2:13 AM: Fantastic Four movie details revealed

(from a press release from Marvel)

When an experimental space voyage goes awry, four people are changed by cosmic rays. Reed Richards, inventor and leader of the group gains the ability to stretch his body, and takes the name, Mr. Fantastic. His girlfriend, Sue Storm, gains the ability to turn invisible and create force fields, calling herself the Invisible Woman. Her younger brother Johnny Storm gains the ability to control fire, including covering his own body with flame, becoming the Human Torch. Pilot Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong rock creature calling himself Thing. Together, they use their unique powers to explore the strange aspects of the world, and to foil the evil plans of Doctor Doom.

The comic book "The Fantastic Four", finally hits the big screen with the director Tim Story (Barbershop) sitting in the directors chair.

The crew is lead by



Ioan Gruffudd - Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic



Jessica Alba - Susan Storm/The Invisible Girl



Chris Evans - Johnny Storm/The Human Torcch



Michael Chiklis - Ben Grimm/The Thing

The Fantastic Four hits theaters in 2005.

Matthew's Take:

Maybe it's because the film seems to be cast horrendously, but I think I (along with a lot of other comic book fans) am going to have trouble taking this movie seriously. Jessica Alba as The Invisible Woman? Why not get a real actress for this role. T & A isn't a factor here...the woman is invisible half the time, hence the name "The Invisible Woman." Movie studios are idiots.

Also, who designed the costume for The Thing? It makes him look like the villian in a really bad early-90's horror film. At least they didn't make him CGI, like they did with The Hulk.

I don't think Marvel is taking it's properties seriously anymore. They seem to be content selling off their most marketable characters' rights for tens of millions of dollars, drying up the well before the public moves on to another nostalgia craze (the 90's, anyone?). Pretty soon, we'll have a Marvel Man movie starring Matthew Lillard and Rachel Leigh Cook. That's when I'll kill myself.