"Fantastic Four is essentially campy fun; this is the sort of movie Schumacher's Batman and Robin was trying to be." David Nusair REEL FILM REVIEWS "A funky, fun film version of the famous Marvel superhero concoction." Stephen Hunter WASHINGTON POST "Take the movie on its own lighthearted terms and, chances are, you'll be taken in." Eleanor Ringel Gillespie ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION "It's done with an agreeable confidence and flair, the actors all fit comfortably in their roles and the effects are fun." William Arnold SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER "Yo-an Gruffudd and Jessica Alba are more attractive characters, but, as often in these films, it’s the villain who’s the most colourful, and Julian McMahon makes the most of the obnoxious Von Doom." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES

"Don't expect anything deep from Fantastic Four, as it's just a silly super-hero movie. But there's a lot of fun to be had if you're stretchy, invisible, super-strong or on fire!" Joel Rheinberger ABC CANBERRA "There's a lot of effort to keep our heroes human, with the story of Grimm, aka the Thing, given the most attention. He's a genuinely touching character: the best thing in the film." THE AGE "A fun, fast and fantastically performed movie. Pretty good interpretation of the comic" Clint Morris MOVIEHOLE "A popcorn popper, a cinematic sugar buzz. And blessedly so." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "Great to see Australia's own Julian McMahon in a big-budget Hollywood feature. He brings a similar sense of handsome villainy to this role as he does on TV's Nip/Tuck." Mark Beirne BRISBANE WHAT'S ON

Jessica Alba - Invisible Woman Jessica Alba’s first starring role in a major studio film was the 2003 release, "Honey", which has grossed over $30 million domestically. She starred as Honey Daniels, a dancer and choreographer working as a bartender and record store clerk until she gets her big break in the music industry and comes to realize what really matters to her. Alba achieved worldwide recognition as the lead character in James Cameron’s “Dark Angel,” Cameron’s first project since the history-making "Titanic" and his debut television venture. In the series, Alba portrayed Max, a genetically-enhanced human prototype who escapes from her government captors only to live out her life in the underground of 21st Century Seattle. In the series’ first season, she was nominated for a Golden Globe® and a People’s Choice Award®. She was voted the TV Guide Award as Breakout Star of the Year by readers, and won Favorite TV Actress at the 2001 Teen Choice Awards. "Dark Angel" has replicated its success around the world, establishing her as an international star. "Dark Angel" has been released on video and DVD and has spawned a soundtrack and a line of action figures. Alba fell in love with acting at a very early age, becoming active professionally at the age of twelve. She began studying with acting coaches in Los Angeles, California and, shortly thereafter, landed at the Atlantic Theatre Company, where she studied with founders William H Macy and David Mamet. L' Oreal engaged her for a worldwide cosmetics contract in early 2001. She has appeared on numerous magazine covers in the United States and around the world. Although many would describe her as an exotic beauty, Alba was raised in a traditional American family in California. Her mother’s family has a French-Danish heritage, while her father is from Mexican-Indian and Spanish lineage. The Inside Story

"Chiklis and Evans play the roles as though they had read the Fantastic Four their entire lives." Tyler Hanley PALO ALTO WEEKLY

