The "Critique The Critics!" Thread (MAJOR SPOILERS, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK)

[Bishop2]

Wow, the critics are hating this aren't they: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fantastic_four_2_rise_of_the_silver_surfer/

I can think of something they hated noticably worse...

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fantastic_four/

 

[chaseter]

I can think of something they hated noticably worse...

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fantastic_four/

Ouch At least FF2 improved...maybe FF3 will be in the 40'st:

 

[ScottyBBadd]

Well, I finally got around to it. Mind you, I'm not just writing this for SHH- I'm posting this on MySpace and MyFavoriteGames Forums as well. Hope it doesn't sound too informal.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer review

I just came back from Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and to sum up my sentiment brings mixed feelings...thankfully, not all negative. Far from it, in fact. I should warn from the get-go: this review is spoiler-intensive. Read at your own risk.

I'll tell anyone to the face that my thoughts on the first film amounted to poor execution, an overly extrapolated origin, and bad acting. But I do admit that in the case of Marvel's Ghost Rider I was far too kind to such a flawed film, and that the reviews on this film sounded somewhat hopeful. So it was with some lingering expectation of disappointment that I went to see this film. And I must say, after intensive thought...I was impressed. The story is the first thing that comes to mind- it's not too shabby, even if there are chinks in the armor. The movie opens with a foreboding look of a planet dying and the Surfer zooming away as a blip on the screen, a nice opening that strays away from the extended feel the beginnings of most feature films give. The plot itself has something I must praise it for- structure. Granted, I felt a bit of the material was bad, but it had structure. This is something Spider-Man 3 lacked. It doesn't really leave threads lingering and makes the story fall together cohesively.

In a summary- a cosmic being coated silver and of unknown origin (stop me if you know his name) brings abnormalities to the world at large leaving suspicious craters in Earth's mantle, at the rather unfortunate junction of Reed Richards and Susan Storm's wedding plans. It's not made any better by the arrival of one General Hager, who informs Reed of the threat as the men of the team are dancing at a bachelor's party (much to Reed's chargin). Things are looking haphazard to have a wedding in such media attention with Johnny and Ben ever bickering along the way, but the two finally manage to go through with a day to remember...in more ways than one. Reed's secretly-built tracking device picks up the being's radiation signature too little too late, as the visitor passes by and causes some serious trouble involving a helicopter that the team rallies together to solve. After Johnny's contact with this "Silver Surfer" and the power switches that ensue from the after effects, Marvel's beloved family comes to the realization that it has only days to spare before a force of inexplicable power devours our planet, and that it'll take new company and an old foe to solve this crisis.

Alright...that aside, the movie is pretty solidly built. Many people said that this movie deserves an A. I would say that some of the old disappointments of the first haunt this film, but that it doesn't bog this movie down so much that you can't enjoy the rich material Story brings to the fore. Is it the comic book feel I hoped for? The secular music in place of a better Ottman score and plain-clothes Doom make me give a resounding 'no'. Is it a movie that tries and succeeds towards the end of making an epic scenario that harkens to the scale of the books? Most certainly. In particular, praise goes to the Surfer's adaption. Doug Jones in particular- while Fishburne's voice acting added an enigmatic feel to the Surfer that I enjoyed, it was the moments where we saw the de-powered Surfer at the mercy of humanity's cruelty and capacity for understanding that we saw what Lee and Kirby intended for this stalwart Spock of the cosmos so many years ago. His emotional range jumps from detached to conflicted in a way only the Surfer does, and he deserves a pat on the back for showing that. It's a little disappointing that Story's action comes a bit short in the scale department- while visually the Surfer is amazing, his cosmic bolts and their effects could have done with a smidgen more breadth. But most everything else is what I wished the first to be- the positive family story set in a world where the fantastic occurs.

The negative? This movie, as I said, has it's chinks. For one, Julian McMahon is something I just have trouble seeing as a good Doom. Even my mother, a woman whose only understanding of Doom is in the figurines I own and who Twentieth Century was probably aiming for, asked me if he was supposed to be Doom. Sadly, I feel Story cast the wrong man. McMahon doesn't seem capable of the regal menace of Vincent Von Doom nor the presence such a character brings without the armor, and even with it on that voice makes the brimming power he's given in this film feel belittled in comparison. Another is the special effects. "Reed's clothes having unstable molecules in order to explain how they stretch" arguments aside, the movie doesn't seem to ground the CGI in the same way as a film like Hellboy did. It felt cartoony in parts like the dance sequence and London Eye rescue, overused as the Surfer sinks into his board (?), and ill-conceived in the "giant cloud about to swallow Earth" bit (as well as the insides of that cloud...a matter I'll speak about in a moment) as well as Johnny's flame-on moments (still shoddy). It has great moments, but I just wasn't as impressed with some parts as I was with others. Frankie Raye also felt a bit throwaway. I hope they do more with her in a sequel like what Alicia got in this movie.

