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980 comments in total

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180 out of 307 people found the following comment useful :-
Truly enjoyable., 18 July 2005

Author: write_to_ellen from United States

This film was well put together, fun, and didn't take itself at all seriously. I am not sure where the negative hype comes from, but I find when a good film gets bad reviews, that means most people just didn't get it. In this case, perhaps from the last few comic book films that attempted to "mean something," I think people forgot how to enjoy themselves. Laden with kitsch and tongue-in-cheek humor, this movie embraces that it comes from a comic book and allows itself to be big and a little silly. Yes, Jessica Alba wears an impossibly tight jumpsuit. Yes, the Human Torch is so slick and charming that, if you met him in real life, he'd get a solid smack for his arrogance. But this isn't real life, people, in case you forgot-this is the Marvel Universe, where clothes are tight and the dialog...isn't. Who cares? This movie is so fun that you wish these people did exist and would take some media focus off the jerks that are in the public eye.

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253 out of 468 people found the following comment useful :-
Don't compare this to X-men & Spiderman, it's good in its own way., 10 July 2005

Author: hatred_aside from Australia

I don't understand the reason behind the bad reviews & comments given to this movie, I mean this movie was pretty good, i think one of the main reasons behind it is that Fantastic Four was never popular as some of the other Marvel comics, so people didn't really care to see this as much as Spiderman or X-men, personally Ben Grimm was one of the more outstanding characters, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm was one of the main reasons for me watching the movie for obvious reasons. Chris Evans as Johnny Storm was pretty funny throughout the whole movie. I really enjoyed the movie from start to finish. It was very much an entertaining movie, but maybe fell to short in time, it could've been a little longer but it seemed to finish a little to quickly. My main point to this review is to inform people just to watch this movie with an open mind.

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71 out of 119 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent Movie. It sets a high bar for any sequels that will come., 8 July 2005

Author: Tuttle from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I thought it was an excellent film. It reminded me a great deal of the original X-Men movie but with far better FX and action. Like X-Men, it serves its purpose and introduces the characters and their relationships quite well. It sets up for an even better second film, just like X2.

Complaints? I wish they had left out that "Debbie" character. Having her leave her engagement ring conveniently on the bridge was shallow and too much of a shortcut. Plus, more Alicia would have been nice but overall, nice characterization.

This movie never gave me the feeling that it was dragging on. The in-your-face action of their origin scene quickly gets you drawn into the movie, and the plot and characters from there on out keep you interested during the rest of the film.

FF4 really has it all. It makes you laugh, moves you, makes you cheer, makes you gasp and lets you feel smart. It sets a high bar for any sequels that may come.

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112 out of 201 people found the following comment useful :-
Somebody Finally Got it Right!!!, 30 June 2005

Author: TomAW from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Wow! Just WOW! Let me start by saying I'm not a regular Fantastic Four reader, but I am a huge superhero fan and I've been reading comic books and watching superhero movies since the mid seventies. Spider-Man's my favorite, so I'm familiar with the FF characters from team-ups, crossovers etc. A few days ago I was visiting a friend in NYC and he treated me to a special advance showing of the Fantastic Four.

Now I've been watching superhero movies since the original Superman, and year after year, film after film, they've gotten close, but there always seems to be something missing. With Spider-Man, for example, I liked it, but I thought the Goblin could have been much better and Toby M. made a great Peter Parker, but mediocre Spider-man.

But the Fantastic Four . . . this one seemed to finally put it all together. The good guys were good (without being goody-goody) the bad guy was bad (without being a caricature) the setting was grounded and realistic (not an altered reality like the early Batman films) allowing just enough suspension of disbelief where it was really needed. Sure there were moments that could be questioned: "Would that really happen? Would he really say that?", but it's just about impossible to make an ambitious film like this without a few moments like that. What I really loved is they had POWERS, and they used them. You didn't get the feeling (as you did with X-Men for example) that they were being held back. They looked like they were coming right off the comic page.

