Jun 25 07
Appealing to fans of the Fantastic Four and comic book-based movies, there is nothing remarkably good nor excruciatingly bad here, just a mediocre film best saved for a lazy evening in front of the TV. Expect a lengthy explanation of how the fantastic crew (and the villain) got their powers, some cool special effects, a couple of attempts at character development, and an underwhelming final confrontation.
Rating: Good.
Jun 23 07
There’s no easy way to say it, but it’s true: the magic of the first two movies is over. This film takes us back to the pre-X-men days of mediocre comic-book movies.
The worst is the mishandling of Peter’s fall into the “dark side”, caused in equal parts by his growing conceit and arrogance, and by a dark symbiote substance from space. Well, apparently, the most visible consequence of embracing darkness is a tendency to act like a complete moron on the streets. Rather underwhelming.
Avoid this film and cherish your memories about the first two instead.
Rating: Avoid.
Aug 02 06
A quite enjoyable film, although not up to the standards of the first two. This series remains behind only Spiderman in my favorite comic-book movie list. The conflicting personalities, the attempt at character development, and the appeal to tolerance mean this film is deeper than perhaps could be expected.
It’s not without its flaws, however. I’d like to point out what disappointed me most: the way Magneto goes down in the end. It’s similar to what happened to Anakin in Star Wars: ROTS. It makes me believe there’s a need for writers who can conceive truly epic, satisfying final confrontations.
Rating: Good.
Aug 01 06
This movie doesn’t raise itself above the Sunday afternoon crowd. The acting is below par, the characters are flat and lifeless, Luthor is never really menacing, and too many situations are left unexplained. This leaves us with a comic-based movie that is much less entertaing than the likes of X-Men or Spiderman. Superman’s disappearance plays no real role other than making Lois angry at him. I could never understand why Superman can’t just get over her — she’s got kids, for crying out loud.
Some of the special effects, though, are top notch. Not all.
Rating: Good.