Meet the Fantastic Four!

[Banter 0]

From USATODAY.com:

 

After several false starts, the movie version of the dysfunctional family of comic-book superheroes known as the Fantastic Four has commenced filming in Vancouver, B.C., and will arrive in theaters July 1.

 

For those who can't wait to see who is in the signature skin-tight blue uniforms, here is an exclusive peek at the contentious clan that has been one of the most popular titles in the Marvel universe.

 

Three of the "imaginauts" who gain special powers after being caught in a cosmic storm in outer space are rising stars:

 

• Jessica Alba, 23, star of TV's Dark Angel, is Sue Storm, also known as the Invisible Woman, who has a romance with Reed.

 

• Welshman Ioan Gruffudd, 30, goes from Lancelot in King Arthur to scientist Reed Richards, whose Mr. Fantastic has the ability to stretch.

 

• Chris Evans, 23, currently seen in Cellular, is Sue's bro Johnny, a cocky pilot who turns up the heat as the Human Torch.

 

• The most recognizable face is also the most covered. Veteran actor Michael Chiklis, 41, of TV's The Shield, will grumble his way through the role of Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, a boulder-bodied mound of power whose battle cry is "It's clobberin' time!"

 

Don't expect a computerized brute as in The Hulk. That's Chiklis inside the craggy foam-rubber suit that, with shoes, weighs about 70 pounds. "That is the whole center of Ben's problem — he's trapped," says Chiklis. "He's a tragic hero. It's a delicate balance between formidable and ferocious and warm and fuzzy."

 

Chiklis, who has embodied such icons as John Belushi in 1989's Wired and Curly in TheThree Stooges TV movie, understands why he got the part. "It's typecasting," says the actor, who built up his rock-man endurance by running 10Ks five days a week for the past three months. "A guy with a hard exterior who's got a beautiful heart."

 

Alas, the Thing's trademark stogie might be stubbed out, thanks to PC concerns.

 

Director Tim Story (Barbershop) takes a leap into the big leagues with his first summer blockbuster.

 

"Part of the appeal of the Fantastic Four is they don't use secret identities or wear masks," he explains. "They walk amongst New Yorkers who accept them and go to the grocery store to buy milk, just regular people dealing with life who happen to have extraordinary abilities. They don't always like each other, but they do love each other."

 

Studio 20th Century Fox is counting on audiences to share that love. The cast is signed for two sequels but for Story, it's wait and see.

 

Julian McMahon of TV's Nip/Tuck takes on villain Dr. Doom, but the Four have formidable movie competition, as well. The Steven Spielberg-Tom Cruise remake of the alien-attack thriller War of the Worlds will invade theaters June 29, two days before Fantastic Four.

 

Then there is The Incredibles, a computer-animated spoof on a superhero family coming Nov. 5 from Pixar and Disney, that could upstage Fantastic Four.

 

"I'm the biggest Pixar nut in the world, and I can't freaking wait to see it," Story says. "But some of the powers are very similar, and I don't want the public to think we took elements of The Incredibles when it's the other way around."

[starvenger 0]

OK, I gotta say that Gruffudd's pose is kinda dorky.

 

Also, I kinda like the Thing's look, but not really. I don't mind the "slimming down" that much but the rubber suit doesn't really look all that great. Maybe it's the scans though.

 

One thing they got right though - Jessica Alba in spandex.

[Guest El Satanico]

:waits for "why is someone who's part latino playing Sue":

 

I've heard rumors that they were going for more of a comedic version. Does anyone know if this is true? I've also heard that Thing will evolve and get bigger.

[pochorenella 0]

These might be just test shots, so expect the final product to come out better, but I think they're mostly ok. The costumes are fine and Jessica Alba looks terrific and I hope they give her the invisible effect the way they do the Predator effect, not just purely invisible. And I'm curious about the Human Torch effect, could it be kinda like The Matrix when Neo was blind but could still "see" agent Smith?

[AndrewTS 0]

I've heard rumors that they were going for more of a comedic version. Does anyone know if this is true?

No idea--but since these pics aren't as laughable as Catwomen, maybe not.

 

Although I'm sure they've considered "would anyone care if we screwed u--er, 'reimagined' the F4 as a comedy?" I personally wouldn't. Although the latest episode of Venture Bros. made me laugh my ass off.

 

Problem is, they're planning to do that for Aqua Man and Green Lantern both, already.

