Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Mark S. Allen, Paul Belsito, Lorena Gale, G. Michael Gray, Gina Holden, Laurie Holden, Aonika Laurent, Colin Lawrence, Stan Lee

Director: Tim Story

Summary: In this thrill-filled live-action Marvel Comics adaptation, director Tim Story ('Barber Shop') balances comedy, romantic intrigue, special effects, high action, and even scientific trivia for a rounded 'Fantastic Four'. Here, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing come together on a space mission that goes wrong. The ship's owner - who later transforms into evil Doctor Doom - refuses to abort the mission during a solar storm, which electrifies the ship and its entire crew, causing radical changes to their DNA. Back on earth, the transformed 'heroes' adjust to their new powers, which are specific to their personalities. Mister Fantastic, who lacks assertion, has stretchy limbs of rubber. Invisible Woman, who loves Fantastic but thinks he can't see her for who she really is, does a disappearing act. The Human Torch, an immature guy who is brimming with energy, can burst into flames. And finally, The Thing, a great friend who is as solid as a rock, actually turns into one - and loses his wife due to his weighty disposition. Holing up in Fantastic's scientific lab where they run experiments on themselves in hopes of changing back to normal, the crew learns that Doctor Doom - who is so power hungry that he turns into metal and is able to conduct electrical currents - poses a serious threat. The heroes quickly master their abilities and channel their scientific smarts for one truly fantastic five-way face-off. Visually, action sequences give way to tranquil interludes such as the New York City skyline with the Fantastic's lab glowing atop a skyscraper, while plot-wise, the interplay between the characters brings a human element to the film, with some touching moments from The Thing. At the end, a door is left open for what could be a super sequel.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on June 7, 2006 7:12 AM

Great special effects , a decent plot and the sleakit nasty lookin' guy
from Nip and Tuck as the bad guy , well done Tim Storey ! When an
experimental space voyage goes awry , 4 people are changed by cosmic rays . Reed Richards , inventor and leader of the group gains tha ability to stretch his body , and takes the name ,
Mr . Fantastic . His girlfriend , Sue Storm , gains the ability to turn invisible and create force fields , calling herself the Invisible Woman .
Her younger brother Johnny gains the ability to control fire and becomes the Human Torch while Ben Grimm becomes The Thing !

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Fantastic Fouris a light-hearted and funny take on Marvel Comics' first family of superherodom. It begins when down-on-his-luck genius Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) has to enlist the financial and intellectual help of former schoolmate and rival Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) in order to pursue outer-space research involving human DNA. Also on the trip are Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis); his former lover, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), who's now Doom's employee and love interest; and her hotshot-pilot brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans). 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 Fouris refreshing because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Characterisation 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 co-creator 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 Fouris an enjoyable B-grade movie, it's the tribute, The Incredibles, that turned out to be a film for the ages.--David Horiuchi, Amazon.com

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Commentaries Cast Feature Audio Commentary By Ioan Grufford Jessica Alba Chris Evan Michael Chiklis And Julian McMahon, The Fantastic Tour Making Jessica Alba Visible, Inside Look XMen 3 And Fantastic Four And XMen 3, Producer Avi Arad Walks Through Xmen3, Mu
Year:	2005
Release Date:	December 2, 2005
Runtime:	101 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	2866701000
Keywords:	Action, General, Four, Fantastic, Fiction, Science, Horror, Adventure, Sci, Fi
Genre:	Science Fiction