It's not nearly in the same league as the very finest Marvel adaptations, but it seems pretty clear to me that series director Tim Story paid close attention to most of the complaints surrounding his first entry ...
and actually fixed those problems for the sequel! True that suffers from some really choppy editing (particuarly near Act III) and yet another one-note performance from the curvy-yet-vacant Ms. Alba, but just about all my other complaints on have been addressed and remedied in FF2: The humor is just a little less dorky, the flick moves forward like a shot, the special effects (especially the Surfer) are really quite nifty, and it feels like Story and his screenwriters have finally struck a solid balance between high-end heroics and light-but-amusing sitcom-style humor.
In a move that might strike some of the FF purists as heresy, the filmmakers figured out a way to bring Julian McMahon back (without the Dr. Doom helmet), but it's a decision that helps the movie a whole lot. In only a few scenes, McMahon delivers a smoothly diabolical performance that'll leave you wanting more.
Chris Evans is still a lot of sarcastic fun as the girl-crazy Johnny Storm -- while leading man Gruffudd seems to have really settled in to a comfort level with his Mr. In the first flick I found the guy too stiff and robotic; here he cuts loose a little and makes for a mega-smart super-hero we can actually get behind. So, no, it sure isn't brain surgery, but if you're looking for a superhero movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, is perfectly safe for family viewing, and capably blends action, sci-fi and comedy into one colorful concoction, you could do a whole lot worse than It's not nearly in the same league as the very finest Marvel adaptations, but it seems pretty clear to me that series director Tim Story paid close attention to most of the complaints surrounding his first entry .
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