 

I'm glad to see the suit for Thing, though. Old-school suitwork is always more convincing then a plastic-looking CGI beast leaping around with the grace and balance of a ballerina.

[Guest El Satanico]

Although the latest episode of Venture Bros. made me laugh my ass off.

I was going to comment on that, but forgot. It was pretty damn funny, but what isn't on that show.

[razazteca 0]

I like the Venture Brothers version better.

 

GO TEAM VENTURE!

[Guest El Satanico]

GO TEAM VENTURE!

:Brock shakes his head:

 

I don't know...it's just something they do

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Never followed the F4, don't care about this movie either.

 

However, the cigar ban pisses me off...

[Slayer 0]

I want to see pics of Dr Doom

 

And also, what kkk said about the cigar thing

[2GOLD 0]

Although the latest episode of Venture Bros. made me laugh my ass off.

I was going to comment on that, but forgot. It was pretty damn funny, but what isn't on that show.

 

Mentally challenged THING and Burst into flames when coming in contact with air HUMAN TORCH would just be the greatest thing ever.

 

ARRRRGH!! OH GOD! IT BURNS! IT BURNS!

[dubq 0]

:waits for "why is someone who's part latino playing Sue":

 

I've heard rumors that they were going for more of a comedic version. Does anyone know if this is true? I've also heard that Thing will evolve and get bigger.

Latino or not - don't much care about that - she's too young for the part, IMO.

 

Either way it still looks pretty fucking cool, especially The Thing.

[Kaertos 0]

To be fair, Sue and Johnny were barely more than teenagers in the comic when it started.

[Renegade 0]

What is the age difference between Sue and Reed in the comics? It looks pretty big from those pictures.

[Golgo 13 0]

It's a big gap. I forget exact numbers, but with the considerable age difference between Reed and Sue, Alba is fine.

[Renegade 0]

Agreed, Alba looks the part.

[starvenger 0]

What is the age difference between Sue and Reed in the comics? It looks pretty big from those pictures.

It's probably around 5-10 years. Sue was probably around 20 when FF debuted, and Johnny is roughly the same age as Peter Parker.

[Kaertos 0]

That sounds right. And Reed was a couple of years out of grad school, so put him at his upper 20's and everything looks good.

 

Particuarly Miss Alba in that suit...

[AndrewTS 0]

Am I supposed to know who this Jessica Alba is?

 

"star of TV's Dark Angel"

 

Buffy spinoff?

 

....okay, kidding, but I only knew because you couldn't escape from those commercials. However, I thought that show sucked. *shrug*

[Anya 0]

Ugh, Dark Angel is no Buffy spin off. That's just horrible.

 

 

Dark Angel has nothing on Angel.

[Guest JMA]

I think the costumes look great. Thank God they didn't make the Thing fully CGI. I was unsure of Jessica Alba playing Sue, but seeing her now, I think she can pull it off. Plus, she's wearing spandex.

 

Casting Michael Chiklis as the Thing was a very good move. Chiklis fits the part perfectly and he's a rising star in Hollywood. Supposedly, Julian McMahon (who plays Dr. Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck) will be playing Dr. Doom. Is it a coincidence that FOX is recruiting two of the stars of hit FX shows to be in this movie?

[starvenger 0]

Casting Michael Chiklis as the Thing was a very good move. Chiklis fits the part perfectly and he's a rising star in Hollywood. Supposedly, Julian McMahon (who plays Dr. Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck) will be playing Dr. Doom. Is it a coincidence that FOX is recruiting two of the stars of hit FX shows to be in this movie?

Probably. These are guys who are good actors, and are semi-known in the non-fanboy community, which are perfect for a movie like this. Of course, if the script sucks, then no amount of perfect casting can help you...

[Black Lushus 0]

over on 411, in one of the columns, the writers says that he doesn't picture Thing as being short and stumpy...I'm no FF buff or anything, but I've always percieved Thing as short but wide...am I wrong? This guy thinks Thing should be tall and huge...he always seems to be shorter than the other Marvel powerhouses...

[starvenger 0]

Well, Grimm was a test pilot, so he's not likely to be TOO tall. He's probably about 6' ish, and looks shorter because Richards is a tall lanky type. Also the Thing has typically been drawn as being about as wide as he is tall, which contributes to him looking shorter than he actually is. I think that he's also drawn as slightly hunched over, which would fit with his character of being a man trapped inside a monster, with no way of getting out.

[Guest El Satanico]

I've also never pictured Thing as being tall, but I only know him from cartoons and merchandise.