Mark Millar went to a Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer premiere and wrote a special report about it for you hungry fans:
What we didn’t know was that there’s a class system at these things, the movie showing in seven screens and ranging from cast and crew (plus families) all the way down to mates of people who vaguely work in the media. Pleased to find out our Marvel tickets got us prima donna seats with Tim Story’s Mum behind us (and cheering louder than anyone I’ve ever heard in a cinema when his name hit the screen) and across the aisle from Alba, Chikliss, Evans and the Welsh guy who plays Reed. There were various TV people dotted around this screening too, but since they all seemed to be English footballers or people from Eastenders or Hollyoaks I recognized literally nobody outside of the FF cast themselves and Gareth Gates (who really knew his Silver Surfer). All the English people seemed suitably impressed with these soap stars so can only assume they are indeed famous.
The movie itself was great. The first one was more like a sitcom, a D movie pulled up to a C by the brilliantly likeable Evans as Johnny Storm. It was kinda charming, but pretty much impossible to watch again. This is TONS better. It’s still a little TV in places (the cosmic stuff at the start no more widescreen than a good episode of Doctor Who), but it really ramps up fast and everyone is great in it. I’m baffled when I see people calling for a darker FF as the two best runs on the book in particular have very light moments. It’s a family concept, perfect for Spielberg back in his prime, so would be horrible seeing it treated like X-Men. The comedy works, the characters are bang-on (Reed really stepping up to the plate as team leader this time) and the action is way better than the first. The sight of Doom on the surfboard was as chilling as it looked when Jack Kirby drew it 40 years ago and his fight with Johnny is amazing… a comic-book come to life.
Of course, there’s a classic Millar moment in there as well:
Doom becoming human again is a minor quibble. It smacked of that gay-looking guy from Nip Tuck having his agent kick ass and demand some face time.
“That gay-looking guy”? Oh dear.
June 14th, 2007 at 9:24 am
One disagreement and one agreement.
I loved the first one. It was great seeing the first family of comics come to life and I have watched my DVD over and over. Oscar level, no, but funny and family friendly almost. (Doom blasting a hole through a guy is something that some kids can’t handle yet.)
I cannot believe I am in agreement, but he is right that FF should stay light and family friendly. It is what the comic had going for it. High action mixed with humor. Every comics property does not need to be darkened for adults.
I just have to figure if I can swing a 12:05 AM showing then go to HeroesCon.
June 15th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Could we get a spoiler warning on this? I didn’t know the movie would be doing Doom on the surfboard.
June 15th, 2007 at 6:04 am
Me neither! I’m really annoyed!