Review of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer reunites all four cast members from the original movie (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans) and tosses them into an even bigger adventure. There's plenty of excitement and characters to choose from, even if it is all pretty lightweight. It's a cool movie for children and it's interesting enough for their parents.

This time around there are two developing stories. First, we have the impending destruction of the planet. A bright object streaks through the skies causing snowfall in Egypt; water in a Japanese bay hardens into a solid; power outages assail the United States. The super group is swiftly drafted by the US military to investigate and they discover that this cosmic aberration is the Silver Surfer and his appearance means that Earth's demise is only days away.

The second storyline is just as crucial, of course. It's the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. The media talks about this super-celebrity wedding incessantly as they've apparently already tried five previous times; but something always interferes. The wedding scenario gets boring after a while and it's hard not to be anxious for the Silver Surfer to shake things up. He finally does and once the super group start on their mission, the movie improves a bit.

The big silver guy is just cool. Watching him melt into his board and surf through buildings and buses (very reminiscent of the second Terminator) just reinforces this feeling. Even better, he ends up not being the villain everyone thought he was; he just serves a greater evil, Galactus. Now, the Fantastic Four not only have to save Earth but they must also help the Silver Surfer.

It is interesting to note that it is not the super powers of the Four that save the day. It's the blonde locks and big lips of Jessica Alba, aka Sue Storm. Who can destroy any planet she's on? She reminds the Surfer of the woman he loved back on his planet. So he pauses before he wipes her out and a dialogue is opened, which leads to an understanding of the Surfer - and also his capture and eventual rescue by the Fantastic Four. Speaking of former loves, let's not forget that Victor Von Doom returns and he wants the Silver Surfer - more specifically his board - for his own evil plan. The Fantastic Four have their eight hands full.

The entire movie is simply fun to watch. It has an easygoing tone and well-paced action. It's not preachy, not dark, not provocative (except, possibly, when the Invisible Woman ends up nude yet again), not pretentious. It's a simple and straightforward plot that's easy to keep up with, which is a refreshing delight.

The actors play their parts ably. Perhaps its easy for them since they are really just being themselves: celebrities on display. There are no alter ego's, no split personalities. They can be just one character throughout the entire film, whether in costume or not. Or, maybe that just makes them easier for the audience to accept . We don't expect too much because they are just celebrities.

The effects are very well done and fun to behold, from the Human Torch's pursuit of the Surfer to the Fantastic Four's awesome new vehicle to the free for all with Dr. Doom at the end. There's certainly nothing groundbreaking about any of it, but at least it isn't cheaply done.

Rise of the Silver Surfer doesn't try too hard, unlike other recent comic book adaptations. That allows it to be an unlikely anomaly: a sequel that is worth watching. So take the kids and let your mind have some time off. No one in the family will be disappointed.