…And Four will be Fantastic
Our friends at Apple have posted the new full-length trailer for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which is supposed to run with Spider-Man 3 this weekend! Some storyline elements are revealed in the trailer, some expected and some not. Read on, True Believer!
US Military satellites have captured images of a strange, silver skinned man riding a surfboard and causing all sorts of havoc around the Earth. The military honchos do exactly what we expect when confronted with something they know nothing about: seek out the expertise of Dr. Reed Richards and The Fantastic Four!
At some point, the mysterious Silver Surfer appears to have an appointment to meet with another Doctor we’re familiar with - Victor Von Doom, Lord of Latveria!
It also seems that Johnny Storm’s initial encounter with The Silver Surfer has had an unexpected effect - he can now temporarily ’swap’ superhuman powers with whoever he comes into physical contact with. Leave it to the ever lovin’ blue eyed Thing to test this out!
With the fate of the world in the balance, the only thing that stands in the way of planetary destruction at the hands of Galactus is The Fantastic Four!!!
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Well, FF2 looks pretty good, though you can’t tell all that much from movie trailers these days! A little speculation:
- Looks like this film borrows a bit from some classic FF storylines - the original Galactus Trilogy in FF 48-50, and I’d bet a slice of pizza that before the movie is over, Dr. Doom will wind up stealing The Silver Surfer’s Power Cosmic for a brief while, just as he has done in the comics. I hope we see ‘The Ultimate Nullifier,’ too!
- The principals have assumed their familiar roles - Reed & Sue as paternal figures, and Ben & Johnny as combative siblings, all bound by loyalty and familial love. Good to see - the FF aren’t just a superhero team, exactly. I have always seen them as a group of adventurers and a family, who take on more science fiction themed adventures than simply traditional superhero antics. Of course, the FF have strong elements of the traditional superhero archetype, but their best and most memorable stories often have a broader scope and significance!
- Looks like they are having some fun with the ‘power-swapping’ phenomenon. Works for me - very Kirby & Lee! Thing is, this pretty much is The Super Skrull’s gimmick, so since we will pretty much see it done in FF2, odds are that a Super Skrull FF movie won’t happen. I know, it was a long shot anyway!
Overall I get the sense that FF2 will be some cool, escapist fun with a sense of humor and a comic book & science fiction flavor - in other words, exactly what the FF should be!
Well, sounds fair enough. I don’t know why they have to go stick that power swapping stuff in, though. It’s not like they need any subplot to make this storyline fly! And goodness knows, just because Hollywood used an idea once doesn’t mean we can’t see it again. I really like the idea of a Super Skrull movie, though I suspect the Inhumans are just around the corner.
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You’re right, jaytee.
I’ll still hold out for a Super Skrull movie - maybe the first act is the invasion, and things escalate in the second act, and the Skrulls dispatch The Super Skrull to battle the FF in the thrilling climax!
The FF is rich in history and there is no shortage of directions future films can take. The Inhumans is a natural, and very cinematic with Medusa, Gorgon, the mighty Lockjaw, and my favorite Black Bolt, as well as the rest. Nice way to ease into The Watcher, who I think is a neighbor of The Inhumans up on the moon!
One thing that impressed me about the FF2 trailer is that it looked fun - an element scarce in many modern era comics! I’m actually looking forward to FF2 more than SM3!
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Yes, Let’s hope the Watcher makes it into the mix. But given that this is Hollywood, I fear for the worst: he’ll probably be portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. And if the Inhumans ever do appear, Black Bolt will be able to speak!
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Yes, one thing the fans are demanding is a street tough talking Watcher! And a blabbermouth Black Bolt - well, “That’s Hollywood,” as Tom Bosley would say!
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You know, as the publicity mill for this movie gets up to speed, I’m troubled by the fact that the Surfer seems to be getting top billing, with the FF just sort of along for the ride. When your main characters, your stars, are relegated to co-star status after just one movie, that ain’t a good sign, Brother. This is one of the richest groups of superheros in history. Pushing them to the background is unacceptable. (Well, maybe except for the miscast Jessica Alba. . . .) Marvel is botching one of its premiere franchises. It’s a shame, and an insult!
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