Like many other people, I was also thrilled upon watching the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer trailer at the cinema. Similar to numerous people who adore CGI, read the comic books when they were kids and thought the first installment was decent enough to justify a sequel, I was more than willing to get myself ready to be overwhelmed by the mere strength of the eye candy and CGI effects within the film. And then I watched it at a special press screening in Ramat Gan, Israel.
To make a long story short, FF2 is not a bad film. I was actually quite entertained throughout wide parts of the film (particularly at the beginning - but more on that later). Problem was, once I stepped out of the theater, I couldn't actually recall anything specific or special about what I have just seen (other than that cool CGI Silver Surfer, that is). It was just so mediocre in terms of plot, direction and acting (somebody really ought to give Jessica Alba some acting lessons a.s.a.p), that I didn't even care enough to remember it. Furthermore, while the original film required some suspension of disbelief, let's just say the plot in its sequel stretches this boundary one step too far, IMO.
As I've already mentioned, FF2 actually starts up in quite a promising manner. While Reed (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue (Alba) get ready for their media circus wedding (think Tomkat style - but bigger), strange electronic and climatic disturbances occur across the globe. From here on out, you have this huge build up that pays off about half an hour into the film, continues with a bang and some dazzling CGI shots, and suddenly ends abruptly while the initial novelty of the Silver Surfer's appearance wears off. As usual, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm steals the show as the only character to truly evolve during this film, Mike Chiklis as Ben is seriously under-used, my 1.5 year-old nephew could play better than Gruffud's Reed and Alba isn't even that pretty anymore. Then you have all these villains (Silver Surfer is definitely not working alone, as implied in the IMDb official plot line) and some twists and turns that leave you feeling mildly entertained, but also incredibly under whelmed.
You see, if you're looking for mindless big-budget fun, this is the place for you and your bucket of popcorn. However, don't expect to find the heart of Spider-Man 3 or epic feel of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Don't even look for credible acting or intelligent plot. Only decent thing you'll find are some good looking money shots, and mindless action sequences. This formula of a film may work well as a matinée, but not as something you'll want to come back and watch again in the coming future.
