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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER" (2007) (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Moderate Extreme *Mild Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Heavy Minor Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate None Mild Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Action/Adventure: A quartet of superheroes unites with their former enemy to battle a powerful alien whose presence damages and then seems poised to destroy Earth. PLOT: Having previously defeated Victor Von Doom (JULIAN MCMAHON) and his nefarious plans, the Fantastic Four -- the rubbery Reed Richards (IOAN GRUFFUDD), invisible woman Sue Storm (JESSICA ALBA), her human torch brother Johnny (CHRIS EVANS), and the rocky, hulk-like Ben Grimm (MICHAEL CHIKLIS) -- must contend with being viewed by the public and press as celebrities. That's a bit problematic considering that Reed and Sue are about to get married at a rooftop ceremony attended by the likes of Ben's blind girlfriend Alicia Masters (KERRY WASHINGTON). There are bigger issues at hand, however, in the form of a silvery metallic being known as the Silver Surfer (voice of LAURENCE FISHBURNE) who's arrived on Earth and whose surfing fly-bys knock out power grids, freeze things over, and create huge holes deep into the Earth. Not surprisingly, the military is concerned, prompting General Hager (ANDRE BRAUGHER) to request aid from the Fantastic Four. Yet, they quickly learn they're no match for this strange, surfing alien, and things get worse when they learn he's just a scout for an enormous, intergalactic cloud known as Galactus that destroys planets to feed off the resultant explosive energy. With things looking dire, and much to the group's dismay, Hager brings in a recently resurrected Von Doom to join their effort. From that point on, they try to figure out how to stop the Silver Surfer before he leads Galactus directly to Earth and its potential complete destruction. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the first film, they probably will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For sequences of action violence, some mild language and innuendo. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: IOAN GRUFFUDD plays the mutant scientist who can stretch, flatten, and twist his body like rubber. Despite his pending wedding, he can't stop working with his inventions, including one to track the Silver Surfer. Along with the others, he then tries to stop him and the destruction of Earth. JESSICA ALBA plays his fiancée, who's also affected by the previous radiation exposure that left her with the ability to turn invisible and create force fields. A bit perturbed about Reed's behavior, she also contends with the Silver Surfer, but also tries to understand who and what he is, as well as his motives. CHRIS EVANS plays her highly egotistical playboy brother who seeks advertising endorsements to help fund the group and himself. Able to turn himself in a flying human torch, he does the most battle with both the Silver Surfer and Von Doom. He uses a little profanity and drinks some. MICHAEL CHIKLIS plays Reed's partner who's been turned into a monstrous rock creature. He drinks, uses some profanity, is happy with Alicia, and helps battle the Silver Surfer. JULIAN MCMAHON plays a resurrected billionaire businessman turned villain who's teamed with the Fantastic Four to try to stop the Surfer, but has ulterior motives (and injures or kills others while pursuing them). ANDRE BRAUGHER plays a terse Army general who wants the Fantastic Four to stop the Silver Surfer, and then teams Von Doom with them for the same reason. KERRY WASHINGTON plays Ben's blind girlfriend. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action/adventure film that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a number of mild expletives, while various colorful phrases are also uttered. Some non-explicit, but sexually related dialogue is present, while a female superhero's nude form is seen beneath flames (nothing explicit, but the shape of her breasts are clearly visible), followed by her accidentally being nude in front of the public (we don't see anything explicit). Varying amounts of cleavage are present, as is some brief, sexy dancing. Movie superhero type violence is present (characters fighting, knocking others around, and causing property damage, but not quite as intense - or bone-crunching -- as in PG-13 rated counterparts such as the "Spider-Man" films, although a female character is seemingly killed after being impaled). Those scenes, potential peril (including the possible destruction of the Earth via an enormous intergalactic killer "cloud"), and some visuals may be unsettling or suspenseful for some younger viewers. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some drinking occurs, as does other potentially imitative behavior. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some footage inside a helicopter is fairly bouncy. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE At a club where others drink, Ben asks for a pitcher with the biggest handle possible (for his huge, bulky hands). We then see that he's finished several pitchers. After catching Reed dancing with some women in a club, Sue makes a sarcastic comment about if he needs to do Jell-O shots off their stomachs. Some champagne is poured before a wedding, and we see Johnny with a glass of it. Ben and Johnny drink in a bar, as do others, with Johnny putting out a flaming dart by pouring beer onto it. BLOOD/GORE Von Doom's skin on his neck appears to be missing some layers in patches, with what looks like metal below that. Partially seen under his full hood, Von Doom has some bad looking scars on his face. Sue has a little bit of a bloody nose. A military officer shoots his handgun at Von Doom (who's now taken over the Silver Surfer's powers) who fires a blast of energy back at the man, killing him and disintegrating part of his body (no blood). Sue has a slightly bloody abrasion on her brow. