RiseOfTheSilverSurfer Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Superhero fans have got it made these days: You want dark and gloomy, you head for the newest Batman movie. You crave earnest and wholesome, you pick one of the three Spider-Man flicks. Whatever mood you happen to be in, there's now a superhero movie (or series) to pick through: Hulk, Daredevil, Hellboy, Superman, Ghost Rider, you name it. Just about all the classic superheroes are now available in cinematic form, some good and some bad, some "dark and gloomy" and others all "touchy feely" ... but where's the "family friendly" superhero movie? The one that doesn't deal with tortured psyches, metaphysical angst or some form of anguished misery? Well heck, here's one: It's called Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and while it's often a pretty goofy little movie, it's also a perfect flick for young dads and their 9-year-old sons.

To call FF2 an improvement over its predecessor would be damning the sequel with faint praise. Aside from a few editorial missteps and a leading lady who still couldn't act warm if you set her hair on fire, there's quite a lot to enjoy in Fantastic Four 2: The actors seem a lot more comfortable with their strange roles, the jokey material is a lot less dorky, and (best of all) the sequel has an actual STORY that's both cohesive and surprisingly compelling. Sometimes it's OK to enjoy a mindless piece of popcorn escapism, one that's as broadly silly as it is colorfully exciting -- and maybe it's just a case of "lowered expectations" (seeing as how I didn't much care for the first FF entry) -- but there's something strangely infectious about the Fantastic Four sequel. (Plus, the flick clocks in at 91 minutes and is firmly PG-rated, which should be double good news for the movie-hoppin' parents out there.)

The last time we spoke with Don Payne, it was just before his screenwriting debut (My Super Ex-Girlfriend) hit the multiplexes. Since that time he's been hard at work as a writer/producer on The Simpsons, finishing up his screenplay for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and bracing himself for a powerful barrage of fanboy nitpickery. So when I spoke with Mr. Payne about spilling some Fantastic beans for the Cinematical readers, he said "Hey, why not open the floor to some questions from everyone?" And so we did. Several readers followed the instructions carefully and sent in some very solid questions. So here they are!


Q: Will Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom be more like the comic book version this time? Two major shortcomings of the movie version was the tepid romantic triangle with Sue (which never occurs in the comics) and the business mogul backstory that was almost exactly like Norman Osborn's from the first Spider-Man movie. Will Latveria at least be mentioned?

A: Doom is going to be less like the Norman Osborn-esque billionaire and more like the Dr. Doom we all know and love -- with a scientific mind that rivals Reed's. While you can't just ignore how the character was set up in the first film, I think we're getting much closer here to the Doom in the comics. Personally, I would love to see him stride into the U.N. in full armor as ruler of Latveria in a future film.

I don't want to spoil anything Latverian, but we DID see his body being shipped there at the end of the first film. As far as the romantic triangle from the first film goes, that storyline is over. There is no reference to it in this movie.

Q: The trailer seems to indicate Galactus' energies were responsible for the storm that gave the Four their powers. Is this the case? Was this inspired by the Heroes Reborn run, or just something that seemed natural?

A: In my mind, there is mysterious, matter-altering, cosmic "stuff" in the universe which was present in both the storm which hit the FF in the first film and the energy that Galactus wields. However, that's not explicitly stated in the movie -- other than a line where Reed says the cosmic radiation causing anomalies around the world is "not unlike" that which gave the FF their powers. But the cosmic event in the first film and Galactus are otherwise completely unrelated. It was not inspired by the Heroes Reborn run. (But that was a fun run.)

I'm fine with the government providing financial assistance to the movie industry (via subsidies and such), but when it is directly involved with the marketing of a film, I think that's a bit too much. The U.S. Mint has gotten together with * the Franklin Mint and 20th Century Fox to create a limited edition version of the U.S. quarter that features an image of the Silver Surfer on the tails side. These coins, which have already been released into circulation, also include the address for the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer website. There are only a total of 40,000 out there, so if you manage to find one, you might not want to go and use it in a vending machine; you should probably hold on to it. Besides the fact that it's a collectible (people are already selling them on eBay), there's also a contest open only to people who find one of the coins -- with the prize being a trip to the London premiere of FF:ROTSS.

