Marvel Comics continues to empty out its stable of superheroes with this entertaining tale.
Fantastic Four (2005)
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:9
Rotten:24
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Fantastic Four is a goofy, mediocre entry in the superhero genre.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Jul 8, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $154,485,963
Synopsis: Inventor, astronaut and scientist Dr. Reed Richards' (Ioan Gruffudd) lifelong dream is close to being realized. He is spearheading a trip to outer space, to the center of a cosmic storm. There he... Inventor, astronaut and scientist Dr. Reed Richards' (Ioan Gruffudd) lifelong dream is close to being realized. He is spearheading a trip to outer space, to the center of a cosmic storm. There he hopes to unlock the secrets of the human genetic codes for the benefit of all humanity. Extensive government grant cutbacks nearly dashed the visionary's hopes of the historic flight, until Reed accepted a financing deal with his old college rival, Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), now a billionaire industrialist. Reed's crew for the mission includes his best friend, astronaut Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis); Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), Von Doom's director of genetic research and Reed's ex-girlfriend; and Sue's hot-headed younger brother, pilot Johnny Storm (Chris Evans). With benefactor Von Doom in tow, the four set off for the exploration of a lifetime. The mission is uneventful – until Reed discovers a miscalculation of the speed of the approaching storm. Within minutes, the event threshold is upon them. The space station is engulfed by turbulent clouds of cosmic radiation which genetically transforms the crew. Their DNA is irrevocably altered…and so is their future. Back on earth, the effects of the exposure are quickly revealed. Reed gains the ability to stretch and contort his body into any shape he can imagine and, as leader of the group, is given the name Mr. Fantastic; Sue is able to render herself invisible and to create and project powerful force fields as Invisible Woman; Johnny becomes known as The Human Torch, as he can now engulf his body in flames and take flight at will; and Ben, whose freakish transmutation is the most shocking, becomes an orange-colored, rock-like, superhumanly strong creature, The Thing. Together, they turn tragedy into triumph and catastrophe into coalition, using their unique and formidable powers to thwart the evil plans of their now steely-eyed, iron-fisted nemesis Dr. Doom and to protect the citizens of New York City against any threat that may arise. Astronauts. Superheroes. Celebrities. To the world, they are the Fantastic Four. To each other, they are a family. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Laurie Holden, Hamish Linklater
Director: Tim Story
Director: Tim Story
Screenwriter: Mark Frost, Michael France
Producer: Bernd Eichinger, Avi Arad, Ralph Winter
Composer: John Ottman
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Release:
Apr 21, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- NTSC
- Keep Case
- Letterbox - 1.85
- Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 - Spanish
- Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes: (3)
- Audio Commentary: Cast
- Bonus Footage: Sneak Peek at X-MEN 3
Behind the Scenes:
- 1. "The Fantastic Tour"
- 2. Making of
- 3. Casting Session
- 4. Making a Scene
Music Video:
- 1. Ben Moody - "Everything Burns" (feat. Anastacia)
- 2. Velvet Revolver - "Come On Come In"
Trailers:
- 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
- 2. Bonus Trailers
- 3. AVENGERS
- 4. Product Trailer - Original Soundtrack
Interactive Features:
- Interactive Menus
- Scene Selection
Reviews for Fantastic Four
Before the inevitable and surprisingly anticlimactic battle with Doom, we are treated to two extreme-sports demonstrations, several training montages, [and] an ill-advised love triangle.
Bland performances throughout. And really, who wants to make Jessica Alba the invisible girl? What a bad idea. I want her to be visible at all times.
It exists largely to entertain and delight, which used to be precisely what summer blockbusters were engineered to do.
If there was ever any doubt that action scenes depend more on context than flash, Fantastic Four proves it.
The Fantastic Four get treated reverently, but not seriously, in this modified retelling of the story, but then it's hard to take any one seriously who goes to work for Dr. Victor Von Doom and Doom Industries.
A wildly uneven, sporadically slapdash action-adventure that amuses in fits and starts.
The comic book adventure is a fun, escapist change of pace from all the politically weighted popcorn fare on the scene this season.
A perfect storm of wooden acting, hackneyed direction, inane scripting and laughably cartoonish special effects produces a shapeless mess more wearyingly stupid than arch-villian Dr. Doom is evil.
You don't expect realism from a comic-book movie, but you do want the characters to seem larger than life. Here, they look like contestants at a costume party.
[The writers are] so busy setting up the premise that they barely get around to exploiting it.
Story can't infuse this juvenile hunk of entertainment with either the wit or the savvy to make it seem like anything more than an overblown version of Saturday- morning TV.
The kind of don't-ask- too-many-questions action-hero movie where the humor is tasty and the FX are wicked-cool.
A film that's nowhere near as fantastic as it should be. Something's missing. And that something is most likely a strong director.
A not-so-bad mindless bit of camp escapism that doesn't try to eclipse its dime-store comic book roots.
In trying to nail just the right mix of comic book action, comedy and pathos, the movie emerges as a tone-deaf mishmash of underdeveloped characters, half-baked humor and unhatched plotting drenched in CGI overkill.
There's nothing terribly fantastic about this ho-hum futuristic foray.
Latest News for Fantastic Four
September 14, 2009:
Chris Evans Talks Scott Pilgrim, Fantastic Four Reboot ![]()
He was Johnny Storm in the "Fantastic Four" movies and he's got a role in the upcoming "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," so it's only natural that Chris Evans talked about both... More...
September 01, 2009:
Fox Pushes "Reboot" Button on Fantastic Four ![]()
"The Fantastic Four" will be the next superhero franchise to get the reboot treatment: Fox has hired Akiva Goldsman to produce an overhauled adaptation of the long-running... More...
March 13, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Fantastic Four to Get Reboot
This Week's Ketchup leads off with lots of big news for three of Marvel Comics' biggest properties (Thor, Iron Man and Fantastic Four), followed by sequels for Taken, Hard... More...
March 09, 2009:
A Reboot for Fantastic Four? ![]()
Could "Fantastic Four" be the next Marvel-inspired film franchise to get the reboot treatment? That's the word from IESB's sources, where it's said that the new version will... More...
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