Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

This lavishly mounted sequel fails for the same reason that most contemporary superhero movies do: the story serves the special effects; minus the CGI, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer wouldn't be much of a movie (although some wags would say that's the case even with the CGI). This time around, the Four—Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), her brother Johnny (Chris Evans), and Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis)—face off against a being from another galaxy, a silvery humanoid (a CGI creation voiced by Laurence Fishburne) who rides a shiny, super-powered surfboard. The Silver Surfer is actually the advance man for the insatiable, planet-gobbling Galactus, whose energy derives from literally sucking the life out of inhabited worlds. And if the SS wasn't already enough of a challenge, the fearful Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) is back to further gum up the works. The action is plentiful, even if the plot and dialogue rarely rise above the level of the film's source: a comic book. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with director David S. Goyer and screenwriter Christine Roum; the other by screenwriter Mick Davis), 11 deleted scenes with optional commentary (14 min.), the music videos “The Kill” by 30 Seconds to Mars and “Taking Back Control” by Sparta, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a lame thriller.] (E. Hulse)