Here's a little breakdown: Chris Evans/Human Torch - Amazing. I think a lot of credit has to be given to whoever did the casting on this one. No offense to Mr. Evans, but I got the feeling that playing an over-the-top superstar thrill seeker wasn't much of a stretch for him - if it was I really owe him a tip of the hat, but he seemed completely natural in the role. If Sam Raimi had thought to put Chris E. in the Spider-Man suit and let Toby M. play Peter P., we might have had a very interesting film. And kudos to the special effects department on this one, when the Torch "Flames On" you can practically feel the heat coming off the screen.

Michael Chiklis/Thing - Again, the casting was perfect on this. Michael C. WAS the Thing. He made you feel his pain, but he didn't wallow in it. While I thought they might do this with CGI, I'm glad they didn't. MC brought a depth and realness to the character that no computer could hope to match. There were a few moments when the suit didn't look quite right, but it was never enough to destroy the moment.

Ioan Gruffuld/Mr. Fantastic - Ioan G. did a good job, but he didn't have as much to work with as the other characters. He was believable and likable, but not a standout with everything else that was going on. The special effects were well done, but since your brain knows people can't actually stretch, it never quite looked "real". Still, to the filmmakers credit, they didn't hold back, and there were scenes (such as a fight with the Thing) that had me sitting slack jawed and amazed.

Jessica Alba/Invisible Woman - Jessica A. is simply breathtaking to look at. Now that I've said that, I feel a little less guilty saying her acting, while not bad, was a little flat. Still, she brought a special quality to the character, and many, many men and boys will walk out of the theater in love with her. The invisibility/force field effects were generally well done, but not quite what I expected, and at times I found myself wishing they had done them a bit differently.

Julian McMahon/Dr. Doom - Like many fans, I had been hoping for Doctor Doom - RULER OF LATVERIA, but in the context of this film, you can see that it wouldn't really have worked. This is an origin piece. The Fantastic Four aren't really the Fantastic Four yet. They're just a bunch of confused geeks trying to figure out who and what they are. Doctor Doom - RULER OF LATVERIA would have dispatched with them before breakfast. The ending, however, perfectly sets up a sequel (and I'm almost certain there WILL be a sequel - this film is too good not to get one) in which the a mature Fantastic Four can face a mature Dr. Doom. For this film, Julian M. was subtle yet powerful. He wasn't a cartoon bad guy, but a real bad guy. The kind you've met before who will shake your hand and look you in the eye while he's sticking a knife in your back. His relationship with Sue is creepy and it really defines his character. Everyone in the audience can see that he doesn't even understand what love is. To him, love is possession. Toward the end, he becomes truly frightening, but it's not a jump like some villains. You could see the evil smoldering below the surface from his first on-screen moment.

Overall, the film was well balanced and a LOT of fun. It was very funny at points, it was very heart rending at other points. Dramatic, intense and exciting. Remember that moment in Star Wars when Han Solo came back to help Luke blow up the Death Star. Remember how you just cheered an celebrated with the heroes? That's how this film made me feel.

I'm afraid I'm not eloquent enough to describe just how much I loved this movie. While not perfect, the sum total of the parts created a great, memorable experience.

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151 out of 279 people found the following comment useful :-
Very good - satisfying, 8 July 2005

Author: Jim Nickel from Canada

I don't know why some people wanted more action. That has been the bane of many movies lately - focusing too much on action and special effects and forgetting how to tell a good story.

This movie remembered to use the special effects to help tell the story and not focus on them. The effects were really good and many of them were used for humour instead of action. The only effect that looked a bit computerish or fake was the flame effect on Johnny Storm.

The acting is decent and all the characters seem to fit the roles. They have the right attitudes and lines.

There were a few scenes that were a bit contrived and we weren't sure why/how the character ended up there - for example, Johnny Storm is suddenly in a bike jumping show - but maybe he knows someone on the inside - so we will just let it go. Besides, it's a comic book.

It seemed very true to the feel of the comic books. I really enjoyed this show and would recommend it.

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170 out of 325 people found the following comment useful :-
Better Than Daredevil, Not As Good As Either Of The X-Men., 8 July 2005
Author: BigHardcoreRed from Calimesa, California

The Fantastic Four was a pretty good superhero movie but it lacked something. I do not think it truly lived up to it's endless hype from early this year. Aside from a few scenes that stick out, most are in the trailer, there is not much there other than some slick special effects sprinkled about. It is understandable, however, due to the fact that this film is about the origin of 5 different individuals and how they gained their super powers. I imagine the next one (of course, if there is a next one) will be more action packed.

