6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
An explosive adventure about a quartet of flawed, ordinary human beings who suddenly find themselves with extraordinary abilities. After exposure to cosmic radiation, four astronauts become the most remarkable, if dysfunctional, superheroes of all time. Unfortunately, the mission's sponsor has also been transformed into the world's most lethal supervillain setting the stage for a confrontation of epic proportions.
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahonAction | 100% |
Adventure | 77% |
Fantasy | 60% |
Comic book | 59% |
Sci-Fi | 56% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Being different isn't always a bad thing.
It wasn't all that long ago that a comic book superhero based movie was an event. 1978's Superman is perhaps
the best and most cherished of them all, and 1989's Batman also ranks as one of the
finest of the genre. It hasn't been until recently that Hollywood has begun looking in every nook
and cranny of the comic book shop to find any superhero they can take off the page and place
onto the silver screen. Everything from Daredevil and The Shadow to Spider-Man and Iron Man has taken
the leap to the big screen, all with mixed results and reactions. It seems like every time you
check the local multiplex listings, another recognizable comic book title or two are "now showing."
2005's Fantastic Four finds itself smack-dab in the middle of the comic book frenzy, and
as far as the ranking of best to worst comic book superhero(s) movies go, this one is fairly
average. Imagine your typical comic book movie, this time with four heroes, take out quite a bit
of action and replace it with a pseudo-intelligence and sensibility and this is the result.
Fantastic Four seems to want to play out as the "thinking man's" superhero
extravaganza, foregoing a few extra action sequences in favor of technical jargon and superficial
emotions that sometimes work and sometimes do not.
Here's not looking at you, kid.
Fox's presentation of this 2.35:1 framed version of Fantastic Four in 1080p Blu-ray high definition is a solid one. Black levels aren't fantastic, but they are not bad, exhibiting just a hint of gray and looking just the smallest bit too bright. A very fine grain layer, hardly noticeable in most scenes, covers the entirety of the film. Nice color reproduction is evident throughout, and this movie is quite colorful. The transfers appears somewhat soft in places, with less than well-defined edges, but it's still acceptable. It's mostly the medum-to-long distance shots that exhibit some softness, but the close-ups look fine. Flesh tones are good, a bit off in a few places, sometimes looking too golden and at other times too red. Fine detail is evident from the first frame to the last; the intricacies of the uniforms they wear in space, for example, are impressive. Also impressive are nuances seen throughout, such as those on a fire truck that is rescued in the film's first big action sequence. It's color is reproduced wonderfully, and all of the fine details on it are clear. Fantastic Four looks like your average high-definition transfer, which means it looks better than every DVD out there as well as many Blu-ray discs, but it doesn't distinguish itself either, failing to stand out from the crowd, but in this case that means it's good and pleasing to look at. This is another solid effort from Fox.
Fox brings Fantastic Four to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless sound mix that's, well, fantastic. The first thing you'll notice is the wonderful and constant presence in the rear channels. The sound back there is never intrusive, providing only the perfect blend of sound to immerse us in the movie and leaving our senses satisfied rather than assaulted. The sound is also clear and well-defined, featuring wonderful imaging, directionality, and flow. Dialogue has a slight harshness to it, but is otherwise always audible and pronounced. There is some solid, chest-rattling bass in the early outer space scenes. The scene early in the movie where the storm hits the space station will blow you away with its power and definition. The footsteps and falls of Thing rumble terrifically, as does any instance where heavy laboratory equipment is used. In fact, all of the movie's action sequences (primarily the two major ones) offer an incredible array of sounds as the fronts, rears, and subwoofer all work overtime to bring you the action. These scenes are immersive and impressive but not so powerful as to become a distraction, only getting so loud and complex as to make the action real, and no more. Once again, Fox has not disappointed in the audio department.
Fantastic Four assembles on Blu-ray with precious few extras. A commentary track featuring actors Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, and Michael Chiklis is the only major supplement on the disc. Michael Chikils discusses his years of interest in the Fantastic Four series to start things off, and from there the track evolves into an informative yet light hearted listen. Sharing stories from the set, comments on the special effects, and the personalities and motivations of the characters. As the fan of the series (and the most eloquent), Chiklis takes charge almost immediately and definitely leads the discussion. This track proves itself to be well worth a listen. The only other supplements included are 1080p trailers for Fantastic Four and several other 20th Century Fox films: Behind Enemy Lines, Ice Age, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Planet of the Apes, and Speed.
Fantastic Four is a perfectly competent, mostly entertaining, and fairly typical superhero movie. The characters share a great camaraderie and contribute to the movie an enjoyable repartee that eases the viewer into the proceedings. The movie decidedly lacks action but makes up for that with interesting character studies and a well-paced script. This is by no means the ultimate comic books adaptation or superhero movie, but it holds its own rather well. This Blu- ray edition is solid, offering good video quality and an exciting audio mix. The supplemental materials are slim and may very well prove to be a deal breaker for fans. Nevertheless, the high quality of the picture and sound quality, combined with a decent movie, make this worth picking up if the price is right. Recommended.
2007
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