Fantastic!

I saw "Fantastic Four" on Thursday night, at 11:59pm, with my cousin and sister. The critics had not been very kind, but I was sure I would enjoy it from what I had seen (not to mention my favorite actor starring in it).

When we arrived, the theater was already rather crowded. This showing was in Theater 1, the biggest theater. We managed to find three seats together. By the time the movie began, the theater was full.

I promise not to give anything about the plot away. I loved the movie! It was a terrific, light-hearted summer film. It was easy to follow, had lots of great lines, and lots of laughter from the whole theater.

I have seen other comic book movies and they tend to be somewhat dark and overly heavy. "Fantastic Four" was not like that. Instead, the characters had a sense of humor about their situation, while at the same time recognizing the "seriousness" of what happened to them. I thought the special affects were great---perfect for a comic book movie.

Michael Chiklis does a good job as The Thing/Ben Grimm. You felt sorry for him because he was so unhappy in his transformed state. At the same time, there was humor in his inability to do usual things, like use a fork because his fingers are so big and rocklike.

Chris Evans plays the Human Torch/Johnny Storm perfectly. He came across as the hotshot (no pun intended, really) of the group. Johnny is the member of the group who enjoys the transformation and the spotlight it brings to them. He savors the attention. Chris Evans delivered the funniest lines in the movie and did so very naturally.

Julian McMahon was a great Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom. He was arrogant and slightly sinister. Victor Von Doom is used to getting his way and McMahon played him well.

Jessica Alba plays the Invisible Woman/Sue Storm. She did a pretty good job. She and Chris Evans did an excellent job of bickering as sister and brother.

The best for last: Ioan Gruffudd (my favorite actor) as Mr. Fantastic/Dr. Reed Richards. Ioan's part was much bigger than one would think from the way the entertainment world and media have been treating the cast. Reed Richards is the leader of the group, so Ioan was onscreen all the time (which I certainly did not mind). He did an excellent job. The character was more serious than Johnny Storm, but still had a few funny parts. Fabulous acting! :)

My sister and cousin both really enjoyed the movie. I plan to see it again.

Go see "Fantastic Four"!!!