June 17, 2007

• Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

  I saw it twice this weekend, which says a lot.  I enjoyed it, and the audience gave a round of applause the first time around.
  
  As a general moviegoer who knew absolutely NOTHING about the Fantastic Four, I actually LOVED the film. Obviously not perfect, and I do wish it was much longer (I hate when movies I'm seriously enjoying are too short) but still a great flick, a much better and entertaining ride than that Spidercrap 3.  Maybe it's because I'm clueless about the truth of FF, comic-wise, so am rather unaware what should or shouldn't have been present in the film, which pretty much means I'm capable of sucking up whatever they dish out, but eh I guess it worked.  I'm sure if I was a rabid F4 fan like I was for X-Men, I might have been singing a different tune, but thankfully this time around, I can enjoy myself without overly analyzing or complaining.  I can be like normal audience people who go to the movies just to have fun without having to overly expect anything.  And it's PG! Go friggin' figure. Of course, I'd prefer a darker "R" flick any day, but this one was still an awesome experience. 

  SPOILERS AHEAD!

  Mr. Fantastic was cool I guess, though it took the second viewing for it to occur to me that his clothes are stretching out when he stretches out.  Shouldn't that not have been the case?  Johnny burns his clothes when he flames up, Sue can't make her clothes invisible along with her, and Thing well...that's obvious.  So Mr. Fantastic shouldn't have the ability to stretch out his normal clothes like he can with his suit, right?   I think that's why the dance number for his bachelor party was a bit weird-looking, visually.  Too cartoony.  Now I'm wondering if part 1 was just the same. Gawsh, guess I gotta see it again. 

  The Thing was cool, but I suppose there's nothing new you can add to him.  What was odd was that he can now manage to get on planes and sit on chairs in a bar, where before he broke beds and couldn't ride elevators. Did they forget how much he was supposed to weigh? And when he pounded the bar table, it didn't shatter. But I suppose I can just say he's learned to control his powers just like everyone else. 

  Invisible Woman was semi-cool, but she was the least cool of all.  She had a few Mary Jane moments (when it comes to being annoying in her girliness) but it wasn't so excessive that it caused me to hate her.  Jessica Alba is, I'm sorry to say, not a good choice for the role.  I know I know nothing of the Fantastic 4, but from what I've seen in toons and comics, she's supposed to be a blonde girl with blue eyes.  A REAL blonde with REAL blue eyes, that is.  I thought it was a tad pathetic giving her blonde hair and totally fake-looking blue contacts. Was that the best they can do?  So eh, I didn't like the physical changes they made for her.  It was too desperate. They should have just been more careful when casting Invisible Woman, or should have just let Jessica stay the way she was. She's NOT a caucasian, no matter how much they try and hide that fact.  Even now, I can visualize Scarlett Johansson in the role.  I'm sure guys will gush over her just the same, right?

  Johnny Storm was of course, still cool (or should I say hot?).  Wonderful eye candy, even with his shirt ON. Not that his chest wasn't nice to look at, but still.  But I don't wanna sound shallow like a guy.  I did love the evolution of his character, though I hope the change won't threaten too much of the boyishly juvenile traits I learned to love about him in the first place.  Not that the change was bad, of course, because as I said, I did love it.  I liked how he was finally beginning to realize that his actions and decisions matter to everyone else and not just himself, be them the wrong or right decisions.  And of course, his interaction with The Thing was peachy and squeaky clean.  Good freaking fun.  I particularly loved that line: "I just don't want to wake up one morning to find out your girlfriend was killed in a rockslide," which was of course in reference to Thing's relationship with Alecia.  Thankfully, there was plenty of banter between him and thing, like a sort of sibling rivalry, and it was great.
  
  Dr. Doom was EH at best.  I would have been just fine if he wasn't in the film, to be perfectly honest.  Perhaps that's because he more "in the way" this time around hehe.  But then again, if he WASN'T in the film, I wouldn't have had that cool Doom/Surfer moment. Gawsh I LOVED that moment when he ticked the Surfer off and the Surfer turned around and gave him this "Oh no you didn't!" type of look before blasting him away.  But Doom just doesn't do it for me as a bad guy, not in this movie anyway. I'm sure there's much more to him, but they're certainly not giving up the reigns it seems!  He's kinda annoying, if I must admit.  Can someone enlighten me as to what kind of character he's supposed to REALLY be? Because I don't see the major threat. What ELSE is he supposed to be other than a guy with lightning? Because as of now, all I'm seeing is Dr. Christian Troy, a horny plastic surgeon who can't get enough sex.  But I guess I'll just have to do my research on the guy and see just why in the world is he such a big, bad villain.
  
