You'll think that I'm crazy, but...

[Orrex]

I really like The Fantastic Four movie, warts and all.

Some warts:
Where the heck is von Doom's accent?
How heavy is Ben? He got washed down the hallway as easily as the much ligher von Doom...
And how did Ben even get to Doom's tower so fast? And how did he hear what von Doom was saying, prior to bursting through the wall?
How did Johnny know that the missile was coming for him?
Why did the missile's launch-screen identify him by name?
On the bridge, Ben saved one guy but destroyed a semi, any number of cars and seriously damaged a hook-and-ladder truck, not to mention the bridge itself? Who picks up the tab for something like that?
Why did Sue have to strip and turn invisible to get through the crowd, but Johnny and Reed just walked through fully clothed?
Why did Reed, the smartest man in the world, seem slightly less brilliant than any average person on the street?

But who cares? I like the movie anyway!

A few gems:
Michael Chiklis. Perhaps the best choice of casting in the history of cinema. Even better than Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Totally unpretentious film. Didn't try to be anything other than a fluff comic book movie.
The shot of von Doom, in full mask, leaning over Reed. Epic!
Antagonism between Ben and Johnny--very true to the comic book's spirit
The shot of Ben stopping the semi--despite my objection above, it's still a great visual
Certainly as good IMO as the first X-Men film, which in places was plodding and mechanical
Overall very true to the comic's spirit, including the weird science
The final fight scene--a better coordination of super-powered attacks than seen in X-Men 1 or 2.
It made no mention whatsoever of the ill-fated Roger Corman film.

So who's with me? Anyone else enjoy this movie, or was it just me?

It might have been just me, I admit, and I can live with that!

:P

[Mojambo]

1. I didn't particularly care for it myself

But as I was telling a friend the other day, the degree of difficulty on making a good Fantastic Four movie is obscenely high. It's tough to escape the camp that Lee/Kirby infused into the comic book.

So it's passable.

Now in contrast, fucking up a story as simple and timeless as the Hulk is a crime that Ang Lee will never live down, IMO.

I think the sequel of FF could be MUCH better. Having the Silver Surfer sure helps.

[Orrex]

2. Good call on The Hulk

It's bad enough that poor Bruce has to deal with turning into a rampaging green monster--does he need to sort out his Oedipal hangups in the same three hours? What a poor choice of plot.

The best sequence IMO was the escape from the base, with the helicopter chase and the scene with The Hulk destroying those tanks. That's what you look for in a Hulk movie, and not a tortured rumination on Banner's daddy issues.

on edit: And I'm just dying to see how they handle Galactus. Jackson's King Kong showed that a giant-sized interactive character can look good and realistic on-screen; I wonder if the same will be true of a big guy in a blue and purple suit with a funky helmet.

[Mojambo]

3. The Galactus visuals are a prime example of where a little creative liberty should be exercised

Normally I like them to stay true to the original, but I wouldn't mind some moderate tweaking of Galactus.

Nothing drastic, mind you. Along the same lines of keeping Wolverine out of the yellow spandex in X-Men.

I just don't know if the purple is going to play...

[Broken_Hero]

12. Word around the campfire is that

another Hulk film is in the works, with Dave Duchovny as Bruce Banner...a reboot film, and throwing Ang Lee's Hulk in trash. Personally, I liked Ang Lee's Hulk, but I suppose I'm in the minority....my only beef was the timing/pace of the movie...the other subtle changes, were okay with me.

[Broken_Hero]

4. I enjoyed FF, a whole lot more than the comics

I've gotten a good stack of FF comics, throughout my life, and it seems, like an alzheimers patient, I check them out from time to time...

"Hey, FF sounds interesting, lets see what they are up too!"

"Yep, same melodramtic, cerebral Reed Richards BS, no wonder why I don't spend much time readin these guys"

I've gone through that cycle at least 8 times...I see a cool comic pic/story line, I buy it, thinking..maybe this time they won't suck! And I've been let down all 8 times....

The movie, was great imo. The main issue I had was with Dr. Doom....but otherwise, I thought they nailed the characters down well...

The new FF movie looks amazing...the trailer with Norrin Radd looks amazing!

[Orrex]

5. I may be old fashioned, but...

IMO John Byrne was the only one since the early days to get the FF's chemistry really right. It's my understanding that he's something of a pain to deal with, but everything that's followed in the long time since his departure has seemed a half-assed attempt to recapture what Byrne managed so easily. I grant also that Byrne borrowed rather freely from other sources, and his writing tends toward the verbose at times, but he nevertheless hit the bullseye while other writers/artists have only gotten the book's name right.

Incidentally, Byrne's influence shows itself when Doom is fused into a statue at the film's end. I can't recall the issue number, but something very similar happened to the armor-clad Doom in the pages of FF, following a tussle with Galactus' former herald Tyros the Terrible. It would have to have been somewhere around issue 265, I think.

Can't wait to see the sequel, and I wasn't aware that a trailer was available. I'll need to check it out ASAP!

[Broken_Hero]

6. Trailer is here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486576/trailers-screenplay-E31006-10-2

I have a wishy washy thing with J. Byrne...but I only know of his work with Superman's revamp in the mid 80's....I tried getting into FF late 80's, early 90's...like 88-93.....and then again in 97....

[Orrex]

7. Thanks--very cool!

I just watched it. Everything I saw is very much in keeping with my conception of the FF.

Pretty daring to introduce a whole concept of extraterrestrial life, not to mention Galactus himself, in a film-world that so far has had only five super-humans. This installment looks to be better than the first--I can hardly wait!

[Broken_Hero]

8. No doubt, the whole chase scene

in the trailer was awesome....I had chills going up my arms, seriously....:D

[Mojambo]

9. That looks VERY cool.

That sequence is better than ANYTHING they did in the first movie.

The action will be fine, but I'm still a tad concerned about the story.

I'll be seeing it for sure though.

[Broken_Hero]

10. Damn straight!

That whole flying sequence gave me goosebumps, and Norrin going through objects, was amazing...

[semillama]

11. Did you notice who was playing the priest?

Brian Posehn! Looks like there will still be a good deal of tongue in cheek humor as well.