Recently another government agency, the U.S. Postal Service, participated in movie marketing by placing 400 R2D2 mailboxes on sidewalks throughout the country. Of course, this was to celebrate the anniversary of a movie (also released by Fox) that has become something of a national treasure. The Silver Surfer coins are less forgivable because they advertise a new release that may not even be a big success. For that reason, the stunt seems to imply that our government agencies are for sale to advertising agencies. What, now, would stop the Federal Reserve from replacing George Washington with Spider-Man on limited edition one-dollar bills? How about we offer up the sides of government buildings and vehicles (including military vehicles, too) for logos and billboards? And why not have the President tell us to drink Coca-Cola at the end of his State of the Union speech?

*For a follow-up on this story, which points out that the U.S. Mint was not involved, check out the following post:
Silver Surfer Quarters Are Not Legal Currency

Yes, that's right: You could co-(co-co-co-etc.) interview Mr. Don Payne, Emmy-winning writer-producer on The Simpsons and non-Oscar-winning screenwriter of last summer's My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Mr. Payne, who doesn't need to change his name if he decides to take up pro wrestling, also co-wrote this summer's highly-anticipated Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ... and Cinematical's got the access to get your questions answered! Got a query regarding Fantastic Four 2 that you need answered? Then you've come to the correct movie blog, my friends, because Don wants to answer it!

All you have to do is jot your question(s) down in an email, send the email to this address, and then wait patiently until I can turn the questions and answers into something approximating legible articles. I could have cobbled together 12 or 15 interview questions on my own, but we decided to spread the wealth for a bunch of reasons: A) I already interviewed the man last year -- but that was way too early for us to start discussing FF2, B) I'm really very lazy, and C) We want serious questions from hardcore Fantastic freaks as well as fans of Payne's other work. So if there's something you want to know about Silver Surfer, Dr. Doom, Galactus, The Thing, The Flame Kid, The Stretchy Dude or Inviso-hottie -- now's your chance! It's queryin' time! (Note: Mr. Payne may opt to skip questions that are A) silly, B) redundant or C) spoileriffic. Don't take it personally.)

I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone when I declare that I'm possibly in serious like with Jessica Alba. And no, it's not just because she's super-cute and looks great either in a bikini, a dance outfit or in a skin-tight superhero suit -- as she does in the latest Fantastic Four film Rise of the Silver Surfer. Ok, maybe her acting isn't so fantastic but did I mention she looks really hot in those outfits? Actually, if I think really hard about it, I guess its probably not the outfits at all. I'm positive she would look just super in nothing at all.

Sorry, I got sidetracked for a minute. That topic is probably better suited to a site like Perez Hilton or Egotastic. As this is Cinematical, I will now turn this post towards something more movie-related. What do I have for you today then, dear readers? Why, its the lovely Ms. Alba giving you a very informative behind-the-scenes tour of the set of the latest Fantastic Four film, that's what. Before you all rush forward to thank me, keep in mind that there are several more of these little gems over at the vast video depository known as YouTube. Search and ye shall find.

In the meantime, sit back, relax and let Jessica guide you through some of the tricks and secrets of the filmmaking process. Among the wonders you will see (besides her in the aforementioned superhero suit) is her conversation with director Tim Story and plenty of green screen stuff -- including a Mr. Fantastic stretching scene and some Johnny Storm flame work. I know it will be tough but if you try to listen to what Jessica is saying instead of just staring at her longingly, you might just learn something. Of course, learning may be overrated, so if you wish, stare away and enjoy!

In the world of Marvel comics turned into movies (limited to the recent ventures, please), where would you rank the Fantastic Four flick? Probably somewhere above Elektra and Daredevil, but solidly below blockbuster projects like the X-Men and Spider-Man films, right? Although it may not have been quite the moneymaker the latter two franchises have been, the Four brought in a fair amount of box office cash, which of course means it earned the rights to at least one more movie ... and maybe more?

Regular readers know I'm a closet fan of the first one. As a lifetime Fantastic Four reader, I was largely disappointed by the effort -- it has the potential to be oh so much more -- but still, The Thing was on the big screen smashing things, and the Human Torch was outflying a heat-seeking missile, so parts of my very fanboy nature was screaming in delight. I keep the torch burning (pun totally intended) for the second flick, hoping those involved will learn from what didn't work (wow, I just wrote this same sentence about the Punisher sequel) and bring me a movie more deserving of the franchise, and now Kerry Washington tells us there may be even more Four in my future. Sure, we could all presume this by doing our very own simple deductive work, but hearing it from somebody involved with the film is just extra fun.

