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THE FLICK: The comic-book generation has grown up to rule the box-office, commanding enough clout to get even the most minor Marvel / DC / Dark Horse character his or her very own franchise. And yet, when the Fantastic Four, one of the tentpole supergroups from the ‘60s, finally got its own movie (not counting the unreleased Roger Corman version) that very same audience bitched and moaned their way through the whole thing. Their chief complaint? It was too juvenile, too jokey, too kid-friendly. Does anyone else see the irony here? The comic-book generation has grown up, and they expect their heroes to grow up with them. Batman, Superman, even the usually fun-loving Spiderman were all saddled with some major emotional baggage when they finally hit the screen. With Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, director Tim Story sticks to his guns by producing a light-hearted story (well, as light-hearted as worldwide destruction can be) featuring spandex clad-characters who celebrate their final victory with a group hug. Adjusting to their worldwide fame and media attention, Johnny, Sue, Reed and Ben are now charged with saving humanity once again from an interstellar menace that consumes entire planets. Galactus (represented here by a swirling space tornado) announces Earth’s impending doom by sending his herald, the Silver Surfer, to prepare for his arrival, drilling massive craters at various points across the globe. The FF’s previous nemesis, Victor Von Doom, returns to volunteer his services in ridding the world of this threat...but, of course, he has his own dastardly agenda. If there’s one complaint the fans are justified in voicing it’s the FF films’ annoying simplicity. The Marvel universe is a rich and complicated one, and the introduction of Jack Kirby’s surfboard-riding philosopher should have brought some much needed depth. But the script eschews narrative complexity for tired familial drama (Reed and Sue’s wedding frustration, Johnny’s desperate loneliness, etc) and small-scale action scenes that make the film feel like less of an “event” picture and more like a watered-down episode of Heroes. But as an entertaining popcorn flick for its target audience (kids 5 – 15) it succeeds admirably. The jokes are corny, the threat level is low, and there are enough gadgets and cosmic powers to keep the effects guys busy. The FF were always the surrogate “happy family” of the comic book world; why should a film version be any different? THE FEATURES: Fox returns to fine Blu-ray form with this release, sporting a highly three-dimensional transfer that defies any home theater nitpicking. This thing looks very nice, with a simplified menu screen that just oozes class. As with their other recent release, a DTS HD 5.1 lossless audio track is also included. On to the extras, which include two commentaries (one with Story, one with the editors), extended and deleted scenes, trivia and strategy games, and a series of featurettes on the Fantasticar, character design, the score and the history of the Silver Surfer. Next up: a comprehensive gallery of stills and conceptual art, plus a selection of trailers in HD.