As for a quick rundown of the story, 5 people are sent into a space ship to gather information that would be helpful in curing diseases and other good stuff. The crew consists of Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), Reed Richards, (Ioan Gruffudd), Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) & Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). While in the space station, the super cosmic storm hits hours earlier than expected and all 5 are caught in the storm, forever altering their DNA (or something like that). The one that got it the worst was Grimm.

The standouts from this movie are The Thing/Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm/Human Torch & Sue Storm/Invisible Girl. The Thing & Torch stand out because of both their characters and personalities & Jessica Alba stands out pretty much just because she is Jessica Alba.

I feel that Reed Richards was more of an annoyance in the movie and not as likable a character as, say, the Human Torch. Also, I fear that Dr. Doom will probably forever be compared to the Green Goblin from Spider-Man, due to the hokey masks and all. Also, the voice for Doom did not quite fit for me. I am not sure if his voice is supposed to be that docile or not, but I always pictured a deeper, more menacing voice for him.

I do hope this movie is not as criticized as movies such as Hulk or Daredevil. This movie was not that bad, probably not even as bad as I have made it seem. I would rate it somewhere in between X-Men and Daredevil. 7.5/10

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84 out of 154 people found the following comment useful :-
aims to put a big, daft grin on your face....succeeds !, 22 July 2005

Author: janus-20 from United Kingdom

The studio have obviously looked at Spiderman, Hulk, X-men and Daredevil, and despite the varying degrees of popularity there, I think it was wise of them to make this a much lighter jaunt.

This film is pure undemanding entertainment, it has nothing more on its mind than "lets have some fun", and dark superhero movies are getting to be a bit of a pill. I can appreciate how a big fan of the comic, would take issue with the changes that have been made, bottom line folks, your a film studio, your spending $100 million dollars making a piece of "entertainment", it has to play to 10 yr olds, it has to play to 30 year olds, or even 60 year olds, so what do you do? Well you can ensure your film has got some jokes, some action, some romance, some eye popping special effects, and mix in the main staples of the comic book, hey presto ! Or you can slavishly stick to every plot twist , every nuance, and every back story ever printed in the comics to please the percentage of your audience who are hard core fans of the comics. I love films ,all films, all types, but this is a business, look at Batman Begins, what a great film, but its taken it 1 month to make over $180 million in the U.S, thats not amazing business, this doesn't mean its a bad film, I thought it was amazing, but obviously a large portion of the films potential audience have shied away from it, why?, well I didn't feel it was suitable for a kid under 12 and cant imagine a large number of the fairer sex found much to their taste in there. The studios just wont pump mega bucks into something which only appeals to a limited number of punters. "Jaws" the book ,changes substantially, as "jaws" the film,there's a lot missing, didn't effect it much,in fact if you have read the book and seen the film, I think most would agree the changes were right for the film. I do hate changes to source material, one film in the pipeline (for a long time now) is "The A Team", words cannot express the love i have for that show, but the movie will be barely recognisable, and you've just got to swallow it. I think what you can really say is, if your adapting a book, comic, TV show, whatever, its not how close you stick to the source material that will win you the biggest audience, but how well you identify what type of film the material dictates it to be, and then make the best film you can of the type you decided on , then cross your fingers !

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35 out of 57 people found the following comment useful :-
Great for people that have never read the comic, 25 July 2005

Author: drendoynk from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I'm your average guy, I don't read comic books, and I usually don't comment about movies. Here is some thing a lot of people who gave this movie a bad review might not understand. The Fantastic 4 is a great movie!!! Especially for people who are too young to remember the comic books or the show!!! I remember when I was 9 years old, The Fantastic 4 used to be on late night on Cartoon Network. That was the only time I remember hearing about them or seeing them on a main stage.

Ten years later, a smile comes to my face when I hear about a movie being made about the superheroes I vaguely remember loving as a child. I don't read comic books. I could care less about the comic book accuracy. I just wanna see some guy burst into flames, fly, and say smart** comments.

