Blu-ray Movie Reviews

20th Century Fox Series •• Picture/Sound •••½ Extras •½

Fantastic Four struggles to bring to life the 40-year-old Marvel Comics series in which four research scientists are transformed into the superheroes Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing. Since the movie has neither heart nor intelligence, the group's encounter with a radioactive cloud really just turns them into special effects. They're pretty attractive ones, though, which makes the DVD worth a rental. Images are sharp, and the 5.1-channel mix is robust, with pulse-pounding bass. Lame extras include an amiable but shallow cast-and-crew commentary, three rightly deleted scenes, several inane promotional featurettes, and a peek at X-Men 3. [PG-13] English, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1; Spanish, Dolby Surround; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.