uch like the first movie based on the Marvel comic, this Fantastic Four sequel is over-involved with juvenile humor and wooden dialogue that gets tiresome rather quickly. Although the big budget attempt is there, this is merely a conventional collection of comic book heroes with extravagant superpowers in a humdrum action adventure. Sadly, it's not even entertaining camp.

It takes a while to get going, and when it does, there isn't much depth here, unlike the weightier and more ostentatious Spider-Man/X-Men/Batman/Superman franchises. But, if anything, that is its charm. This, after all, is the comic-book series that embraces its silliness.

In this installment, everything remains cozy with the Fantastic Four. Mr. Rubber-armed Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), the elastic man and group intellectual, is about to marry invisible babe Sue Storm (Jessica Alba). But, this is not as easy as it sounds since they are constantly being pursued by tabloid journalists.

Michael Chiklis (The Shield) plays Ben Grimm, otherwise known as the Thing. He's highly underused aside for a few moments of comic relief. And Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), whose gimmick is to fly around while on fire, is living the bachelor life, toying with fame and girls.