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Reed gets a little too carried away at his bachelor party by participating in some suggestive and close dancing with some alluring ladies. About Ben (in rock form) and Alicia regarding sex, Johnny asks, "How do you guys..?" When Ben gets mad about that, Johnny jokes that he doesn't want to wake up one morning and hear that she was killed in a "rock slide." Although doing so to sustain itself, Galactus destroys other planets, while the Silver Surfer serves as its planetary scout (and does so to protect his planet and his love from destruction). Hager alternates between wanting and needing the Fantastic Four, and then being mad and/or disparaging toward them. A person refers to Reed and the others as "you and your pack of freaks." A military interrogator says it's fortunate the Silver Surfer is not human, meaning the man is thus free to torture the alien. We then see a distant view of him applying electric shock to the Silver Surfer who's strapped to a movable table/bench. Von Doom double-crosses the military and the Fantastic Four regarding his help to stop the Silver Surfer. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. When the Silver Surfer causes power to go out in the city, that also affects a helicopter that goes out of control, clipping a building and sending its blades slicing through empty chairs on a rooftop. Its spinning tail rotor then approaches Alicia, with Ben stopping it just in time (the blades bounce off his hard rock "skin"). We hear that eight days after the Silver Surfer arrives on any planet, it's destroyed. Activity by the Silver Surfer in London causes the enormous Ferris wheel there to break free from its supports. It's all the Fantastic Four can do to prevent it from falling over, with some people inside bumped around a bit in the process. Ben encounters an angry grizzly bear, but it runs away when he roars back at it. We see the planet killer cloud approaching Earth as it passes through and disrupts Saturn's rings. Von Doom fires a metal-type spear at the Silver Surfer, but a woman steps in front to try to use her force field to save him. The spear, however, penetrates that as well as her torso. She later dies, but the Silver Surfer resurrects her. We see a view from outer space of the huge, planet killer cloud right at the edge of Earth, meaning the planet's potential destruction is just moments away. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Missiles/Bursts of electricity and energy: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Awesome," "Wow, that's really boring," "I think it might be clobbering time," "You'll get an invisible kick to the nuts," "You look like a bum," "You kinda smell like ash," "The bride of stretchy man," "Oh, that is cool," "You think?" "You gotta be kidding me," "Boring-ass life," "What the hell /is wrong with you people/was that/is going on?" "I like the part where he knocks you on your ass," "A complete screw-up," "You and your pack of freaks," "Like a good little nerd," "Not a damn thing," "I'm so hot for you right now," "Overgrown fur-ball," "Uh, maybe he lied," "Oh crap," "My bad," "Holy crap," "Dude," "Shut up," "You're really pissing me off" and "Surf's up, metal-head." All of the action, fighting, and other stunts may be enticing for some kids to imitate. After drinking beer, Ben lets out a loud belch that blows another man's hair back. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful, dramatic, and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song has lyrics that are something about "shake it to the floor" and other bits we couldn't fully hear and/or understand. PROFANITY At least 4 craps, 4 hells, 2 asses, 2 damns, and 6 uses of "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY Johnny convinces Reed to have a bachelor party, but the latter tells the former there can't be any exotic dancers. We then see Johnny and Ben taking Reed to some sort of club, where some alluring young women (some of whom show a lot of cleavage) fawn over Reed, while images of dancing women are projected on large video screens (nothing explicit). They finally convince him to dance with them (and they do so sexily), and he quickly gets into it, stretching all around, including wrapping his arms around two women, pulling them in close to him, but he stops when Sue enters and spots him. She makes a sarcastic comment about if he needs to do Jell-O shots off their stomachs, with him innocently commenting on previously talking to them about the Big Bang (innuendo on the part of the film). When he later apologizes for his behavior, she tells him not to worry, adding that it was nothing compared to what she did at her bachelorette party (never explained, but the implication is she's making that up). Johnny's date shows a lot of leg getting out of a car in a short skirt (the camera focuses on those legs), and she also shows a little cleavage. When asked what it's like to date the human torch, she mentions wearing fireproof lingerie and a lot of aloe. Alicia shows some cleavage. Sue shows a lot of leg while walking in a robe that opens in the lower front as she walks. About Ben (in rock form) and Alicia regarding sex, Johnny asks, "How do you guys..?" When Ben gets mad about that, Johnny jokes that he doesn't want to wake up one morning and hear that she was killed in a "rock slide." Sue shows cleavage in her wedding dress. After Sue inadvertently switches superhero powers with Johnny, she's engulfed in flames (but unharmed). While no explicit details are viewed, she otherwise appears nude in this fiery mode, and the shapes of her breasts can be seen. When the flames go out, she ends up lying face down on the sidewalk, presumably fully nude. We only see part of that (nothing explicit), but it's implied that many others see her that way fully before she turns invisible. The Silver Surfer is essentially nude (all silvery metal) and appears male, but has no indication of any external genitalia. About Alicia, Johnny tells Ben, "I can't even think of a guy who wouldn't want to..." Sue shows cleavage. Johnny walks out, looking quite buff in just a towel around his waist. When a female military officer comes by, Johnny jokingly asks if she was waiting for him, and steam then rises off his body. After Reed makes a speech to Hager about how special they are, Sue tells Reed, "I'm so hot for you right now." Ben is often seen shirtless, but his "skin" is all hard and craggy rocks. