Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer

fantastic_four_rise.jpgrating-3.0Shaving Fantastic Four by 15 minutes, this sequel continues the storyline and adequately keeps up but cuts to the bare bone in the way of story.

While the first Fantastic Four film was a much-maligned but generally charming and fun family superhero film, heavier on character interaction that high-minded stories or action, Silver Surfer is an attempt to carry on the tale devoid of the setup. Sadly, without the setup of the first film, the plot of this movie runs somewhat shallow, a hollow echo of its predecessor.

All the actors keep their parts up well and build on their strengths from the first film, though it can't exactly add a better pace to the far too quick movie.

The movie is not actually bad, it just feels rushed, its full and heady pace rushing toward its conclusion instead of taking the necessary time to pace out and ease the viewer through the movie to its full enjoyment.

The Surfer himself is handled well, though Lawrence Fishburne's voice was an unnecessary addition and doesn't do much to help the movie.
As a comic adaptation, some fans will feel it's muddled and complain endlessly about it, though I don't mind most of the changes. Thinking on the black amorphousness of Galactus' portrayal, though, actually made me wish they had made a purple giant to be bargained with, reasoned with, or tricked by the FF and his wayward herald. Instead, the Surfer's motives and entanglements are so much more nebulous, much as is his master.

Enjoyable, but far from perfect, this movie would have been better served with a greater focus on making Galactus an interesting foe, the Surfer's battle more real and palpable, and generally improving the story and pacing of the whole affair, not to mention making Doom's reappearance feel like more than just an excuse to add another villain to the mix.

It leaves the Silver Surfer open for a solo film and the FF ready for another adventure, so it may be interesting to see where the story leads. I can only hope that the next film is stronger than this one.

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