You've either heard it or seen it written, critics bemoning the fact that another comic book hero has been made into a film. In the case of Marvel Comics "Fantastic Four it's a quadruple whammy. Meet the latest heroes off the block; Dr Rees Richards aka Mr Stretch, his best mate Ben Grimm aka The Thing, ex-girlfriend Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman and her madcap brother Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch, four people whose lives are changed after their bodies are bombarded by cosmic radiation in outer space. And yes, there has to be a bad guy. In this case it is Victor Von Doom aka Dr Doom and played very well on the screen by Australian actor and star of the television series "Nip 'n' Tuck", Julian McMahon. Thankfully [and unlike the "Hulk"] after some 44 years, the "Fantastic Four" have made the transition from idea, to comic book and on to the big screen successfully. Marvel Comics’ publisher Martin Goodman first raised the idea of a group of superheroes some 44 years ago. Lee recalls Martin saying to him, "Why don’t you create a team of superheroes? So, with Jack Kirby, we created the Fantastic Four and over four decades later it remains the jewel in the Marvel crown." Not bad for an idea that came during a round of golf! The beauty of this comic book creations is that they are people who unlike Superman, Spider-man and Batman, don't hide behind a secret identity. "I wanted to create them as if they were real people living amongst us in the real world who just happened to have super powers," Lee says. "They are the first family of superheroes, four people who live and work together like a family. We hadn’t seen a relationship like that in the comics prior to Fantastic Four and it made them very unique and very popular among the fans." Getting the story to the screen would take over a decade as Producers Bernd Eichinger and Chris Columbus searched for the right screenplay. The screenplay started life in the hands of writer Michael France who would later join forces with Mark Frost. "I’ve wanted to see a big-screen "Fantastic Four" movie since I was a kid," says France. "Taking a swing at a "Fantastic Four" film is one of the reasons I wanted to get into the movies in the first place." Writing the screenplay was not a cut and drived project. After several draft attempts France was joined by Frost. "I thought we needed to go to the roots of the comics," says Frost. "I felt that at its core, the story was really very simple. My instinct was that the story for the movie needed be like the earlier comics, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. That it should have a bubbly feel to it. We wanted to capture the excitement of the "Fantastic Four" gaining their powers, while introducing a new audience to their mythology." One aspect the team were concerned about was whether technology had advanced enough to recreate in a convincing manner, the superheroes powers. "There is no question that the advancement of visual effects technology played heavily into when this movie could be made," explains producer Ralph Winter. "We couldn’t have pulled it off even just a few years ago; the technology just wasn’t there yet." So what was it that provided the opportunity? "Within the last two years or so, the advancements in computer graphics, computer-generated imaging and photo-realistic software enabled us to take a serious look at the possibility of getting it right," Winter said. "We could bend and stretch a man’s body and make it look real; blend real fire elements with CGI fire elements to make The Human Torch believable; create an invisible character that the audience can still see. And the art of special visual effects makeup had come far enough so that a real actor could play The Thing, as opposed to having a computer generate the entire character. We looked at all the tools available to us and decided the time was right to get this story up on the screen." Famed Producer Avi Arad ["Blade I & II" and "Daredevil"] felt the time was right. "The 1960s science fiction of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby has become the 21st century’s science fact," he says. "They were the real imaginauts, creating stories about the privatization of space travel and DNA research long before either of those things became possible and part of the mainstream consciousness. Now we read and hear about those things every day." Director Tim Story agrees with that assessment. He says the Fantastic Four "presents a socio-political connection in these times of family values, reality TV stars and the cultural obsession with the notion of celebrity. "Fantastic Four" is probably one of the comic books that is closest to my heart, because they are real people living and working as a family. No matter how dysfunctional they may appear, no matter how much bickering there is between them, they do stick together as their lives take a dramatic turn and they grow from relative obscurity to celebrity cult status." And being a superhero is something most people have entertained in their mind at one time or another. "The real fun of this story revolves around their powers," Stroy says. "I mean who hasn’t wondered what it would be like to be invisible or be able to fly or to have superhuman strength? I think the kid in all of us can relate to that. Watching them as they first discover their powers, then how they integrate them into their new lives and, ultimately, utilizing them in the battle of good versus evil is very cool. They say money is power but for the "Fantastic Four", powers are power." So how did the cast feel about being in the film and the characters they play. "I was drawn to the character of Reed Richards because he is very intelligent, earnest and