DotTheEyes
Movie Fan
View the trailer...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp99q_eadRg
Without a doubt an improvement over its woeful predecessor, but still not a great film. Many of the first's flaws are unfortunately still present here. Jessica Alba and Ioan Gruffudd remain dull as dishwater as the Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic and share zero chemistry, which is troubling since so much of the film is devoted to their longing to wed and share a life together. Worse still is Julian McMahon, whose Dr. Doom is more sniveling malcontent than menacing heavy. Better are Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the Human Torch and the Thing. Sure they're given groan-inducing one-liners to spout, but at least they seem alive and interested in their roles.
What sets this film apart is the much better storytelling technique on display. The first had a bizarre pace and trajectory. It rushed the origin of the heroes, spent most of the running time following them around their headquarters as they whine about wanting to reverse their transformations, and then ended with an anticlimactic, tepid showdown with Dr. Doom. This film moves much faster and has a more interesting, varied plot. Director Tim Story's handling of the action has also improved. He generates actual suspense here, though the characters are often overwhelmed by the visual effects during the massive fight and chase sequences.
Overall, it's definitely nothing special and completely forgettable. But it's difficult to come down too hard on it since it improves on numero-uno, which was a disaster.
Without a doubt an improvement over its woeful predecessor, but still not a great film. Many of the first's flaws are unfortunately still present here. Jessica Alba and Ioan Gruffudd remain dull as dishwater as the Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic and share zero chemistry, which is troubling since so much of the film is devoted to their longing to wed and share a life together. Worse still is Julian McMahon, whose Dr. Doom is more sniveling malcontent than menacing heavy. Better are Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the Human Torch and the Thing. Sure they're given groan-inducing one-liners to spout, but at least they seem alive and interested in their roles.
What sets this film apart is the much better storytelling technique on display. The first had a bizarre pace and trajectory. It rushed the origin of the heroes, spent most of the running time following them around their headquarters as they whine about wanting to reverse their transformations, and then ended with an anticlimactic, tepid showdown with Dr. Doom. This film moves much faster and has a more interesting, varied plot. Director Tim Story's handling of the action has also improved. He generates actual suspense here, though the characters are often overwhelmed by the visual effects during the massive fight and chase sequences.
Overall, it's definitely nothing special and completely forgettable. But it's difficult to come down too hard on it since it improves on numero-uno, which was a disaster.
