4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

"Flame on!", 3 March 2008

The Fantastic Four are back and this time they have to save the world from a planet eating entity. Along they way, they'll meet a new potential foe/friend in the Silver Surfer and reacquaint themselves with their old nemesis, Dr. Doom. While those two sentences are the essence of the plot, make no mistake, 4: The Rise of the Silver Surfer is a special effects movie. Plot takes a backseat to the loud, over-blown eye-candy. It may be pretty to look at, but there's nothing compelling or interesting under the surface. The people in the movie don't necessarily act as much as react to CGI effects. The director and writer attempt to cover-up the lack of a story with lame sight gags and weak one-liners. Some will argue that this is supposed to be a fun popcorn movie, but does it have to be as empty as Jessica Alba's head?

3/10