Fantastic Four - movie reviews and information

'Fantastic Four': The perfect counterbalance to 'Batman Begins'
by Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

You probably saw the Pixar animated version last November. Now it's time to meet the real Incredibles: Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), aka Mr. Fantastic, whose body stretches like Silly Putty; Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), aka the Invisible Girl, whose vanishing act is augmented by her ability to throw up an awesome force field; her brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), aka the Human Torch, whose signature rallying cry, "Flame on!," is a prelude to some spectacular fireworks; and Benjamin Grimm (Michael Chiklis), aka the Thing, whose supersized strength comes at a cost: a really gnarly skin condition. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
The Marvel comic book superheroes — Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing — blast onto the big screen to battle the evil Doctor Doom.

FILM FACTS ...

Twentieth Century Fox

'Fantastic Four'

Director: Tim Story
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon
Run time: 123 minutes
Release date: July 8, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content.
See showtimes

On the web
Official movie site
View the trailer
Trailers require Quicktime

READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: B
"Take the movie on its own lighthearted terms and, chances are, you'll be taken in. "

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Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"The only thing it takes seriously is its mission to entertain."

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Cox News Service: B
"It has a lot of action. You'll like the heroes. And the electric bad guy is cool."

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Dayton Daily News: B
"... funny, without being corny, thanks to some clever lines and snarky banter. It's also visually impressive, with a highly appealing cast."

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The Palm Beach Post: C-
"Do not go expecting the thematic subtexts of X-Men. This is just four geeks melting stuff, blowing stuff up, smacking through walls and positioning themselves for a sequel."

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The Palm Beach Post "Flick Chick"
"There is some heavy suspension of disbelief here — mostly in accepting that human Barbie doll 24-year-old Jessica Alba is somebody's top scientist, rather than America's Next Top Model. Then again... as much fun as Fantastic Four is, I'm willing to forgive pretty much anything."