Again, I can't speak to the first film, and I know reviews have been better but still not ecstatic for this first sequel. Maybe ecstatic wouldn't be appropriate. After all, it doesn't have the angst of Spider-man or the hippitude of the X-Men movies. It's not about character depth, either.
What this one is, however, is a very cool-looking, straightforward, essentially faithful superhero movie with lots of big screen "wow" shots, that I can take my kids to. There were a couple of "craps" and "asses," but hopefully all the boys remember is the ultra-cool Silver Surfer himself (Laurence Fishburne voice, Doug Jones mo-cap) and that bitchin' chase between him and Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch.
One of my favorite shots is a God's-eye view of their two streaks, silver and orange-red, high above forested landscapes, two whizzing dots in furious pursuit around the globe. The resolution is good, mind opening stuff: SS takes HT up where he doesn't belong.
Yep, it's square, but it is also faithful to enough key plot points of the original story (three issues starting #48, March 1966, often called "The Galactus Trilogy") that I can get the sense of sharing a significant epic that shaped my childhood with my guys. Maybe getting the reprinted stories is next.
My only complaint was that I had heard some rumor about The Watcher making a cameo at the end, but although there are a couple of moon shots in the picture, including one in the appendix ending (interrupts the credits), he's not there, and I made us all wait until the last copyright.
For some reason I recall The Watcher, his race the oldest and most advanced in the universe, evolved beyond interfering with anyone else, lending a sort of mythic third of fourth dimension to the story. He tells this Silver Surfer/Galactus tale, and at the beginning it's almost like the FF are supporting characters, but of course it turns into their biggest challenge maybe of all time.
In any case, the most welcome presence onscreen was Stan Lee in cameo, trying to get into the Richards/Storm wedding and getting turned away -- the guard is "yeah yeah right right" when Stan claims to be Stan.
What's funny is that the gag acknowledges Stan Lee's place as household name and in association with Fantastic Four. The movie credits give Stan and artist Jack Kirby equal credit for creating the FF, pretty similar to how they used to bill themselves in the comic, albeit without the modifiers. (Smilin' Stan Lee! Joltin' Jack Kirby!)
That something these gents created nearly fifty years ago in their 40's is hitting the screen with the effects necessary to translate the original comic book experience, and resonating with little kids now is heartening, to say the least.
Yep, some of the my favorite parts of that American Century continue to bear fruit for our own children.
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