Fantastic Four

(2005) ★★

Sky Movies Sci-fi/Horror: Saturday 28 November, 7.00pm

Outer space radiation turns four astronauts into superheroes with freakish X-Men style powers. Ioan Gruffudd is elasticated Mr Fantastic, Michael Chiklis is a hunk of stone called The Thing, ball of fire Chris Evans is the Human Torch, and the world’s prettiest scientist Jessica Alba becomes Invisible Woman – not the brightest idea for Sin City starlet Alba, but that’s what was in the Marvel comic. They’re all pretty pleased with their transformations – well, Thing’s not so struck on being a big orange rock, but the others are happy enough.

Indeed, so distracted are they by the publicity and adulation that they almost forget to take care of business. That would be Nip/Tuck’s naughty boy Julian McMahon as evil industrialist Victor Von Doom. As comic book movies go, so it goes. In one eye and out the other.

The bit on the Brooklyn Bridge is fairly explosive and loud enough to wake the dead. Doctor Doom aims to get back at the Fantastics by flinging the Silver Surfer their way in the 2007 sequel, which follows at 9pm. “I’ll try to talk slowly,” sneers Doom, “so you can keep up.” It’s still kids’ stuff but it’s lively and it doesn’t look too shabby. Never mind that the River Thames is turned into mudflats, the rings of Saturn go up in smoke. A bit like Josh Trank’s unloved 2015 reboot.

Certificate: PG
Duration: 101min

IMDB – Fantastic Four

TMDB – Fantastic Four

Rotten Tomatoes – Fantastic Four