Fantastic Four (2005)

Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) is a brilliant scientist who, along with friend, muscle-man Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) seeks funding for a experimental space mission to study cosmic radiation, from rich and powerful businessman Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). Agreeing, Victor allows them to use his space station for their experiment. Joined by cocky Johnny Storm (Chris Evens) and his sexy sister, Reed's ex girlfriend Susan (Jessica Alba) who is Victor's fiancee, Reed and Ben arrive on the space station to begin the experimental space mission. The experiment goes wrong when they are exposed to a cosmic radiation which alters their D.N.A. Returning to Earth, they find the cosmic radiation has given them superhuman powers. Reed is able to stretch his body in any way he wants. Susan gains the ability to turn invisible and to create force fields. Johnny can control fire, including covering his own body with flames. Ben is turned into a super-strong rock creature. Victor has also changed. He is slowly turning into metal and can control electricity. But the disaster of the space mission has caused Victor to go bankrupt and he vows vengeance on Reed. With Victor out for vengeance and world domination, Reed, Ben, Susan and Johnny combine their super-powers and become a team of super heroes known as "The Fantastic Four" and are the only ones who can defeat Victor Von Doom and foil his evil plans. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: This is not the first Fantastic Four movie. Another was made (The Fantastic Four (1994) ) but never released because, unknown to the cast and crew, the movie was never intended to be released and was made only because the studio who owned the rights to make a Fantastic Four movie would have lost the rights if they did not begin production by a certain date. A one-minute sequence showing Johnny Storm morphing into a ball of flames and soaring over Manhattan took 4 months to create. The entire background was an entirely digitized rendering of New York City. To get through the long arduous make-up, Michael Chiklis spent the time in the make-up chair watching the Boston Red Sox, his favorite team, who happened to be breaking the "Curse of the Bambino" winning their first World Series since 1918. Although Stan Lee has made cameos in many Marvel movies, this is the first time he has played a character from the comics: Willy Lumpkin, the Fantastic Four's kindly old mailman.

I wasn't expecting much from this movie as I had heard some bad reviews of it. It was a good solid movie considering that it had to explain so many things being that if you hadn't read the comics, you have no idea how they got the way they did. I fall into that category I have never been much of a comic book guy, I knew what powers the four had, but nothing else. The special effect were great, especially the cosmic storm (which was pretty brief). I know Susan Storm was supposed to be blond but I think Jessica Alba looks a heck of a lot better in her natural hair color, although she was still pretty hot. They really did a good job showing the Thing's agony and torment at being viewed as an ugly beast. They didn't, however, develop Dr. Doom very much and his world domination plot was nonexistent. So as a movie it was okay (C), as a comic book movie it was probably a B. It was not even the best comic book movie from last year. Just ask Jessica Alba. She was in Sin City.

By the way, someone has correctly guessed my Alphabet Project's "C" movie. Tune in tomorrow to see who.