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES About Sue getting married, Johnny says their dad would be proud (implying he's dead). A man believes his fiancée has been killed (and holds her limp body), but she's then resurrected. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Being different from others. What it would be like to have such super powers and/or a condition like the group has. The media and public's fascination with celebrities. Sue saying they'll never have a normal life as long as they do what they do (referring to their super powers). VIOLENCE We see the giant cloud Galactus destroying a planet (from afar -- we don't know if any life forms were killed). As the Silver Surfer surfs by, some fishermen are knocked aside by his wake, with one blown overboard (to a sea of ice, so he's okay). After being resurrected, Von Doom knocks a helper aside. When the Silver Surfer causes power to go out in the city, that also affects a helicopter that goes out of control, clipping a building and sending its blades slicing through empty chairs on a rooftop. Its spinning tail rotor then approaches Alicia, with Ben stopping it just in time (the blades bounce off his hard rock "skin"). In flame-on mode, Johnny chases the Silver Surfer whose fly-by wake overturns various park cars and causes other such damage. The chase continues through a traffic tunnel, with the Silver Surfer going through vehicles (not damaging them), and Johnny having various close calls with passing vehicles. Out of that, the Silver Surfer then turns, grabs Johnny by the throat, and then takes him into outer space where his flame goes out. Johnny then falls back toward Earth, initially can't re-start his flame, and then does. Yet, he crashes hard on the ground, and is a bit dazed, but otherwise okay. We see the aftermath of the Silver Surfer having destroyed Reed's tracking device (it looks melted). Johnny falls, while on fire, and lands hard on the street. Von Doom hits the Silver Surfer with a jolt of electricity that prompts the Silver Surfer to retaliate with a powerful blast of energy that knocks Von Doom back through a glacier. Activity by the Silver Surfer in London causes the enormous Ferris wheel there to break free from its supports. It's all the Fantastic Four can do to prevent it from falling over, with some people inside bumped around a bit in the process. After inadvertently switching superhero powers with Reed, Johnny falls hard to the street while in rubbery mode. After learning that Hager is bringing in Von Doom to work with them, Ben drives Von Doom back against a wall, prompting a soldier to aim his handgun at him, but no shots are fired. The military fires a missile at the Silver Surfer, but his surfboard absorbs the weapon. They then fire even more, but he lays waste to them and their rocket launchers (we don't see if anyone is killed, but it's implied based on the size of the explosions). Reed's invention knocks the Silver Surfer from his surfboard, with Von Doom then delivering an electrical jolt to the Silver Surfer who's now defenseless on the ground. A military interrogator says it's fortunate the Silver Surfer is not human, meaning the man is thus free to torture the alien. We then see a distant view of him applying electric shock to the Silver Surfer who's strapped to a movable table/bench. Von Doom hits Hager and two other people with jolts of electricity. A military officer shoots his handgun at Von Doom (who's now taken over the Silver Surfer's powers) who fires a blast of energy back at the man, killing him and disintegrating part of his body (no blood). Now on the surfboard, Von Doom flies by, with his wake smashing Ben (and Reed behind him) into a wall hard enough to embed them into it. Ben blasts through a stone and then glass wall. A military woman holds a handgun on the Fantastic Four, but Johnny convinces her to let them go. Von Doom knocks Reed's flying ship aside, and then fires powerful blasts of energy at it when it's in one piece, as well as when it's split up into several smaller flying vehicles. Those blasts miss them, but cause damage to natural rock formations, as well as the Great Wall of China. Damage also occurs in a city, including with Sue's small ship crash-landing, running over some parked bikes, and smashing into other things. Von Doom fires a metal-type spear at the Silver Surfer, but a woman steps in front to try to use her force field to save him. The spear, however, penetrates that as well as her torso (no blood). She later dies, but the Silver Surfer resurrects her. Possessing all of the combined powers of the rest of his group, Johnny battles Von Doom, with both knocking and throwing the other about (and causing property damage in the process). Johnny then wraps around Von Doom, repeatedly punches him, and then knocks him a long way back, into a body of water. The Silver Surfer appears to commit suicide (by turning into an explosion of light and energy) to destroy Galactus (but we don't know if that's actually what's occurred). Reviewed June 14, 2007 / Posted June 15, 2007

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