Writer: Cammy Zulkifli

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Watch this if you liked: "X-Men", "Fantastic Four"

So it has come back for a second round of beating.

Despite Fantastic Four's lacklustre inaugural performance in 2005, it bounces back with much enthusiasm following the box-office effects on comic-turned-film franchises. Resting on the support and contribution of comic fans alone, the only person who possibly benefits from Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer would be Stan Lee himself.

However, the movie wasn't all that atrocious.

I can't help but wonder if there was a substratal reason why Jessica Alba was casted as Sue Storm in the first place. Yet again, she holds no depth to her character and still looks distressingly constipated whenever Sue exerts her powers. Is it me or is her head getting 'blonder and blonder' as with her hair? Although plenty of men will find a certain perverse indulgence in watching her ferry her ample assets in skin-tight outfits (not to mention a cheekily angled nude scene) but I'll be damned if people can't see the fact that she's just being exploited to cash in on every man's wet dream. And hence, I just feel sorry for the poor girl. Somebody please get her a new hair colour.

The story this time concentrates on the Fantastic Four's overnight transition from average scientists to superhero sensation. Thrown into an unwanted spotlight, Sue Storm and Reed Richards (Ioann Gruffudd) find much vexation planning their wedding, let alone go through it. As each member of the Fantastic Four go about adjusting themselves to their growing powers, lifestyles change and priorities switch.

Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) is perhaps the only person who embraces his new qualities and is not afraid to bask in the attention while Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) is slowly but surely accepting his... 'rocking disfigurement'. Ben is pretty content with how things are, not without undying support from his gorgeous - albeit blind - new girlfriend, Alicia Masters.

In the midst of their personal tribulations, the arrival of the mysterious Silver Surfer throws Earth into gradual chaos, and a showdown between them and the Surfer causes Sue and Reed's gorgeous rooftop wedding to turn to shambles. However, compared to the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer is an uber-amazing villain. You can't help but admire just how 'cool' this guy is and he certainly makes the Four look like a 'pack of freaks'. The film's creators have definitely made him an awesome character - both to look at and to behold - thanks to the great CG effects.

The linear plotline is child's play to this reviewer's eyes. It's turned out to be 'all the little things' that don't lead to anything explosive. The fact that a certain female character called Frankie Raye is left hanging on a string without even an indication of how fundamental she is to the Fantastic Four series is majorly disheartening. But then again, the writers might just be trying to fool us. Maybe, just maybe, they're saving her for the next one.

Hey, did you see that?! Did you see Stan Lee?

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008