Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer

[GiveMeYourBaby 102]

This popped up on HBOGo recently and I decided to check it out. Within the first 15 minutes I knew that this would be a great HTGM movie.

 

The main plot line to start the action movie with cosmically endowed superheroes revolves around Sue Storm and Reed Richard's wedding plans.

 

This would be a great one to bring Brian Posehn back for. He has a lame cameo that bookends the movie and could speak to the many ways that this film takes solid source material and shits all over it. The one that seems the most egregious to me was how Galactus is reduced to a mean cloud from space. Also the Silver Surfer betrays his home world AND the woman that he loves because Sue Storm kind of reminds him of his former lover.

[GiveMeYourBaby 102]

Also what the fuck movie? Why?

[PeteHummon 0]

I dunno - we've had three FF movies, and this one is absolutely the best of the three. I don't think its great cinema, but as popcorn movies go, it gets more right than it does wrong. Why not HDTGM one of the other two FF's?

 

My $.02

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

I remember very little from this one, but aside from the Galactus cloud, I don't recall anything particularly ridiculous (at least when comparing it to its predecessor) or offensive. I think these first two FF films are the closest thing we have to being family-friendly Marvel films, so I forgive them for being a bit dumb. I still like that they become famous because they saved people from an accident they caused themselves though.

[GiveMeYourBaby 102]

I dunno - we've had three FF movies, and this one is absolutely the best of the three. I don't think its great cinema, but as popcorn movies go, it gets more right than it does wrong. Why not HDTGM one of the other two FF's?

 

My $.02

I've only seen this one and the first one but between them I think Silver Surfer is more deserving of the HDTGM treatment. If only because of plot structure. The only reason the FF get involved with the Silver Surfer is that he is leaving huge craters all over the place. Why he is doing that is never explained. All he has to do is hang out on Earth until Galactus shows up.

 

When the Silver Surfer does decide to turn on Galactus he defeats the most powerful being in the universe almost entirely on his own (I guess Johnny gives him a little boost). There is never any explanation for how this is successful and the FF are barely involved.

 

From beginning to end this movie makes no sense and none of the conflicts between villains and heroes are well established or well executed.

[GiveMeYourBaby 102]

I remember very little from this one, but aside from the Galactus cloud, I don't recall anything particularly ridiculous (at least when comparing it to its predecessor) or offensive. I think these first two FF films are the closest thing we have to being family-friendly Marvel films, so I forgive them for being a bit dumb. I still like that they become famous because they saved people from an accident they caused themselves though.

 

I would say the movie's blatant misogyny towards Sue Storm qualifies as offensive. From the start her character, who has been established as a brilliant scientist, is mad at Reed for caring more about science than their wedding plans. Later in the movie when she switches powers with Johnny she starts shrieking that she is on fire even though the power shouldn't be causing pain and she has seen Johnny do the exact same thing hundreds of times. Eventually she ends up naked on a crowed street objectified and humiliated for a cheap gag.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

 

When the Silver Surfer does decide to turn on Galactus he defeats the most powerful being in the universe almost entirely on his own (I guess Johnny gives him a little boost). There is never any explanation for how this is successful and the FF are barely involved.

 

From beginning to end this movie makes no sense and none of the conflicts between villains and heroes are well established or well executed.

Fast forward four years and you have the exact plot of "Green Lantern", down to the once highly-identifiable villain being turned into a killer cloud from outer space. I loved how at the beginning, you see it slaughter the entire Corps, then you see Hal Jordan be completely shitty at his training before taking on this world-killing threat on his own while his teammates just hang back for no reason whatsoever, nevermind the fact that all of them had kicked HIS ass on their own at one time or another. Also, the movies both have a B-plot involving secondary villains that you forget were even in the movies.

[jarrycanada 2483]

Better or worse then ant man?

 

[Royboy 430]

Ant-Man shouldn't be covered on this show. Ever.

 

But if they're going to discuss Fantastic Four movies, they need to start with Josh Trank's, then the Corman one, THEN the Tim Story ones.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

"Ant-Man" was a joy! Also, is it just me or is Judy Greer EVERYONE'S mom this year?

[GiveMeYourBaby 102]

Of course the best reason to do this one is that it reaffirms Paul's "movies with surfing in them are awful" theory.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Loved Ant-Man. Love it even more that Michael Pena is now a part of the greater Marvel universe.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

And in terms of Fantastic Four, this one is goofy as hell. But I think its the closest they had to a great Fantastic Four movie. Michael Chiklis as the Thing was great and he was a huge fan of the character before he was cast. Chris Evans was a pretty good Johnny Storm too. With some better writing/plot this could have been closer to a solid Marvel movie.

[wyldride 285]

I haven't seen the latest one, but the two with this cast were so boring and devoid of story that you'd almost think they were prequels. I kept waiting for the meat of the story to start and it never came.