The Rise and the Fall of the Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfer Rises and we can dismiss him and the famous four to have vanished into oblivion. Such is the effect of the latest in sequel trouble.
After the first outing of The Fantastic Four, the sequel which brings in the Silver Surfer, voiced by Laurence Fishbourne, the movie doesn’t really do anything much for the viewers. The main lead characters (and here the ‘more the merrier’ doesn’t apply at all), Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd); Sue Storm, the Invisible Girl (Jessica Alba); Johnny Storm, the Human Torch (Chris Evans); and Ben Grimm, the Thing (Michael Chiklis) are more confused and too indulgent in mutual jousting. Yet the biggest setback is the desensitization of the characters as they don’t seem human but only super–human. They should have at–least turned over to Spiderman 3 for some character development, not that it was epic cinema but much better and sensible than this movie.
The movie starts off with the much touted wedding of Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Girl after all the puppy love between adults. The love affair was already immature in the first one with no mutual understanding or co–operation still we are supposed to believe that lukewarm affair would lead to a connubial alliance. Tsk Tsk.. Anyhow, as we go on there is a media frenzy for the wedding as finally Mr. Fantastic could spare some time from his scientific mumbo–jumbo and take his vows. And yet again we have the ‘oh so predictable’ wedding crashers in the form of Silver Surfer and General Hagar (Andre Braugher). Mr. Fantastic is just too unlucky it seems.

The government, turns for help to Reed Richards and send one General Hagar (Andre Braugher) to liaise the proposal. Mr. Fantastic is divided between his moral duty and his emotional responsibility (as if he is given any). He considers the urgent offer and goes on to proceed in the direction much to The Invisible Girl’s unawareness, ignorance or plain plot requirement. What is more startling is the reaction that she has when she does come to know about her fiancé’s activities. She accepts it with ‘arms wide open’ and gives us the most passionate and patriotic super–heroine ever.
Moving on, the Silver Surfer has his own share of problems. The gleaming metallic figure on an aerial surfboard is actually not the enemy rather just a puppet at the hands of Galactus, a world devouring force of nature depicted as a planet sized vortex. The Silver Surfer is bound to serve Galactus in exchange for his homeworld being spared. He ahs to lead him to other living worlds where he can expand his reach.
The movie brings back Dr. Doom (Julian MacMohan), the villain from the first part but now he has to co–work with the arch enemies in order to stop Galactus. And the relationship pangs don’t exist at all despite the marriage being interrupted by no fault of theirs and that is ironical so as to say because we don’t know about the second but at–least in the first they did begin from being human. Here all humanity inside of them transpires for the greater cause of global humanity. Salutations to at least the betrothed two for that. And for giving a lesson to the other superheroes to not ever commit such a visually insipid act.
The viewer really cringes at this aspect as the heroes in this franchise lack any gravitas, any heroism or depth of character. They don’t reflect the nobility, compulsion or something really interesting. They seldom act, behave or rise up to be called mature adults.
Let’s take Reed as the case study. He is supposed to be the team leader. He might be the "one of the greatest minds of the 21st century" in a self asserted statement but he barely shows anything commendable in the leading department. He doesn’t have a vision, decisiveness, charisma, integrity or the spark that can excite, encourage, enable and strengthen to stay together and fight for a cause. He just doesn’t have ‘it’. Further with regards to already ‘hardly there’ emotional links with Sue Storm he doesn’t show any honesty, responsibility and commitment even before the wedding. Much to his own dismay he can’t even justify his earlier uttering of being "one of the greatest minds of the 21st century" when he can’t really come up with the apt solution for the issue at hand.
Then we have The Thing who has sadly lost all motives now as his poignant defense is not there now. He has now become yet another comic figure or more so a sidekick of Torch’s childish remarks. With his innuendos he is just irritating and ruining the fun for the kids as well as they are left confused getting diverted from the mindless action being hurled at them.
It becomes too much even for General Hagar to handle as he hollers, ‘What the hell is wrong with you people?” And sadly enough the viewer nods in approval.

Summing it up, the movie dishes out ambitious action sequences cool special effects and thankfully a bit subdued screen time devoted to The Torch. The sequel is at–least a notch higher than its first part as a solace. Still nothing to really write back home about these bunch of superheroes.