Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
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Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

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Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Reed Richards and Sue Storm are prepping for their wedding, and it’s basically the only thing they care about… despite the fact that the planet may be in danger. Reed is asked to assist with a mysterious cosmic anomaly, but says, “Nah, my wedding is coming up.”

Meanwhile, something alien flies over where Victor Von Doom’s body is being kept. The entity’s power somehow resurrects him—don’t ask how. Doom is back, baby. The alien in question? The Silver Surfer. He’s not here to party. He’s prepping the Earth for his boss, Galactus, a literal planet-eating being.

General Hager (played by Andre Braugher), the film’s most irrationally rude character, forces the Fantastic Four to work with Doom. Spoiler: this ends badly.

Silver Surfer’s powers affect Johnny Storm, causing power-swapping chaos among the team. And, of course, Doom does Doom things. A wild chase across continents follows, leading to an epic showdown, a tragic impalement, and a weirdly unresolved space cloud.


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In Memory Of: Julian McMahon

Julian McMahon, who played Victor Von Doom, tragically passed away after a private battle with cancer. His performance as Doom may have been divisive, but his presence left an iconic stamp on superhero cinema. Rest in peace.

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Character Rundown

Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) – The elastic genius who somehow prioritizes his wedding over the fate of Earth. Smart but clueless.

Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba) – Strong-willed, smart, and gets impaled. Wields invisibility and force fields but also gets turned into comic eye candy… again.

Johnny Storm / Human Torch (Chris Evans) – Easily the most fun part of the team. Power-swapping subplot gives him a unique arc this time.

Ben Grimm / The Thing (Michael Chiklis) – Rock-solid, grumpy, but loveable. Has a hilarious moment scaring off a bear.

Silver Surfer (Doug Jones, voiced by Laurence Fishburne) – Haunting, solemn, powerful. A Darth Vader-style split performance (body and voice).

Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) – Less evil genius, more greasy opportunist. Redeemed slightly with the comic-accurate suit.

🧟‍♂️ Doom’s Back… But What Is He Wearing?

So let’s talk about Doom’s new armor in this sequel, because… they tried. They really did. But somewhere between concept and execution, the visual flavor got completely toned down. Instead of the striking dark green cloak and silver metal skin combo from the first film, he’s now rocking what I can only describe as “gritty reboot cosplay.”

He’s got black leather sleeves and pants, a dark gray metallic chest piece, and a tweaked mask that just lacks the menace of the original. Oh—and let’s not forget the washed-out gray hood and cape, which look like they were stolen off a moody Sith apprentice. It’s like someone said, “What if Doctor Doom… but more like your edgy cousin who shops at Hot Topic and listens to Evanescence?”

It’s not a bad design. But it’s safe. Bland. Muted. Which kind of sums up a lot of this sequel’s choices, honestly.


General Hager (Andre Braugher) – A military official so dumb and aggressive, he practically hands Doom the keys to world domination.



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Pacing / Episode Flow

The film moves quickly but not always logically. It jumps from comedy to action to exposition dump. Pacing is especially clunky when dealing with subplot whiplash (wedding > alien apocalypse > wedding again).


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Pros

Silver Surfer is beautifully realized.

Chris Evans carries much of the film’s charisma.

Some exciting action sequences.

One of the rare comic book sequels that tries to be bigger in scope.

The film fixes some issues the first movie had, by officially making The Fantastic Four officially feel like a real family, they are also now celebrities. And on top of that Doom now has a metal armor suit, but besides that? This film has its own issues.



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Cons

Galactus is a literal space cloud. That’s not hyperbole.

Sue Storm is constantly sexualized for no reason.

Reed refusing to help the planet over wedding planning is… wow.

Doom’s resurrection is poorly explained.

General Hager is the dumbest fictional general since cinema began.



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Final Thoughts

“Rise of the Silver Surfer” is what happens when a studio demands bigger spectacle but cuts corners on logic, stakes, and character arcs. It’s watchable, has moments of fun, but stumbles over nearly every important decision. Galactus as a cloud? Doom again? A bear? A wedding during a planetary crisis? This movie makes choices. Not good ones.


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Rating: 5/10


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Spoiler Warning ⚠️

Okay, spoilers ahead.


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Favorite Clips Segment

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Spoilers

Silver Surfer & Johnny Storm – After the orbital choke slam, Johnny gets infected with energy that causes power swaps anytime he touches the others. Sue turns into a Human Torch. Clothes burn. This happens. Why? Jessica Alba, probably.

Doom’s Resurrection & Power Grab – Revived by cosmic energy, Doom kills the guy who unfreezes him (rude). He later gets Silver Surfer’s board thanks to Hager’s genius-level trust issues. This is the equivalent of giving Lex Luthor the nuclear codes because he wore a nice suit.

Sue Gets Impaled – Doom hurls a spear. Sue saves Surfer. She dies (briefly). Reed cries. It’s intense.

One-Man Super Team – Johnny absorbs powers from everyone and becomes a one-man Fantastic Four. He fights Doom and gets help from Ben (in a crane). Doom sinks into the ocean like a villain in a Disney ride.

Galactus Reveal – He’s not a giant man in purple. He’s a… sentient cloud? A space anus? A fart nebula? A disgrace? Yes.

Silver Surfer’s Sacrifice – He returns to space and explodes himself to stop Galactus. Earth saved. Wedding resumes. Yay.