Yep, just finished it. I'll try to hold way back on the spoilers, and if anyone wants any details, PM me, and I'll try to answer any questions you might have.
Overall impression: Somewhere between good and very good. There are a lot of great moments and a lot of scenes that seem like they could have been taken right out of the comics, but there are also some weak moments and flaws that prevent me from rating it "very good". I will say that it's a big improvement over the first film.
Kel, you should be happy to hear that it was very much "about the four". . . possibly too much so. Nearly the first third is very focused on the four and some relatively mundane goings on. Fun for a fan like me, but may be disappointing to people who aren't real interested in the four.
All four characters are more mature, and less whiney. Their relationships . . . while still punctuated by some good natured teasing and some tense moments act less like bickering little brats than they did in the first one. That's particularly noticable between Johnny and Sue who seem more like 20 something brother and sister who really care about each other . . . though neither one would say so in so many words.
Ben and Johnny also have a more mature relationship that is closer to what we see in the comics. Still some back and forth teasing, but not as childish as the first one.
Reed and Sue have a mature, loving relationship that is much closer to the comics. Less of Reed being a puppy dog and Sue leading him around by the nose. They handle bumps with maturity and calm, and the "love triangle" was, thankfully, non-existant (though Sue does fill the Alicia role in a way, but there isn't any insecurity on Reed's part). Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the cliche' angst-ridden romances of most comic book films? Thankfully this one captures the simple, real, unambiguous love between Reed and Sue that we see in the comics.
Reed is much more Reed, and, while there were a few frustrating out of character moments, for the most part it is a big improvement.
Johnny is probably the least changed character. As in the first film, he's a little more over the top than he was in the comics . . . but it works. His relationship with Frankie is interesting (but brief). If that relationship is continued into a third film, it could help to flesh out his character.
Ben is more comfortable and doesn't spend the film moping as he did in the first . . . but he also never quite breaks out to be the joking, self-effacing character from the comics. He has some moments, but I was hoping for more.
Sue is closer to her comics character. Taking her relationship with Victor out of the equation allows her to be the Sue who loves Reed whole-heartedly and less hesitantly than she did in the first film. And Jessica fans will be pleased to know there is a gratuitous nude scene for her (not sure exactly how they'll handle it on film). She gets to use her powers in some pretty cool ways, though they don't get as creative as we've seen in some of the comics.
That, and a several other questionable scenes could, depending on how they're handled, generate some cringes and some ammunition for those who want to dump on this film, unfortunately. There are SEVERAL plot holes/divergences from science and logic that will require the viewer to believe in a comic-book reality. . . you know, a reality in which a person wouldn't explode if hauled to the edge of the atmosphere and fantasticars can go something like 100,000 miles per hour . . . even though it has a listed top speed of 200 mph in the book and I think I saw it listed as 500 mph somewhere else.
The surfer is, for the most part, spot on.
Doom is one of the big weak points. While there are moments that his actions seem to be close to what we expect of classic Doom, and while he shows a bit more of his technical prowess, he's still a shadow of "real Doom", and after the talk of "full armor" . . . I'm afraid I just didn't see it anywhere (the book is a bit vague on physical descriptions, so it's possible there will be more in the film, but . . . for the most part Doom never came close to fulfilling his comics role or character.
Galactus . . . I can't really say much without spoiling things, but I was disappointed. From some things we have seen, it almost seemed like those elements were still a work-in-progress, so hopefully there will be some improvements over the book when it hits the big screen. . . but as it plays out in the book, fans of classic Galactus will be disappointed.
As I mentioned, the beginning was a bit slow, and the ending was a bit busy. The story could use better balance, and I was disappointed that so much was thrown into the story at times, that it didn't allow the reader to properly feel the scale of some of the events . . . with some good film techniques and pacing, it's possible the film could do a better job than the book.
It's hard to say how the story will translate. As I've mentioned, elements of the story are flawed, but there is also the possibility for some pretty spectacular visual elements. If properly done, some of these scenes could really be something.
. . .and considering nearly every comic film has had some flaws, even though I have some concerns with this story, there are elements that are much better than we have seen in other films. Certainly the danger is very real and failure of the heroes would be, unquestionably, catastrophic . . . if Tim Story is able to effectively convey the . . . SCALE . . . of the danger to the viewer, he could have a very intense story to tell. . . but the pacing and details of the book fail to really emphasize that . . . we're talking about the potential end of the world here guys.
Bottom Line - I'm looking forward to June 15th more than ever now.
Hope that gives everybody a good feel without spoiling too much. Like I say, if you want any details, let me know.
, but I thought some people might be interested over here.
It's because they didn't use Doom as he is in the comics that made for a bland version in the film. Now everyone mistakes him for a Norman Osborne wannabe instead of the magnificently twisted and tragically flawed genius of the Marvel Universe.
