rickps | The Not So Bad 4 Plus 1

So, I finally saw the new Fantastic 4 movie last night. Surprisingly empty theater given that the movie ranks at the top in the box office. And so how was it? Fun, entertaining, but I was ready to leave when the movie ended. You don't go to movies like this for the acting and this one offered no surprises. The Stan Lee cameo could have been a lot funnier if it hadn't been dragged out quite so long.

Special effects were the expected state-of-the-art (at least to my untrained eye). Storyline was, um, good enough although it lacked the common trend of having a clear heartfelt message buried in the humorous banter.

As to eye candy, Flaming Johnny (all the women have to be a beard) has a nice upper body. Jessica Alba as Sue Storm was the camera darling. Her super powers apparently guarantee that she'll never have a hair out of place or a make-up flaw. The Silver Surfer was suitably alienish yet human (and is the 'Plus 1').

And in my rating system, this isn't a movie I'd rush to see again in the theaters (where it works best), nor do I think I'll buy the DVD when it goes on sale. On the other hand, I know I'll look for it when it hits HBO.