Marvel Adaptation Extravaganza Vol. 1

Fantastic Four

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So, its pretty darn obvious that I love comic book movies. Whether it was comics I read in high school, or just ones I've heard about, I love the big screen adaptations. I honestly didn't read Fantastic Four, but I always knew of them, and knew who they were.

Movies like this one run a certain gambit. They run the risk of upsetting long-time fans of the comic, but also potentially turning away new fans who just want to see a good movie by not making it accessable to the masses. As a non-comic book fan, I like this movie. It didn't disappoint me like the first X-Men movie did. I read that comic as a teenager and that movie spent too much time getting into the characters and back story for me. I already knew it all.

After an accident in space, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue and Johnny Storm and Victor Von Doom all return to Earth, not immediately realizing that their accident has caused them to gain some new extraordinary powers. Reed tries to find a cure for all of their powers, but the team soon comes to realize that they like their new strengths, and that there's a sinister villain named Dr. Doom (who's he?) on the loose.

I enjoyed the special effects, especially for the Human Torch and the Thing. I thought both of them looked good. Reed's elasticity didn't look too good sometimes and the Invisible Girl was pretty useless other than to see Jessica Alba in her underwear. Also, Dr. Doom's costume, while differing from the comics, looked cool.

Overall, the movie was a decent adaptation from comic to screen. It pales in comparison to some of my other favourite comic book movies (Batman, Hellboy, Sin City, Spiderman, Batman Begins) but it is worth a watch anyway. Check it out.

Side Note: More comic book reviews to come soon. Daredevil and its horrid offspring Elektra are on the way to complete the Marvel Adaptation Extravaganza Trilogy.