On a more interesting and directly related note, Washington also discussed just a bit of the Rise of the Silver Surfer plot with the folks over at SuperheroHype. Apparently, The good Alicia Masters will not, at least in this installment, have any particular romantic feelings for the Silver Surfer. "Yeah, that's not so much in this film," is her direct quote when asked about a potential love triangle. But hey, we apparently have more movies in our future, so who knows, right?

Although it may not be quite as famous as the Batmobile, the Fantasticar is truly one of the greatest and most well-known rides in comic book-dom, particularly among Marvel geeks. Granted, it has at times looked like a flying bathtub, but it is still one fantastic machine. If you read the Fantastic Four or even just Marvel comics in general, you probably adore the Fantasticar, right? And you were probably more than a bit excited (and nervous) when Tim Story announced he'd be incorporating it into The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Well, True Believers, the moment is upon us, and Tim Story has shared the first official look at the Fantasticar. It doesn't look like a flying bathtub, which is probably for the best. But it does have a very classic, soft look about it -- intentionally so, apparently. Story was quite adamant about keeping the vehicle less aggressive looking than many of the early designs he was presented with. I've got to say, I'm actually impressed with it. Details say it'll fly around 500 mph at 30,000 feet and will feature smaller breakaway vehicles, so somebody is doing a decent job of keeping it comic book accurate. Swing by USA Today and let me know what you think of the picture -- amusingly, Ben Grimm is the only one not shown.

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm as big a sucker for a comic book/action film as I am for a beautiful woman, so this story satisfies me on both counts. To which comic book/action film and beautiful woman am I referring? Glad you asked. The woman is the seriously cute Vanessa Minnillo and the film is Tim Story's upcoming Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

According to Variety, the comely brunette MTV VJ and Entertainment Tonight correspondent is joining the cast of the Fantastic Four sequel to play the love interest of Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch, aka actor Chris Evans) in the film. Minnillo joins returning Fantastic Four vets Evans, Michael Chiklis, Ioan Gruffudd and the exquisite Jessica Alba, who are already cast and hard at work on the film.

This marks Minnillo's first feature film role, and it appears the gal has come a long way since first appearing in an episode of City Guys (2001) as "Hot Girl." While she'll have a similar part in FF2, at least she'll be given a name (why do I feel like she'll still be referred to as "that hot girl Johnny Storm is into?"). Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer hits theaters on June 15, 2007. I know, you're counting the days. But in case you're not, I think its around 235.

Related Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer News here at Cinematical:

Silver Surfer Joins the Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four Sequel Goes Nova

Fantastic Four Starts Filming

Can you tell Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer is really getting underway? I sure can, because news and pictures are starting to pop up faster than I can blog about them. Today brings us a collection of pictures via Flickr, and just a bit of news to boot. Ready for an eyeful of Marvel's latest project?

• The page with tons of wedding pictures we pointed you towards yesterday has been updated with even more wedding pictures. I continue to delight in the slight, but very good looking, improvement to The Thing's costume. Ben Grimm has been my favorite Marvel character since my pre-school days, and his new movie persona looks straight out of the pages.
• Speaking of wedding pictures, here is a shot of Stan Lee as mailman Willie Lumpkin. The word you are searching for to describe him is swank. Boatloads of it.
• And while we're on the subject of Stan the Man and swank, may I point you to this picture of Stan with director Tim Story?
• Want to see what the Silver Surfer is going to look like? Too bad. But you can see him decked out in green doing some pseudo-stunts. Looks like fun.
• And for a bit of news, multi-talented production company North Projects claims to be doing some vague "behind the scenes" work for the flick. What they mean by this is anyone's guess ... I'm sure there are plenty of good innuendo-filled jokes you could make here if you were so inclined.
  

There's a new trailer on the internet for Marvel's upcoming Ghost Rider flick. I'd like to say it looks awesome, but honestly ... it looks corny. And the dialog is corny. Of course, we're talking about a Marvel Comics movie here, so corny dialog is kind of expected, but not to this level. Does it look fun? Sure, in some ways. I mean, a guy with a flaming skull riding around the city has some inherent element of fanboy cool to it; but probably not nearly enough to carry the film. I still hope to enjoy it, but I wouldn't wager on it. Also, I still hear Mortal Kombat's Scorpion screaming "Get over here!" every time I see that chain whipping around.

Hollywood North Report's message board has also turned up a few new set pics from the Vancouver filming of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Follow the link you'll find three shots of the roof set on top of the Baxter Building. It's nothing mind blowing, but it's fun. Despite a somewhat underwhelming first flick, I have much higher hopes for FF2 than I do for Ghost Rider. Am I just setting myself up for another disappointment?