Saturday, November 17, 2007

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer


Set two years after the first film, Reed Richards and Sue Storm are preparing for their wedding. A silver object enters Earth's atmosphere, radiating cosmic energy that creates massive molecular fluctuations and causes deep craters at locations across the Earth. The US military, represented by General Hager, asks Reed to build a sensor to track the movements of the object. Reed rejects this request saying that he needs to focus on his wedding with Sue. However, he builds the sensor in secret and activates it just before the wedding.

As the wedding begins, Reed's sensor detects the phenomenon approaching New York City, causing a massive power blackout. The object destroys the sensor while the Fantastic Four protect the crowd from an out-of-control helicopter. The Human Torch pursues the object, discovering that it is a humanoid, a "Silver Surfer". He confronts the Surfer, only to be dragged into the upper atmosphere. After his flame snuffs out, the Surfer drops him back towards Earth, but he reactivates his powers and survives the fall. Reed's examination reveals that exposure to the Surfer has set Johnny's molecular structure in flux, allowing him to switch powers with his teammates through physical contact. Tracing the cosmic energy of the Surfer, Reed discovers that a series of planets the alien had visited before Earth have all been destroyed.

The Surfer's movements around the globe bring him past Latveria, where the cosmic energy affects Victor Von Doom, freeing him from two years as a metal statue. Doom, able to move again and returned to a disfigured human form, traces the Surfer to Greenland and makes him an offer to join forces. When the Surfer rebuffs him, Doom attacks. The Surfer returns fire, blasting Doom through the ice. The cosmic energy of the Surfer's blast heals Doom's body, reversing the changes seen in the first film. At this time the Fantastic Four travel to London to face the Surfer but one of the newly built craters leads to the London Eye falling. The Fantastic Four succeed in saving the situation but the Surfer flies away while Fantastic Four are occupied.

Meanwhile, Doom leverages his experience into a deal with the American military, who force the Fantastic Four to work with him. Deducing that the Surfer's board is the source of his power, the group develops a pulse generator that will separate him from it. While setting up the device in the Black Forest, Sue is confronted by the Surfer, during which he reveals he is only a servant to the destroyer of worlds. The military opens fire on the Surfer, distracting him, allowing the four to fire the pulse and separate the Surfer from his board.

The military imprisons the Surfer in Siberia and forbids the Fantastic Four from interacting with him, while they torture him for information. Sue uses her powers to sneak into his cell, where she learns more information from the Surfer. He tells her his master was known by the people of his world as Galactus, a massive cloud-like cosmic entity which must feed on life-bearing planets to survive, and that his board is a homing beacon which even now summons him to the planet.

Doom, pursuing the power in the board, steals it from the compound, using a device to gain control of the board and its powers. This also leads to Doom killing General Hager. The Fantastic Four rescue the Surfer, and pursue Doom in the Fantasticar. Doom, however, is too strong for the Fantastic Four and they crash land in Shanghai. During the battle, Sue is mortally wounded. With the Surfer powerless, Johnny absorbs the combined powers of the entire team in order to battle the cosmic energy-empowered Doom. Johnny succeeds in breaking Doom's control over the Surfer's board, while Ben uses a nearby crane to knock Doom into the harbor where he is last seen sinking; however, Galactus has already arrived. The Surfer regains the control of his board, and his power is restored. He revives Sue and chooses to defend Earth by flying into Galactus and confronting him. The conflict results in a massive blast of energy, seemingly killing Galactus in the process.

The film ends with Reed and Sue marrying in Japan, in traditional Japanese wedding attire; they are again called back to action when Venice is threatened.

The credits cut back to a shot of the Silver Surfer's seemingly lifeless body floating through space. Just as he drifts off the edge of the screen his eyes open and his board races towards him.

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