“All that you know is at an end.” —Silver Surfer
Today’s quick review: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. When the planet-devouring being known as Galactus sets its sights on Earth, it sends the Silver Surfer (Laurence Fishburne) to prepare the planet for its arrival. The Fantastic Four (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Chris Evans) must join forces with a revitalized Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) to defeat the Surfer and save the Earth from Galactus.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a superhero action comedy based on the Marvel Comics characters. Rise of the Silver Surfer picks up with the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, a media circus that is interrupted by a global crisis. The sequel has the same ligh tone and likable cast as the original, but its script is not as cohesive. Misbalanced humor and a gimmick-laden plot undermine the makings of a fun sci-fi adventure.
Rise of the Silver Surfer has two major points in its favor: its character dynamics and the Silver Surfer himself. Like the first movie, the sequel is at its best when the Four are get the chance to play off one another, for both drama and comedy. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer is a nigh-perfect adaptation of the character, with sleek CGI, iconic action, and the excellent combination of Laurence Fishburne’s voice and Doug Jones’ motion capture.
Where the movie runs into issues is with its script. The movie touches on some interesting challenges for the Four, including the decision of whether to remain celebrities or to give up the superhero life, but the drama ends up feeling forced. The story relies too much on the Silver Surfer’s power as a plot device, using it to restore Doctor Doom to normal, saddle Johnny with a power-swapping gimmick, and anything else the movie needs done.
The result is a sequel that will hold some appeal for fans of the original, but which does not have the same polish or sense of proportion. Rise of the Silver Surfer gets a few things right, including its cast and its titular antagonist, but the surrounding writing is weak. Give it a shot if you’re in the mood for a light popcorn watch in the same vein as the original. Skip it if you’re looking for something more overtly impressive.
For a large-scale superhero movie about an alien invasion, try The Avengers. For another showcase of Doug Jones’ talents, try Hellboy or The Shape of Water.
[5.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486576/). I give it a 6.5 for a fun but somewhat inconsistent adventure.