Not too fantastic

I saw Fantastic Four, and no, you can’t say it’s in the same league as Batman or X-men.
Although it’s probably closer in tone to its comic book origins it still could have been better. The aforementioned movies have a psychological depth that resonates with human experience, but FF just zips merrily along without making a big deal about what it’s trying to do (which is, to entertain). Ioan Gruffud makes a bland Richard Reed, while the role of Debbie (played by Laurie Holden) as Ben Grim's ex-girlfriend seems out of place and unnecessary. Dr Doom could have been a more formidable foe, but as it turned out he became a 'road-show Darth Vader,' in the words of a reviewer. There is nevertheless a compelling moral underpinning to all the super heroics: why does saving the world from evil matter?