Fab Four

In the new, modern world of super-heroes and amazing beings, a certain dark side seems to have emerged. This is as true in comic books as it is in movies, with films like Spider-man and comics like Wanted. There's a gritty realism that's been etched into the fabric of our storytelling over these last ten years or so. And for the most part, I tend to like that. I enjoy heroes that are more vulnerable. That bleed in a fight. That seem more like me.

And then there's the Fantastic Four.

They bring back the fun of super-heroing. They can take a punch, a punch that could go through a steel door like it was warm butter, and they take it right in the jaw without even loosing a tooth. Yes, it's unrealistic. And yes, it's a little hard to swallow at times. But that's what makes the Fantastic Four so...fun.

My favorite scene had to be when The Thing tosses a car at Dr. Doom, which carries him down a city block and into a bus driving by. You can feel the whole crowd take a step closer as they try and determine if the reluctant hero has squashed his nefarious foe, when suddenly the bus doors open and an unscathed Doom walks down off the bus.

I can't find any other word to use here, but I was giddy with excitement during the entire battle with Doom. It was fun super-heroing once again. Or, in the last few years at least, for the first time. There was a lot wrong with this movie, but they got this right, and that's really all that mattered to me.

Fantastic Four - 3 out of 5.