What deserves recognition? The acting, for one- almost everyone brought the aces in their decks. Evans portrays Johnny in a way that is obnoxious without being incapable of redemption, Reed is treated by Ioan as both a shy geek and a man with the capacity to command like in the books, and even Alba surprised me with her ability to add the womanly tones of Sue to her portrayal without the bad acting that marred the even-worse adaption of the first film. The only member who could have done better was Chiklis. I just didn't feel the emotion the Thing could have had in this film. But it's not too bad- he still makes you overlook the ever-horrid suit that still plagues this franchise when the going's good (and the camera's far back). Another thing that is worth mentioning is the action beats- the Fantasticar chase with Doom's aerial harassment with his newly-endowed cosmic powers is a thing to behold about midway through, when the sky seems to start falling in the form of bedrock and as the Great Wall gets a rearrangement China's cultural preservation committees wouldn't take sitting down. It feels...darker. That's hard to say in a movie that's PG, but Story doesn't cut out things that an older audience would be surprised made it to the final cut. As dark as it could be? No, but considering that the stories were dark without delving too much into scares Story isn't raping the books at all. Reading the old stories again helps in an analysis to soften some of the hit-and-miss humor that interrupts it (I wasn't quite as tickled pink by the rock slide joke as others were). It's still capable of a shadier undertone even with the comedy. The next time, though, I wouldn't mind showing us things like what Doom's face looks like without the obscurity. The build-up for that in particular felt ejaculatory.

And before I drew this to a close, you know I'm obliged to mention my subject of ire in this film: Galactus. This adaption was not kind to him. Whether it be the tendrils to an otherwise well-conceived opening, the literal naming of the cloud/ spaceship hybrid as the big G, or the complete lack of a single uttered word (a "my herald..." would have sufficed just fine at the end when the Surfer approaches the 'center', people- give me a break!) this adaption was far from what I would call "satisfactory". Galactus acts like the oncoming terror, but without the God-like presence he had in Kirby's well-drawn art. Essentially, he has no part in the movie. He just acts as a deus ex machina to set up a grand sacrifice on the pure Surfer's part. The worst part, though? You do see the chinuous plates of a drill as he begins to "dig in" and what I guess is a face (thanks to Fox, it just looked like red-lit clouds to me). But it's all too obscured due to corporate fear or bad mystery ploys or whatnot, and it just ends up like sex without a climax. Too much tease and enigma, not enough food for the visual appetite. I'm just glad that there's a Surfer side story in the works. It's not the worst thing to have happened to the horned devastator of planets ever (I'm looking at you Millar), but it's far from what I wanted.

This whole movie has it's quirks: Doom is way too trusted by the mean Army men from stereotypical Hollywood's nightmares, yet at the same time you feel emotion as he does away with the glue of the group (if only because Gruffudd's reaction is great to tug the heartstrings). It also leaves some threads here and there unresolved- Doom's fate and Galactus' fate, for instance. But overall, this is a big step up from a film I give an unabashful F to in my grading. Gladly, it's not a Last Stand or Daredevil, nor a Daredevil-to-Ghost Rider transition for these films. Don't fool yourself- you're not going to see the perfect FF film, and Story still needs big strides to make and wrinkles to iron out before this franchise fully redeems itself. But, if I could sum up this film in a sentence: with the rocky start this franchise got off to, it's a true pleasure to see that things have turned around.

My final grade? A low B/ 80%, with a tepid thumbs-up. It's not something I'd have meaningful conversation with my friends about, but it's also what I hoped for when I said I was willing to give Story a chance to amaze me.

-The Chibi Kiriyama

I would go no higher than mid 80's, but in my opinion my range 78-82.

 

[Storm22]

Finally saw this movie and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I had low expectations after reading the many opinions on here and RT but I thought the movie was a considerable step up from the first. The humour was heading in more of an Incredibles direction instead of mirroring that of the first film. I actually think Alba was one of the best things about the movie, she was compassionate with the Surfer and assertive with the other members of the team. I don't think this movie deserves the bashing it's gotten. I'd put it pretty much neck and neck with X3, with X3 nudging slightly ahead because I'm more of an X-Men fan. I'll definitely be picking this up on DVD when it comes out!

FF2: 7.5/10

 

[X-Maniac]

Finally saw this movie and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I had low expectations after reading the many opinions on here and RT but I thought the movie was a considerable step up from the first. The humour was heading in more of an Incredibles direction instead of mirroring that of the first film. I actually think Alba was one of the best things about the movie, she was compassionate with the Surfer and assertive with the other members of the team. I don't think this movie deserves the bashing it's gotten. I'd put it pretty much neck and neck with X3, with X3 nudging slightly ahead because I'm more of an X-Men fan. I'll definitely be picking this up on DVD when it comes out!

FF2: 7.5/10

So I guess now you can see where I was coming from in my comments?

I agree with what you say. I wish both FF2 and X3 had tried a little harder to be solid, standalone movies, even though they are both have a lot of entertainment value.

 

[Storm22]

So I guess now you can see where I was coming from in my comments?

I agree with what you say. I wish both FF2 and X3 had tried a little harder to be solid, standalone movies, even though they are both have a lot of entertainment value.

Agreed and yeah I understand your comments better now! I'm looking forward to the next movies in each franchise anyway.

 

[Iron Maiden]

I thought this was a pretty balanced review....