  Now as far as the Silver Surfer? OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS.  He was cool the first time around, and even cooler the second time around.  He has got to be the most awesome character I've seen in a freaking long time on the big screen.  The visuals were out of this world, much like his character is. He was just so, so...addictively cool. You couldn't take your eyes off him. I mean, you know he's not real, but something about him captures your attention. He was so smooth and elegant, no doubt thanks to whoever the guy is that's portraying him. Doug Jones I think his name is.  He was scary, yet gentle.  I loved when he penetrated Sue's force shield just to stare her down with that eery glare of his.  You can't help but wonder what he's thinking. Then when he protected her? Whew, I loved that.  Or, at least the girl in me did.  Not to mention what he looked like when he was OFF his board, too.  My gosh.  Freaking awesome make-up job they did on him.  He was like a living, male manequin.  Brilliant casting choice, brilliant visuals, brilliant make-up, brilliant character who's now gained more of my interest than even Spiderman and X-men.  Even the voice of Lawrence Fishburne was very cool to hear. He can actually sound pretty sexy when it's just his voice I hear.  Silver Surfer, where have you BEEN all my life?

  I loved his character so much, that when he wasn't on the screen, I got antsy. Like, "Ugh, can I see Surfer again please?"  Not that I didn't want to see the rest of the movie, but I just loved watching him.  And it's not because oh he's a man who has muscles and may even appear to be kinda naked.  It's just because of his whole presence.  He was like my new Darth Maul, but in good guy form.  Obviously, not better than Darth Maul, but he had just the same coolness.  Surfer's got the advantage of getting his own movie, though, unlike Maul (sniffle)  I did hate how Doom got ahold of the board, thanks the Four knocking him off of it, because that just meant that it's less screen time with Silver Surfer on it strutting his stuff. And boy did he strut his stuff.  Not enough time strutting his stuff, to be honest!  Blah. I didn't care to see Doom ride around on that thing.  He didn't have that same "Wow" factor.  Wanted more Surfer!! Perhaps that too is why I was annoyed with Doom this time around.  Just getting in the way of Surfer's coolness.  But anyway, I cannot WAIT to see the Silver Surfer's spin-off.  Gawsh he ruled. RULED I SAY!

  Now a lot of peeps seemed disappointed with Galactus, who, according to my only comic source DJ, is supposed to be this huge, giant Sentinel type thing.  And honestly, I'm kinda glad that they didn't go that route. I think it would have been too MUCH a stretch on the big screen, at least this soon in.  I think it would have been just TOO unrealistic. I mean, we're already accepting what we're being presented with, beings with superpowers, but a huge robot-like man trying to eat the earth? Eh.  Pushy.  I kinda liked the idea of the huge cosmic cloud getting to literally suck the earth into its gaping "mouth," or black hole, if you will. It still spoke volumes as to how much a threat Galactus was. He was big enough to kill earth, regardless of whether or not he had a form of a big man with a big helmet.  It just seems more "threatening" if the earth topples into a black hole that's actually trying to suck it in.  I don't think a huge purple robot sentinel thing would have been too menacing, or at least too convincing. This isn't Transformers ya know!  (not yet anyway )  But hey, that's just me.  It would have been cool if Galactus had more of a voice than an eery rumble, though, so he'd be more a "he" instead of "it," a freak of universal nature, but it's cool.  This film's Galactus was menacing enough even if you can't really see him. 
  
  But anyway, I just loved it. And other than Spiderman 3 (I still can't forgive that atrocity! Grrr!), I found myself quickly thinking after I saw it the first time around, "Man, I gotta see that again!"  Which thankfully, I did.  I was supposed to see Pirates 3 today with my folks, but F4 had more convenient showtimes.  Such major fun.
  
  Did I mention how much Silver Surfer ruled?!?

  • 10:25 pm
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