Spiderman didn't do it for me, X-Men didn't, the only Batman movie I truly enjoyed was Batman Forever (Robin was cool, and Christian Bale didn't even act in Batman Begins.) I've never enjoyed a superhero movie more than the Fantastic 4. It's got such a simple formula: What would you do if you woke up one morning with superpowers? Each character was real. Johnny was an adventurous guy before the accident, of course he's not going to stay cooped up in Reeds lab all day. Reed was a geek, he stayed a geek the whole movie. Sue was like... the "dude, I totally wanna do your mom" type. She was responsible and everything... and she looked so hot in that cat suit. Ben was great as the family man who goes through the trauma of losing his wife and being out-casted.

I loved the Fantastic 4 because each character goes through their own issues, but the dramatic bull**** doesn't eclipse all the awesome action. I hated Spiderman because Peter still looked like a dopey, love sick, puppy even when he was kicking some bad guy buttocks. This movie had the right balance of emotion and butt-kicking.

The actors had such great chemistry! The scene after Johnny goes to the motocross contest was priceless. It was basically: This is how you bicker with superpowers.

The scenes with the Thing adapting to life with big fingers was great. You can't just wake up one morning bigger than life and expect to be able to do everything normal. The scenes with Sue stripping down in the middle of the street were so true. Is there a better way to get away from a crowd than turning invisible and stripping off all your clothes? The little things like all of Johnny's clothes burning, the tabloids, the action figures, the way the Thing squeezed a huge bundle of oranges for his juice in the morning, all those things make this movie great.

When you see the Fantastic 4, it's like you're watching 4 people's lives change through a hidden camera. They're doing their normal, everyday stuff... except with wicked cool powers.

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44 out of 75 people found the following comment useful :-
Amazing, funny and fantastic!, 9 July 2005

Author: all_my_life_ive_prayed from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

When I bought my ticket to see this movie I had no idea what to expect. I seen previews, previews that drove me to buy this ticket. My friend and I walked into the theater, took a seat and watched the red screen. After the previews had pasted the movie finally started.

I have never read any of the comics on this story, so I payed close attention to the screen. We were slowly introduced to the characters. Reed Richards (Gruffund), Susan Storm (Alba), Johnny Storm (Evans), Ben Grimm (Chicklis) and Victor Von Doom (McMahon) are five scientists that go into outer-space to study DNA.

After a cosmic radiation exposure hits them they wake up in Von Doom's 'care center' where they are studied for injuries. Slowly they all learn their powers. Johnny being set on fire, Susan turning invisible, Reed being able to stretch his arm to an amazing length(catching a falling champagne bottle), Ben turning into a 'stone monster' and Victor's hand/forearm turning to metal.

Reed, Susan, Johnny and Ben are forced to not go out in public after revealing their powers and being chased by screaming fans (Susan). Johnny seems to be the only one who's happy with his powers, while the other three wish to turn themselves back.

Reed swears to create a machine to turn them back, but not before testing everyone's powers. Victor's company quits on him and that causes him to kill a few people, well many people. Then he vows to steal everything Reed has, again. First eliminating his 'body guard' Ben "The Thing". This breaks them up Johnny and Ben going their separate ways while Susan and Reed stayed together.

Once Reed tried it on himself and it failed; Doom learns it needed more power. So Doom talked "The Thing" into using the machine. Success caused Ben to turn back into himself and Doom to become more powerful than ever. Becoming all metal, except his face. This brings them back together to take him on. They finally decide to keep their powers and use their powers to take him down.

Speacil effects are awesome, lines were funny, and the entire movie was fantastic! I loved it and would even go to see it again in the near future. This is definitely going to be in my DVD/VHS collection once it comes out. I give it a 10/10 and recommend it to everyone!

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30 out of 48 people found the following comment useful :-
What a bad movie!, 21 July 2005

Author: PeteRoy

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This movie was all over the place, the story was stupid, the character development was crap, the action scenes doesn't make sense, the editing of the movie is horrible.

The movie failed to make you feel sympathy with the characters, you can't identify with any of them, it felt as if you started watching from the middle of the movie.

The action scene on the bridge was amazingly stupid and pointless, the thing causes terrible car wreck on the bridge trying to save someone from killing himself and then the fantastic four all use their powers to save people, that action scene felt all wrong and ridiculous.

The scene with the motocross and the human torch was also pointless.

The movie suffers this tough criticism because it disappointed so many people so much.

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