'Fantastic Four' Delivers a Summer Popcorn Pleaser
James Vance - Tulsa World
It will come as no shock to learn that the Fantastic Four saved the world again this week. But some will be surprised to learn that, with "The Rise of the Silver Surfer," they've likely pulled off an even more fantastic feat by saving their own franchise.

While it was entertaining, the Marvel Comics team's first big- screen outing a couple of years ago was largely a letdown, its decent box office numbers more a quirk of timing than a mark of genuine popular appeal. But big ticket sales are frequently reason enough for studios to go the sequel/series route, and this time they pretty much got everything right.

As the story begins, team leader Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and his longtime love Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) are days away from their frequently delayed wedding. There are no skulkers in the shadows like Batman, the Four are public figures -- incorporated, wealthy media darlings who are mostly comfortable within their cosmically altered skins.

The nuptials are delayed yet again when a new threat appears, a gleaming figure who's zipping around the globe on a flying platform and causing bizarre disruptions in the landscape. Naturally, the gang has to dope out what's going on, and soon big-brain Reed discovers that this "Silver Surfer" hails from outer space, having left a string of dead planets in his wake. Yep, there goes the neighborhood and then some.

It turns out that the Surfer dude is the herald of a planet- eating entity called Galactus, and Earth is about to become the blue plate special. If the threat of imminent destruction isn't distracting enough, the good guys have to deal with a side effect of the Surfer's energy that has them swapping powers at inopportune moments. Oh, yeah -- and Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon) has been brought back to life, and he's out to steal the Surfer's power for his own nutty designs. What a revoltin' development.

With considerably less screen time than in the first film, McMahon is easier to take. Relieved of the burden of making sense of the backstory, he quickly settles into the fun of playing a mustache- twirling villain. Yes, he's grafted clumsily onto the story, but he gives the Four -- who are hopelessly out of their league when it comes to Galactus -- somebody to wail on.

That's a necessity, since the Surfer isn't really a bad guy. He's just trapped in a lousy job, having agreed to serve the planet- eater to keep his own world from being devoured.

The studio is clearly hoping to spin the Surfer off into his own movie, and they've given him a decent spotlight here. Doug Jones (who's served similar functions in "Hellboy" and "Pan's Labyrinth") provides the physical performance and Laurence Fishburne dubs the dialogue, a joint performance that fairly emulates the comics character's charisma and nobility. Whether or not a hero who basically looks like the little man on a bowling trophy can carry his own movie remains to be seen, but he's a welcome presence here.

However, it's still the Four who carry this show, and each actor delivers. Chris Evans' Human Torch is still a likeable bonehead, Alba's Invisible Woman is still busy reminding the boys to act like grownups, and Michael Chiklis as the Thing again provides comic relief as the boulder-skinned lug with a heart of gold.

Gruffudd's Richards is a more fully realized character this time around. It's a running gag in both comics and movies that stretchy Reed is something of a stiff, and Gruffudd has created a character who's endearingly awkward despite his status as a world-class genius. One of the highlights of the new film is the moment when he gets to deliver a speech touting nerd power that's sure to resonate among the core audience.
That audience, of course, expects special effects, and they're considerably more special in this sequel. The Surfer's CGI-enhanced schtick is pretty impressive, the power-swapping moments are handled with humor, and a number of amusing new gags have been developed for Richards' flexible form.

It's possible that die-hard comics fans won't cheer the new form the filmmakers have devised for Galactus -- in fact, queried about it in advance, said filmmakers simply lied -- but the bulk of the audience won't care. Considering that the original funny book Galactus was drawn as a big guy in a purple skirt and something like a lampshade on his head, one might objectively find this nebulous version an improvement.

With the new Batman cornering the market on brooding angst, the X- Men setting the bar for superhero social commentary and Spider-Man knocking it out of the park in terms of crowd-pleasing identification, the folks behind the Fantastic Four franchise set out two years ago to simply provide an entertaining summer movie experience.

This time, they've succeeded. In this summer of three-hour bloated blockbusters, "The Rise of the Silver Surfer" is old-fashioned comic book fun, a popcorn flick that knows how to deliver the goods and then dance off the stage while we're still wanting more.
Source: ABC action news

 

[Malus]

^ Refreshing to read a critic who actually knows what the hell he's talking about.

 

[X-Maniac]

^^ That's the best review I've read so far. He understood the movie and he critiqued it without any preconceptions. I actually read the whole review, so it must have been good.

I still stand by my own personal criticisms of an overdose of campy humour and brisk editing that marred the impact of big moments, but I want a third movie. And one that is a little more solid.

 

[Mercurius]

So, you're telling me that a review that says "die-hard fans" concerning Galactus is not pejudiced? Gimme a break.

The guy who wrote it is not only a superficial fan, but is also making advertisement for Fox.

This is no critique.

 

[Spade]

I don't think he addresses the fact that the filmmakers unnecessarily lied about the movie in a good fashion, but I don't have a beef with this review. He's a bit more optimistic about Doom's role in this than I am, but it's all gravy to me. I hated the first, but people seem to be overly vitriolous to the film in really vague reviews for my own liking and this is a refreshing change.