Not a totally un-fantastic movie

JIM ERWIN

These days it seems like everyone is being exposed to radioactivity

and gaining special powers. “Fantastic Four,” the latest action movie

about Marvel Comics superheroes, is the story of yet another group of

people whose genetically altered DNA make them unstoppable. Despite

its shortcomings, “Fantastic Four” is fast paced, funny and

entertaining. This movie may not be fantastic, but it’s a still a

hoot.

The biggest problem with “Fantastic Four” is that neither the

story or the characters are very original. When Marvel Comics writer

Stan Lee created these characters 40 years ago, he was basically just

putting together a super hero team to answer a commercial success by

a competitor. The how or why any of these characters inherited their

special powers wasn’t really as important as just giving them powers

he felt were interesting. This was 20 years before near meltdowns at

Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania and the Fermi plant in

Michigan. Unprotected exposure to intense radiation was still a cool

way to become stronger, faster and more sexy.

As the name would indicate, the Fantastic Four are made up of four

characters: Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd); Sue

Storm/The Invisible Girl (Jessica Alba); Johnny Storm/The Human Torch

(Chis Evans); and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Michael Chiklis from FX’s “The

Shield). Of the four Chicklis is the most entertaining. His

character, The Thing, is done using a costume rather than computer

animation. Chiklis’s eyes bring humanity to a person who’s

transformation has turned him into a monster. Although the costume

looks uncomfortable, Chiklis seems to be having a ball.

The story uses the characters’ abilities for comic relief in

addition to driving the big action sequences. Mr. Fantastic’s elastic

body is able to do things like reach outside the bathroom for more

toilet paper without getting up -- a joke the movie’s writers

borrowed from an old issue of Mad Magazine. The fact that Jessica

Alba has to take off her clothes to become completely invisible is

another one of the movie’s running gags.

You can’t have super heroes without a super villain and the fifth

person exposed to radiation is their nemesis, a narcissistic

megalomaniac named Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). Von Doom’s

incredible thirst for power makes Karl Rove look like a manic Boy

Scout leader. Unlike the others, Von Doom sees his freakish change as

terrific asset. He decides to use his super powers to dominate the

world and it’s up to the Fantastic Four to stop him.

At its core, “Fantastic Four” is basically just mental junk food.

On the other hand, who can really survive without chili-cheese

Fritos? It’s fun to watch these characters in action and there’s

never a dull moment in this movie. At a time when we’re fighting

terrorism at home and abroad, and senior White House staffers aren’t

above committing treason to retaliate against their political

opponents, it’s nice to spend two hours watching a story where

nothing really matters.

The reason “Fantastic Four” works so well is that it doesn’t take

itself too seriously. No one involved in this movie thinks they are

making Ingmar Bergman’s “Saraband.” The cast are clearly having a lot

of fun, and so is the audience. This is a movie that’s great to see

on a big screen, especially in an air conditioned theater on a hot

day.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.

A march that is worth going to the birds

They have wings but do not fly. They live eight months of the year

in temperatures averaging 40 below zero. And, if humans had to endure

their mating ritual man would, no doubt, still be back living in

caves.

Penguins, part bird, part fish, are the subject of the documentary

from France titled “March of the Penguins.”

Set against the icy back drop of the South Pole where penguins

trek miles across the frozen ice in order to meet, mate and hatch

their babies. The documentary provides an intimate look at the docile

animal.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman (“Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Shawshank

Redemption”) March of the Penguins follows one hoard of birds as they

embark on their yearly ritual that involves walking seven days

straight without stopping then going three months or longer without

food.

The experience of watching the penguin’s winter march up close on

film closely mimics the act of bird watching for the movie audience.

The similarities humans and penguins share look to outweigh the

differences.

The birds body surf just like beachgoers do, except penguins use

their belly instead of a board to glide across the frozen water. Like

teenagers in love, once penguins find their mate they become

inseparable. As the penguin couples produce their egg, they become

doting self-sacrificing parents providing shelter, warmth and food

for their soon-to-hatch baby.

There are three storytellers in March of the Penguins. First the

penguins themselves by their actions and activities like huddling

together for warmth during one of several fierce winter storms.

Second is Morgan Freeman’s narration that supplies the unseen

background information such as why the penguins travel to what

appears to be the middle of nowhere to make babies. And third, the

viewers can see other aspects to the penguins, not explained in the

documentary, by watching and observing what the penguins do. For

example, the penguins live in one gigantic socially active group

huddle for warmth, safety and protection yet they walk in single file

formation to and from their destinations. And, viewers will see that

penguins are docile creatures.

The few altercations that arise are quickly settled and ended by

the group.

The hardships some penguins endure are treated delicately. Hunger,

predators and weather are three dangers the majority of penguins

encounter but do survive. As a Disney documentary, the treatment of

the birds that succumb to the dangers generally lead up to the moment

then quickly move away without too much graphic detail.

Like expectant parents, however, the viewer’s focus is on the baby

penguins’ anticipated arrival. Half of the film belongs to the babies

from the moment they hatch until they become independent.

Watching and observing the penguins is a rare and new event for

humans. It has been less then a century since penguins were

discovered by explorers to the Antarctic. March of the Penguins

offers a window into their world that is suitable for everyone from

pre-teens to grandparents.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces videos and documentaries.