charming and, ultimately, quite heroic," says Ioan Gruffudd [pronounced Yo-an Griffith]. Gorgeous actress Jessica Alba descibes her character Sue Storm as "the glue that keeps the family together. She wants them to take seriously her ideas and opinions and doesn’t want to be overlooked or dismissed. She often thinks to herself that she might as well be invisible as far as they are concerned thus her power of invisibility manifests itself based on her emotional state at a given moment." Sue Storm's younger brother Johnny is played by actor Chris Evans. "It’s every little boy’s dream. I mean what little kid didn’t tie a towel around his neck and jump off the couch like a superhero. Although I was relatively new to the Fantastic Four phenomenon, I could tell Johnny was going to be a blast to play," Evans said. "He’s the epitome of a young guy who just wants to have fun." Actor Michael Chiklis revealed that when he was eighteen years old, he told his brother "that if they ever make a movie of the Fantastic Four comic book, I’m going to play Ben Grimm. I just always had an affinity and an deep affection for the Fantastic Four and Ben Grimm in particular," says Chiklis [TV's "The Shield"]. "Here I was this little kid reading about this humble guy who came from the same kind of humble, middle-class upbringing that I did. Ben overcame a lot of things and went on to become an outstanding pilot and astronaut. He gave a lot of hope to kids like me that we could achieve our dreams, too. Now, having played him in this movie, one of my dreams has indeed come true." With all these superheroes, it's obvious there would have to be a 'bad' guy to balance the story out. That baddie is "Dr Doom". Stan Lee admits, "We were lucky enough to be able to dream up some great villains, and I think that Dr Doom was one of my all-time greatest creations as a villain. He was as bigger-than-life as our four heroes. They didn’t fight muggers or jaywalkers or litterbugs; they fought guys like Doom." Australian actor Julian McMahon was very familiar with the comic book characters. "Fantastic Four was enormous in Australia when I was growing up so I was very familiar with the series," he says, "and it was one of my personal favorites. Dr Doom always fascinated me, and to be offered the role in the feature film version was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up. It was a big step for me in many different directions and for many different reasons." So is there any of that 'bad' guy in him? "I must say that it’s always difficult for me to play the villain because I have absolutely no villainous side to me whatsoever." In the final wash the fate of the "Fantastic Four rests with those who spend their bucks at the Box Office. I personally feel that this is a far better, make that vastly superior screen adaptation to the comic book than the "Hulk" was. Stan Lee sums up by saying, "seeing this comic book come to life is truly a "Marvel-ous" feeling. It’s thrilling really. Fox has wanted to make this movie for a long time. I’m glad they waited for the right story and the right technology. They certainly got the perfect cast and it’s all going to be up there on the big silver screen…the humor, the drama, the adventure, the action, the fun. All the things that make them so fantastic." Crew Bytes "FANTASTIC FOUR" was .......
directed by Tim Story ["One of Us Tripped", "The Firing Squad", "Barbershop" and "Taxi"]; screenplay by Michael France ["Cliffhanger", "Goldeneye", "Hulk" and "Punisher"] and Mark Frost ["Storyville", "The Repair Shop", "The Believers" and "Scared Stiff"]; costume design by Jose Fernandez ["Fantastic Four"] and Wendy Partridge ["Highlander: Endgame", "Blade II", "Underworld" and "Hellboy"]; production design by Bill Boes ["Monkeybone", "Scooby-Doo 2" and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed"]; edited by William Hoy A.C.E ["Dances With Wolves", "The Bone Collector", "We Were Soldiers" and "I, Robot"]; director of photography by Oliver Wood ["Die Hard 2", "Face/Off", "Freaky Friday", "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" and "The Bourne Supremacy"]; original music by BAFTA Award winning Editor; BMI Film Music Award winner and Saturn Best Music Award winner John Ottman ["The Usual Suspects", "The Usual Suspects", "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" and "House Of Wax"] produced by Ralph Winter, Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus ["Mrs Doubtfire", "Gremlins", "Home and Alone" and "Young Sherlock Homes"]; Bernd Eichinger ["The Name of the Rose", "Resident Evil", "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and "The Downfall"] and Avi Arad ["The Hulk", "Spider-Man", "Spider-Man 2", "Elektra" and "X-Men"]. Casting About "FANTASTIC FOUR" stars .......
Ioan Gruffudd ["Titanic", "102 Dalmations", "Solomon and Gaenor" and "King Arthur"]; 2001 Teen Choice Awards winner Jessica Alba ["Never Been Kissed", "The Sleeping Dictionary", "Honey" and "Sin City"]; Chris Evans ["Not Another Teen Movie", "Fierce People", "The Perfect Score" and "Cellular"]; Julian McMahon ["Chasing Sleep", "Wet and Wild Summer" and "Prisoner"]; 2002 Teen Choice Awards winner Kerry Washington ["Against the Ropes", "Lift", "She Hate Me", "Save The Last Dance" and "Ray"]; Kevin McNulty ["The Sixth Man", "The Arrangement", "Last Wedding" and "Stealing Sinatra"]; Laurie Holden ["Seperate Vacations", "Expect No Mercy", "Past perfect" and "Meet Market"]; David Parker ["Sister Act", "Speedway Junkie", "Nursie", "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever" and "Willard"]; Maria Menounos ["Fantastic Four"] and Golden Globe & EMMY Award winner Michael Chiklis ["The Tax Man", "Do Not Disturb" and "The Last Request"] as 'The Thing'. What It's All About

