Fantastic Four (2005)

Fantastic Four (2005) – Hit by a cosmic energy cloud, Dr. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm discover that they have developed super powers, some enjoyed and some … not so much. Reed swears to do all he can to find a way to reverse the changes but with his rival, Victor Von Doom, also experiencing his own powers from the energy cloud, he sees a way to do away with Reed once and for all. Can the four come together to stop Victor from killing them all or will their petty rivalries get in the way?

Fantastic Four (2005) – Director: Tim Story

Rating: PG

Running Length: 106 mins

Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon

Genre: Comic Book, Action/Adventure

REVIEW: FANTASTIC FOUR (2005)

Before Iron Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel movies were light-hearted, colourful affairs. ‘Fantastic Four (2005)’, which comprises Dr Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), her brother Johnny Storm (a pre-Captain America Chris Evans) and Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), fit into this easy going comic book style nicely.

Due to this being an origin story, the main focus is on the formation and interaction of the team and thankfully their chemistry works well. Unfortunately while the threat of Dr Doom (Julian McMahon) is real, the compact nature of the plot means that the danger level never feels too much for the team to handle. They barely have the chance to get to grips with their powers before they are fighting off Doom’s ruthless attacks but as his plans simply boil down to killing them and nothing grander, the stakes never get especially high.

‘Fantastic Four (2005)’ may be a little cheesy now that we are used to the grittier comic book movies but it still has plenty of positives; it’s fun, action packed and well paced making it a very enjoyable family film.

CONTENT: IS ‘FANTASTIC FOUR (2005)’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

Sue wears a tight fitted outfit that exposes lots of cleavage. Reed expressed delight in what he sees, however it turns out he is referring to the technology used in the outfit rather than on her appearance.

When the group are hit by the energy cloud, it is shown completely engulfing them. Ben is hit hardest and is thrown against a door. He looks at another character through a glass panel before collapsing to the floor. It is unclear whether he has survived.

Johnny is established early on as a womaniser and after recovering from the accident, talks to an attractive nurse. She doesn’t seem interested in his charm. He gives her back a thermometer, saying ‘That’s for you’ before giving her a quick kiss on the lips and saying ‘That’s for me’. She is surprised by this but laughs incredulously. She then skis down a mountain with Johnny as a date. His powers kick in unexpectedly and he ends up naked in a pool of water which looks like a hot tub; he asks her if she wants to join him.

Johnny runs through a building naked apart from a woman’s jacket which he holds together around his waist.

A woman walks into the street at night wearing a short night dress to meet her fiancé.

A man stands on a bridge intending to commit suicide. Light-hearted music plays as this scene is played for laughs as it is assumed that whatever his problems are, they aren’t as bad as Ben’s who is also there, contemplating his new appearance.

Sue discovers that to be entirely invisible, she must remove all of her clothes. When she is still figuring out how to control them, she strips down to her underwear in front of a crowd of people but her invisibility stops working and she covers herself with her hands in embarrassment.

Victor unexpectedly grabs a character by the neck, he gags and then a snap is heard before the man is thrown into a wall.

Reed accidentally walks in on Sue as she is coming out of the shower. She quickly covers herself in a towel and he awkwardly apologises to her.

A man in an underground car park sees Victor standing in the shadows. He talks to him as if they are friends but Victor simply walks silently and slowly towards him. Victor then shoots an electricity beam at the man which burns through his torso, leaving a large, gaping hole. This is shown in the foreground but due to the darkness this isn’t too gory.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘FANTASTIC FOUR (2005)’ FOR KIDS?

Being more colourful and light hearted than the grittier Marvel movies audiences are now helps ‘Fantastic Four (2005)’ be an entertaining family film. We recommend this movie for kids aged 6 and over.

• Violence: 2/5 (Victor is ruthless and kills several people, however there is very little blood so shouldn’t be too distressing)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (Ben struggles to accept his new appearance and loses a loved one who can’t accept how he now looks)
• Fear Factor: 1/5
• Sexual Content: 2/5 (some cleavage, Sue is seen in her underwear and her invisibility depends on her being naked. Johnny’s love of casual relationships is one of his main personality traits and he pursues women even if they are not interested; as they often quickly warm to his advances this behaviour may seem appealing and imitable)
• Bad Language: 2/5 (some cursing and blasphemy)
• Dialogue: 2/5 (some innuendo)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of coping with unwanted new lives, family, love, rivalry, wanting to go back to your old life and friendship.

Words by Laura Record