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Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure/Comedy
Direct or: Tim Story
Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis
MPAA rating: PG
Running Time: 92 minutes
Distributor: Fox

A mysterious object is flying around the world, messing up the weather. Meanwhile, Reed Richards (Captain Fantastic) is getting ready to marry Susan Storm (the Invisible Woman). However, their wedding ceremony is interrupted by the arrival of the strange object, which turns out to be a silver man riding a surfboard. Voiced by Laurence Fishburne, the Silver Surfer is played by Doug Adams. For the rest of the movie, we are treated to spectacular visual effects such as the near-destruction of London's Millennium Wheel.

Most critics hated the first "Fantastic Four" film but liked this one. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle writes,"The last one was awful, one of the worst movies of its year, while the new is a pleasant surprise, one of the most enjoyable pictures of the season." Alex Markerson of e-online found "Silver Surfer" to be a "slight but enjoyable bit of sci-fi popcorn that's mostly Marvelous just for being watchable, considering it's the sequel to one of the more irritating films of the 21st century."

I, on the other hand, liked both movies. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" is exciting and funny, perfect for fans of superhero, science fiction and action-comedy films. Because it is a family-friendly PG movie, parents can take the kids. Chris Evans (the Human Torch) is the big hero this time; Ioan Gruffudd is stalwart, Jessica Alba is lovely, and Michael Chiklis is someTHING else!

"Silver Surfer" does benefit from its short running time. This forces the director and the writers to move the action forward by focusing on telling the story. The result is a fast-moving film, especially now that the origin of the Fantastic Four has been established.

I highly recommend "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" to anyone in the mood for good, escapist entertainment. Then you can go back, watch the first one again, and reassess it.

Learn more about this author, Bruce Harden.
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