The Four Incredible Fantastics
Mood:  hungry
Now Playing: Everything's "Hooch"

the reviews are rolling in and it looks like "The Fantastic Four" may be the biggest superhero dud since "Batman & Robin." i'm going to see it this afternoon, after lunch with Mom and Dad. part of me has to wonder how much the critics are being swayed by "The Incredibles" or if this is just going to be a bad film.

i really dug "The Incredibles," as it worked on a plethora of levels: it was commentary on the modern family, it was about a man and his mid-life crisis, it was a beautiful homage to almost every other superhero, it was funny, it was a great action flick, the list could go on and on. but i do have a gripe. and it's a big one:

if you're going to make an original movie about superheroes, shouldn't you create your own superheroes?

even the newest of newbies to comicdom notice the more than coincidental likeness to the Fantastic Four: strong guy, check. stretchy person, check. girl who can turn herself invisible and also create force fields to protect herself and those she wishes to save, check. person who can turn themself on fire, check.

i know, i know. what super power hasn't been used? is it at all possible to even create a new superhero? as i sit here and try to figure out how i would tell a superhero family story, the only thing i can come up with is: whatever i do, it can't be the F4.

because those of us who read the comics know that the Fantastic Four has always been about family. it's always been about team work. it's always been about being genetic freaks who, depending on the day, are loved or hated by the populace -- which is why Stan Lee, the creator of all things Marvel, watched the Incredibles and said, "I liked it. But then again, I've never created a superhero I didn't like. And it was like watching something I wrote."

couldn't the Incredibles come up with some different powers? couldn't the creators have, at least, created a team with different powers than the Fantastic Four? i know, the powers of the Incredibles mirror their personality, but even still, this is too close for comfort. even the name is similar! who's the leader of the Incredibles? Mister Incredible. the leader of the Fantastic Four? Mister Fantastic.

it's enough to make Mister Hyperbole* sick.

but in other news, i have no life. i watched "Singles" and "The Talented Mister Ripley" last night. i enjoyed them. i'd give them each 4/5 stars. Cameron Crowe wrote and directed "Singles," and i love his work. this isn't his best ("Almost Famous") but far from his worst ("Vanilla Sky") -- though if you're worst film is "Vanilla Sky," which is actually a really interesting film, i think you're doing alright for yourself. better than alright. i didn't know if i was going to like "The Talented Mister Ripley." it was directed by Anthony Minghella, who's other big films "The English Patient" and "Cold Mountain" either bored or offended me. but it was actually really good. Matt Damon creates a sociopath that you never root for, but you feel sorry for -- in a very slight, subtle way, his performance reminded me of Anthony Hopkins' in "The Silence of the Lambs."

one hour and fifty-six minutes till freedom. see ya' on Monday!

* not a real superhero, but he might as well be. i think i'll create a superhero family called "The Hyperboles," and they'll fight their arch nemesis, "Raging Adjective."