Fantastic Four (2005)

Film and Plot Synopsis

The superheroes that started the Marvel Age of Heroes finally make it to the big screen. Four astronauts are accidentally exposed to potentially deadly cosmic rays while on a mission in space. Instead of dying, they all receive extraordinary powers and become the superheroes Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, and the Thing. However, a new evil arises in the form of Mr. Fantastic’s former classmate, Dr. Victor Von Doom, who also acquires amazing powers and wishes to punish his former friends for their perceived transgressions against him.

‘Fantastic Four’ Movie Summary

Struggling scientist Dr. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) is desperate to find funding and access to conduct some experiments on the effects of cosmic energy on biological samples. Reed and his best friend and former astronaut, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), visit Reed’s ex-college classmate, Dr. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), to convince Victor to provide them money and access to his expensive space station in orbit around the Earth to conduct the experiments. Victor is the CEO of Von Doom Industries, an up-and-coming corporation that Victor is desperate to have make a big splash in the corporate world. Victor agrees to Reed’s proposal under the conditions that Victor, Susan Storm (Jessica Alba), and Susan’s reckless brother and former astronaut Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) are also part of the team. Susan is Reed’s former girlfriend and Victor’s current love.

The fivesome arrive at Victor’s space station in orbit and begin preparing for the experiments. Unfortunately, the cosmic clouds arrive sooner than Reed anticipated and while Ben is conducting a spacewalk to place the samples in their stations. Reed, Susan, and Johnny leave the shielded portion of the station to rescue Ben before the clouds arrives. However, the threesome fail to get Ben into the station in time, and all four of them are bombarded by cosmic rays and lose consciousness. Only Victor appears to have made it to the shielded portion of the station.

Reed, Ben, Susan, and Johnny all regain consciousness back on Earth and appear to be fine. However, they each begin to develop their own special abilities as time passes. Susan discovers that she can become invisible and create force fields. Johnny learns that he can turn into a human fireball who may be able to fly. Reed is shocked to find that he can stretch his entire body like rubber and make any form. Ben has the most overwhelming transformation as he becomes a large, orange, rock like creature with incredible strength and near invulnerability. Unbeknownst to the other four, Victor also begins to manifest powers as well as his whole body begins to turn into movable metal with the ability to channel amazing amounts of energy.

Although their powers are amazing, not everyone is pleased with the results of Reed’s failed experiment. Victor faces backlash from his board of directors and stockholders due to the negative publicity Von Doom Industries has received because of the failed mission. As a result, Victor is removed as CEO. Meanwhile, Ben struggles to deal with the dramatic effect that his transformation has done to him physically and emotionally. Ben’s fiancé, Debbie McIlvane (Laurie Holden), cannot deal with Ben’s new appearance and calls off their engagement. As a result, Ben retreats to the Brooklyn Bridge to dwell on his sorrows. Ben’s sudden appearance causes a traffic pile-up on the bridge that endangers many of the drivers and pedestrians. Reed, Susan, and Johnny arrive at the bridge and join Ben in using their respective powers to save everyone from disaster. With their powers and identities revealed to the world, the foursome takes on the moniker the Fantastic Four. In the aftermath, Reed promises Ben that he will work to restore his friend to his original self.

A few days in space. What’s the worst that could happen? Dr. Reed Richards (Ioan Grufford)

The Fantastic Four retreat to the mostly empty Baxter Building, which is owned by Reed. Reed throws himself into his research to better understand the extent of each of their powers while also seeking a cure for Ben. Victor secretly monitors Reed’s progress from his high rise building a few blocks away. Victor blames Reed for the mission and his corporation’s failures. However, Victor puts on a façade of fake support for Reed and his friends. At the same time, Reed and Sue begin to rekindle their feelings for each other, although Reed continues to overthink everything when it comes to Sue. Johnny begins to go stir crazy being isolated in the building. Johnny sees their powers as gifts that they should use to their advantage.

Reed begins building a machine that will re-create the cosmic storm and, theoretically, will reverse each of their conditions. At the same time, Victor drives a wedge between Ben and Reed by implying to Ben that Reed is more focused on Sue than solving Ben’s condition. As a result, Reed grows impatient with his progress and attempts to use the machine on himself one night. However, the experiment fails to reverse the effect of the cosmic rays and debilitates Reed for a period of time. While Reed and Sue are away from the lab, Victor brings Ben back and tells him that he can cure him. Victor’s new powers allow him to give the machine the power that it needs to reverse Ben’s condition. Once again human, Ben realizes that Victor also used the machine to further enhance his own powers and to remove Ben as possible threat to him. Victor knocks Ben unconscious and then kidnaps Reed.

Back in his building, Victor tortures Reed by dousing him with a super-cooling unit that prevents Reed from his using his stretching powers. Victor then fires a heat-seeking missile at the Baxter Building to kill Johnny. Johnny finally figures out how to use his flame powers to fly and leads the missile out to the river where it harmlessly destroys a garbage barge that Johnny lights on fire. At the same time, Sue sneaks into Victor’s corporate office and frees Reed from the super-cooling unit. Sue battles Victor, but she is outmatched. Ben regains consciousness at the Baxter Building. He realizes that his friends need help against Doom and uses Reed’s machine to douse himself with cosmic energy for a third time which restores him to his Thing persona.

Ben rushes over to Victor’s building and begins fighting “Dr. Doom”. The fight spills out on to the streets of New York. Johnny returns and joins Reed and Sue as they attempt to help Ben. Johnny and Susan combine their powers to envelope Victor in an inferno of intense heat. After Victor becomes immensely heated, Ben and Reed douse Victor with cold water from a fire hydrant. The sudden decrease in temperature creates a thermal shock and freezes Victor like a statute. In the aftermath, New York bystanders who were endangered by the fight cheer for their Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, and the Thing.

Not long after, Ben accepts his physical condition and tells Reed to not worry about fixing the machine. Ben begins a new relationship with the blind sculptor Alicia Masters (Kerry Washington), who can see beyond Ben’s physical appearance. The team embraces their roles as superheroes. Reed decides to act without thinking and proposes to Sue who accepts. At the same time, the frozen Victor is placed into a cargo container heading back to his homeland of Latveria.