Plot
A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom

Release Year: 2005

Rating: 5.7/10 (108,219 voted)

Critic's Score: 40/100

Director: Tim Story

Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans

Storyline
Reed Richards, a brilliant but timid and bankrupt scientist, is convinced that evolution can be triggered by clouds of cosmic energy, and has calculated that Earth is going to pass one of these clouds soon. Together with his friend and partner, the gruff yet gentle astronaut muscle-man Ben Grimm, Reed convinces his conceited MIT classmate Dr. Victor Von Doom, now CEO of his own enterprise, to allow him access to his privately-owned space station. Von Doom agrees in exchange for control over the experiment and a majority of the profits from whatever benefits it brings. He thus brings aboard Susan Storm, his shy, though assertive chief genetics researcher and a former lover of Reed's with whom she had an acrimonious break-up, and her diametrically opposed brother Johnny, the maverick and hot-headed playboy pilot. The astronauts make it home intact; however, before long they begin to mutate...

Writers: Mark Frost, Michael France

Cast:
Ioan Gruffudd - Reed Richards
Jessica Alba - Sue Storm
Chris Evans - Johnny Storm
Michael Chiklis - Ben Grimm
Julian McMahon - Victor von Doom
Hamish Linklater - Leonard
Kerry Washington - Alicia Masters
Laurie Holden - Debbie McIlvane
David Parker - Ernie
Kevin McNulty - Jimmy O'Hoolihan
Maria Menounos - Sexy Nurse
Michael Kopsa - Ned Cecil
Andrew Airlie - Compound Doctor
Pascale Hutton - Nightclub Girlfriend
G. Michael Gray - Nightclub Boyfriend

Taglines: 4 times the action. 4 times the adventure. 4 times the fantastic.

Release Date: 8 July 2005

Filming Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $56,061,504 (USA) (10 July 2005) (3602 Screens)

Gross: $330,120,875 (Worldwide)

Runtime: 106 min  | USA: 125 min (extended edition)

Trivia:
This was the third superhero movie to be released in 2005, after Elektra and Batman Begins.

Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Doom hits Ben with the light pole and Ben hits the ground, concrete from the street comes up before he actually hits the pavement.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Ben Grimm: Typical of Victor Von Doom to build a 30 foot statue of himself.

Truly enjoyable.

Rating: 10/10

This film was well put together, fun, and didn't take itself at all seriously. I am not sure where the negative hype comes from, but I find when a good film gets bad reviews, that means most people just didn't get it. In this case, perhaps from the last few comic book films that attempted to "mean something," I think people forgot how to enjoy themselves. Laden with kitsch and tongue-in-cheek humor, this movie embraces that it comes from a comic book and allows itself to be big and a little silly. Yes, Jessica Alba wears an impossibly tight jumpsuit. Yes, the Human Torch is so slick and charming that, if you met him in real life, he'd get a solid smack for his arrogance. But this isn't real life, people, in case you forgot-this is the Marvel Universe, where clothes are tight and the dialog...isn't. Who cares? This movie is so fun that you wish these people did exist and would take some media focus off the jerks that are in the public eye.

Comments: