, plus Neal Adams, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Kirby's kids, assistants, and friends. More featurettes and still galleries of costumes and memorabilia fill out the disc. --David Horiuchi
The Fantastic Four at Amazon.com
Comics and Graphic Novels
Disney animated series
The classic comic book
Movie tie-in graphic novel
The Xbox game
Fantastic Four Soundtrack
The Fantastic Cast
Jessica Alba as Sue Storm
Michael Chiklis as The Thing
Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards
Chris Evans as Johnny Storm
Stills from Fantastic Four (click for larger images)
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