"From a fan's point of view, this gets ticks in all the right boxes. They have paid sufficient tribute to the original and yet updated it to look and sound modern. But I saw the film with someone who knew nothing of the comic, and they enjoyed it too." ...... Joel Rheinberger ABC CANBERRA

Dr Reed Richards has been forced to approach his former classmate Victor Von Doom with a proposal to join forces in Richards quest to study the effects of a huge cosmic storm which will shortly cross the path of a space station operated by the Doom Corporation. Doom knows he has Richards over a barrel and that he's broke. Doom agrees to fund the project but with a number of conditions which Richards reluctantly accepts for the sake of his project. Finally the mission gets underway and the team, comprising Richards, Doom, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm arrive at the space station to study the effect the solar storm may have on DNA and any benefit it might have for mankind. Unfortunately, while Grimm is working outside setting up materials for Richards experiments, the storm, which is travelling much faster than Richards calculated, hits them. Those on onboard are bombarded by the deadly cosmic rays. The five awake back on Earth to find they have somehow survived and apparently without any problems. That is until strange things start happening to them. Richards can stretch, Susan Storm can become invisible, Johnny Storm becomes a human torch and Ben Grimm becomes a super strong man of stone. And Von Doom? He's one 'bad' guy! The Verdict "The latest in a line of Marvel Comic Book heroes to make the big leap on to the silver screen, "Fantastic Four" is sure to provide lots of fun and excitement for cinemagoers. All up it's done pretty well and sets itself up for an obvious sequel which many will be hanging out for. Most will recognize Australian actor Julian McMahon who plays the dark, brooding 'bad' guy Doctor Doom very well. Chris Evans provides a lot of fun as Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch; Jessica Alba looks hot as Sue Storm; Ioan Gruffudd will hopefully loosen up a little by the next edition and Michael Chiklis is a real winner in both his roles of Ben Grimm and The Thing. "Fantastic Four" is a classic comic book tale of good versus evil. It's pretty entertaining watch thanks a good script and a heap of excellent SFX! Recommended viewing." The Cast

Ioan Gruffudd Michael Chiklis Jessica Alba Chris Evans Julian McMahon Kerry Washington Mark Allen Paul Belsito Lorena Gale G Michael Gray Gina Holden Laurie Holden Aonika Laurent Colin Lawrence Stan Lee Kathleen Mullan David Parker David Richmond-Peck Joel Ross Patrick Stoner Tony Toscano Douglas Weston Lynnanne Zager

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Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic Ben Grimm/The Thing Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman Johnny Storm/The Human Torch Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom Alicia Masters Ralph Bridge cop #1 Old Lady Boyfriend Receptionist Debbie Bohemian Bridge cop #2 Mailman Willie Lumpkin Elevator Girl Ernie Gallery Patron Firefighter Patrick Tony Von Doom's Doctor The Computer Voice

The Crew Directed by Tim Story Written by Michael France & Mark Frost Characters & comic book by Jack Kirby & Stan Lee Produced by Avi Arad/Michael Barnathan/Chris Columbus/Bernd Eichinger/Ralph Winter Original Music by John Ottman Cinematography by Oliver Wood Film Editing by William Hoy Casting by Nancy Klopper & Coreen Mayrs Production Design by Bill Boes Art Direction by Shepherd Frankel & Don Macaulay Set Decoration by Elizabeth Wilcox Costume Design by Jose Fernandez & Wendy Partridge Run Time 106 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - 20th Century Fox - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages- All Rights Reserved