With the success of 2005’s Fantastic Four, a sequel seemed like a rather obvious feat. That is, especially in an era when superhero movies were emerging. Grossing over 330 million dollars worldwide (a massive hit for the time), a sequel was inevitable. Even against lackluster reviews, audiences wanted to see more of these characters. Two years later, a Fantastic Four sequel graced theaters. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer hit theaters hoping to build out a cinematic franchise. Although that never came to fruition, the film itself delivered a significant improvement (though not without flaws) on its predecessor.
In Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer, the iconic team is well-known, worldwide celebrities. This includes being a hot news item, thanks to the upcoming wedding of Reed (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue (Jessica Alba), sweeping NYC. Alongside Sue’s brother Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis), their big day could not seem more perfect. That is, until the mysterious Silver Surfer (Motion capture by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne) arrives. This mysterious alien teases the threat posed by Galactus, a known planet-eater from another galaxy. With a newfound threat on the horizon, this forces the group to turn to old friends/foes like the villainous Dr. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon).
If that description sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon, then you are correct. The screenplay, written by Don Payne and Mark Frost (a writer on the original film), makes this story feel distinct from its predecessor. Instead of the needless romantic tension in the original film, Silver Surfer hacks away the narrative fat. Clocking in at 92 minutes with credits, the film wisely keeps the action and team dynamics at the forefront. From that perspective, this sequel makes leaps and bounds above the original. Granted, it would be hard to deny one unavoidable factor in that perspective.
At the time of release, I was merely eight years old. Being of that age and mindset, this superhero sequel holds a nostalgic place in my heart. From the silly comedy to fast-paced action sequences, the film was an enthralling experience at the time. Unfortunately, that feeling did not translate in this rewatch. That does not mean the movie is a disaster, but it suffers from a similar issue to the 2005 film. The screenplay serves as both the film’s greatest blessing and its greatest curse. Such a criticism isn’t being thrown at the story per se, but the dialogue itself.
As mentioned above, the film bears a strong resemblance to an old-school Saturday morning cartoon. This includes the specific, direct, and arguably child-like dialogue. Every conversation in the story serves one of two distinct purposes. The first of which is injecting humor into a “tense situation.” In those moments, Chris Evans gets to shine here with a scene-stealing performance. When the film gets serious, the dialogue resembles somebody laying out directions over natural conversations. These “conversations” serve as nothing more than exposition dumps. Such sequences feel like sitting in a science class, and not an interesting one.
Granted, that criticism primarily stems from the perspective of an older and more mature film viewer. The film is easy to nitpick to shreds, leaving nothing but a carcass in its wake. Those with any form of nostalgia for these movies, or just the casual film fan, can enjoy this dated sequel. Even though the Fantastic Four themselves aren’t given the sharpest writing (particularly Jessica Alba, who is objectified to an uncomfortable degree), there’s still a charm in seeing them together. In those moments, the film manages to sing a delightful and entertaining tune.
It’s essential to note that this feeling resonates in the action sequences. Watching the team take on the Silver Surfer is highly exciting. Within these moments, the film reveals glimmers of comic-book panels that jump off the page. That feeling undeniably made me excited and forgiving of certain small qualms. Seeing one of my favorite superhero teams do their thing (more than in the first film) proved a thrill to watch. Alas, I would be remiss to not put my comic-book nerd hat on for this next criticism. That criticism is directed at the portrayal of the iconic comic-book character Galactus.
Fans of comics know of Galactus as a ferocious foil in the larger MCU. He’s a villain who doesn’t lose (mostly) and remains a formidable threat. Arguably, he’s someone similar to the level of Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, respectively. In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Galactus is portrayed as nothing more than a cloud. A literal floating, black, and purple cloud that eats planets. The portrayal is simply laughable and lacks an ounce of tension or excitement. It’s a significant letdown, which undermines the film’s tension that it desperately hopes to maintain. For some, the villain alone could make this sequel a resounding disappointment.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is an improvement on its predecessor. It wisely understood that viewers were not interested in romantic drama. Instead, we wanted to see the team and their dysfunctional family dynamic. Thankfully, the film manages to deliver that delightful thing. The tension builds throughout, giving fun action balanced against ridiculous scientific jargon. Unfortunately, the film loses that when the villainous Galactus takes shape as a floating cloud. Not only does the entity feel like a disappointing threat, but also a laughable antagonist. At ninety-two minutes, viewers are not saddled with the villain for long. While a better sequel, one can only hope that Fantastic Four: First Steps can course-correct what these films did wrong.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is now available to stream on Disney+.
Learn more about the film at the official Disney+ site for the title.
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