When I was a wee movie nerd, my comic book icon of choice was the Silver Surfer. I waited in anticipation every month for the latest issue, eager to see how this intergalactic hero would fight for justice across the galaxy next. Although I appreciate Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer for bringing the Surfer back to his roots, I can't help feeling a twinge of disappointment after watching this film. As a movie fan, I don't think it's all that bad, but as someone raised on the Surfer comics, I'm more than a little unsatisfied.

This sequel to 2005's superhero smash picks up as the titular team has grown accustomed to being New York City's de facto defenders. The stretchable Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffud), the force field-generating Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba), the literally red-hot Human Torch (Chris Evans), and the rock-solid Thing (Michael Chiklis) enjoy the recognition they get from saving the day, even though it often gets in the way of their attempts to lead "normal" lives.

On the eve of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman's  wedding, the Fantastic Four's greatest challenge  arrives. A chrome-covered alien being called the Silver Surfer (voice of Laurence Fishburne, body of Doug Jones) is causing chaotic disturbances all across the globe, leaving the Four to work fast to learn what the Surfer is and how to stop its trail of destruction. But as the team ends up entering an uneasy alliance with their old foe Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon), little do they know the Surfer is actually the herald to an even more terrifying force on its way to Earth.

The first Fantastic Four is considered by most to be in the lower echelon of superhero flicks, not up to snuff with the likes of Batman Begins or Spider-Man 2. I hoped that two years would be enough time for director Tim Story and company to find their footing, to ready themselves and deliver a much more ambitious feature the second time around. This high-stakes story is certainly a step in the right direction, but it's the storytelling approach that eventually sinks Surfer.

Much like its predecessor, Rise of the Silver Surfer incorporates more goofball humor than we usually expect from a comic book movie. I understand this angle, as the Fantastic Four are a more kid-oriented supercrew, a family-friendly alternative for those who thought Spider-Man 3 trod the brooding side too often. However, the "superhero sitcom" angle doesn't quite work here; the aim of Rise is to be bigger and better than the first, but despite the story's required urgency, the movie still has the play-it-safe, almost complacent attitude of the original movie. This sequel treats a potential apocalypse with about as much importance as picking up someone's pants at the cleaners.

The special effects are a little iffy (Mr. Fantastic's elastic torso still rubs me the wrong way), but the action sequences are fun -- the highlights being a ferris wheel rescue and the climactic battle. Even these scenes are tinged with a little comedy, thanks to an amusing subplot in which the Human Torch occasionally switches powers with other members of the Four.

Cast members seem pretty comfortable and appear to be having a good time with their roles here, especially Gruffud as die-hard nerd Mr. Fantastic and Chiklis as the hard-skinned but good-hearted Thing. I can't say the same for Andre Braugher, who's stuck in a thankless role as a stone-faced military man, or McMahon, whose Dr. Doom is shoehorned into the story and given the most predictable subplot in the whole world.

Unfortunately, the movie's worst crime of all involves its depiction of the Silver Surfer. The look of this character is pretty cool, but where was Fishburne's traditionally strong voice? He makes the Surfer sound like he was about to nod off in the recording booth. Also, one major aspect of the Surfer's background was tinkered with in a way that enraged my inner comic geek. For those unfamiliar with the Surfer's background, it won't be a big deal at all, but in my case, it came across as one heck of a no-no.

Still, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer boasts some fun moments and a breezy pace. Plus Jessica Alba receives ample time to prove how gorgeous she  is. But for a property as popular and rife with special effects potential as this one, I wanted filmmakers to aim much higher.     

MY RATING: ** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by 20th Century Fox and rated "PG" for sequences of action violence, some mild language and innuendo.)

Listen to Adam discuss this movie with Betty Jo Tucker on BlogTalkRadio by clicking here.