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FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER is the second entry in this film franchise, which so far has been less than stellar, and yet cheesily addictive. This time out, a wave of cosmic radiation is causing alarming meteorological anomalies to crop up globally. But, still, the top news headline is the upcoming nuptials of Reed Richards and Susan Storm, this being hailed as the "Wedding of the Century." By now the Fantastic Four have more or less become acclimated to the limelight (especially Johnny Storm). However, Susan is concerned that the media hype and the group's superhero lifestyle will prevent her and Reed from having a normal life together. Not to mention, she's fretting about her wedding. But her wedding jitters quickly become moot with the ominous arrival of the Surfer Surfer, herald to Galactus, Devourer of Worlds.And if that's not enough peril and aggravation, throw also into the pot a resuscitated Victor von Doom who comes to covet the Surfer's board (this plot also from an old Stan Lee tale). There's the rigid, controlling military presence embodied by a forceful Andre Braugher. And a recurring subplot which involves Johnny involuntarily swapping super powers with whomever he touches. I actually thought this was a nice touch.RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER takes Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's most celebrated Fantastic Four story arc and adapts it to the screen. But I guess it couldn't be helped that their original story got lost in the translation. The most glaring difference lies in the depiction of Galactus, who foregoes his massive purple form and is instead presented as an amorphous entity many times the size of a planet. Simply despicable. Also debuting is Frankie Raye, who in the comic books developed Torch-like abilities and eventually became another herald of Galactus. Here, she's a snooty Army captain.The first film was worth three stars, so the sequel merits three and a half stars since it improves on the first. It looks like this film franchise is gonna be more of a guilty viewing pleasure than a bonafide cinematic experience. For one thing, despite the huge world-in-peril scenario, this film doesn't quite exude that epic feel. It's a short film, which might have something to do with it. The film does falter in spots, with its hackneyed military plot device, its groan-inducing attempts at humor (which, dammit, I did kind of liked), and its misrepresentation of Doctor Doom (pathetic) and Galactus (shapeless and doesn't live up to his credentials). And then the acting.The acting is...well, the acting...listen, Gruffudd and Evans are good looking studs, and Alba is hotness on legs. My appreciation of Jessica Alba's looks is in constant war with my feeling that she's miscast as the Invisible Woman. And she had an okay performance. I'll say this about Ioan Gruffudd: this time he comes across as less stiff onscreen. And Evans rightfully plays the Torch as fun-loving, cocky, and materialistic, yet heroic beneath the brashness. He's right for the role. Now two things in particular have cheesed me off about this film franchise from the get-go: one is how the Thing looks (which is latex-y), the other is Doctor Doom. I was appalled with how Doom was portrayed in the first film, and this quibble carries into the sequel. Of all the Fantastic Four's frightening, world-stomping adversaries, the brilliant and tragic Doctor Doom is considered to be, bar none, their arch-nemesis. There always was a grand but flawed, operatic element in Doom's makeup, but the first film ignored this side of Doom and instead reduced him into a rote villain. What an utter letdown! As they say, the hero is only as good as the villain. Accordingly, these films suffer. So, in this sequel, second verse is same as the first. If ever a villain needed to be commanding and majestic and regally self-absorbed, it's Doctor Doom. Julian McMahon just doesn't cut it for me. Also, I would've liked to have seen more of Latveria and Doom playing monarch.The special effects are in turn ineffectual or awesome. The Thing, although inhabited by gifted actor Michael Chiklis, still looks cheesy. Effort was made to make the Thing's appearance more convincing, but I still can't help thinking that Ben Grimm would've been better served as a full-blown CG depiction. On the other hand, the Silver Surfer is fantastically brought to life. Thanks in large part to Doug Jones and to Laurence Fishburne (who lends his elegant voice), the Surfer cuts a bold and dynamic figure. But it might have been a good thing that the film didn't have the time or the inclination to delve into the Surfer's patented "Christ on a surfboard" persona (as someone dubbed it in a bonus segment). Reed, Sue, and Johnny also look convincing when applying their powers. I enjoyed Reed's elastic dancing in his bachelor party.This sequel does benefit from having a faster pace than its predecessor. The story is bigger, as are the stakes. There's development in the characters' lives, a sense of things progressing. Reed and Sue are getting hitched, Ben's found Alicia. Johnny actually worries that the team might split up. Stan Lee also shows up (but is rebuffed). There's an element introduced into the F.F. pictures which isn't in the other Marvel superhero films. Unlike Spidey, the Hulk, and the X-Men, the Fantastic Four aren't shunned by the public. In fact, the F.F. are idols to millions. Too, this team dispenses with secret identities. As such, they enjoy a certain celebrity status and profit from their own line of toys and other F.F. endorsed products (the bonus disc has a deleted scene which touches a bit on this). Of course, on the down side, the bad guys know exactly where to find them...This dvd set is the 2-disc Power Cosmic Edition, and it's stacked with special features. Disc 1 has the film presentation in Widescreen and Full Screen, along with 2 audio commentaries (both on side B), one by Director Tim Story and the other by Producer Avi Arad, the screenwriter, and the film editors.Disc 2 comes with: 9 and a half minutes worth of extended and deleted scenes with Tim Story's optional commentary (watch for the Fan-4-Store); "Family Bonds" - the comprehensive 46-minute-long "Making Of" featurette; a segment on the Fantasticar; an "Interactive Fantasticar Experience"; "The Power Cosmic" featurette - a CG breakdown of the Surfer; the "Character Design with Spectral Motion" featurette - Chiklis drops funny comments as he undergoes his daily Thing make-up routine; the in-depth documentary "Sentinel of the Spaceways: Comic Book Origins of the Silver Surfer" (38 minutes long, includes interviews with Surfer writers Stan Lee, Jim Starlin, and Steve Englehart); "Scoring the Fantastic" - the musical score featurette; "Still Galleries: Behind the Scenes, Characters and Concept Art"; and the theatrical trailers. Damn good extras.I grew up on the F.F., on Lee and Kirby and Byrne, and I do wish that these pictures evoked more of a sense of grandeur. In Marvel comics, the Fantastic Four had the final say in close knit family ties, thrilling adventures, and amazing space opera. On the other hand, I'm glad there are movies about the F.F. out there. The product is what it is - something which falls short of its potential. It's a cheesy, guilty pleasure. But, when the third film releases, odds are I'll be in line for a ticket.
