FF: Fantastic Four (2011)

FF: Fantastic Four is a 2011 American super hero film based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Matthew Morrison, Malin Ackerman, Chris Pine and Ron Perlman.

Plot
The story of the origins of the Fantastic Four is narrated by Utau the Watcher;

Dr Reed Richards believes that millions of years ago, a cluster of cosmic clouds passed by Earth and kickstarted evolution. Reed has now calaculated that one such cloud will soon materialize near to Earth. Reed takes his astronaut friend Ben Grimm to see an old college friend, Victor Von Doom, the head of Von Doom Industries. Reed requests the use of Victor's privately owned space station to observe the cloud. Victor agrees in return for taking all profits from the project.

Next, Reed recruits his old flame Susan Storm and her hot-headed brother, astronaut Johnny Storm, to observe the cloud with he and Ben. Ben is able to clearly see that Reed still has feelings for Sue.

On the space station, the quartet prepare for the cloud to arrive. However, due to Reed's miscalculation, it materializes ahead of time and begins to destroy the space station. The four retreat into the shuttle and depart, but the cloud still collides with the rocket and sends it spinning out of control. Ben suffers complete exposure to the cloud in order to try and prevent the ship from being completely destroyed, while the others are exposed to a lesser degree. Ben manages to save them while landing the ship, but they are all placed in a coma as a result of the crash.

In the aftermath of the accident, Victor provides medical care for the group in his own mountain clinic. After they wake up, Reed notices that some of his hair has turned grey. A nurse notices that Johnny's tempurature is through the roof. Reed attempts to reconcile his relationship with Sue, but she is unsure.

Soon, strange abilities begin to manifest themselves. Sue accidentally knocks a glass off of a table, causing Reed to streth his arm to an abnormal length to catch it. Sue finds that she is now able to turn invisible, and can generate force fields. Johnny learns that he has control over fire. Ben finds his strength improving, but his skin begins to change. One morning, he awakes to find that he changed into a rock-like creature. Horrified, he breaks down a wall and decides to return to New York City to see his fiancé. Reed deduces that this will be where he is headed and they all decide to leave the care of Victor's clinic.

Ben meets his fiancé, Debbie, but she is so horrified by his performance that she runs in fear and later removes her engagement ring. The others soon find him and console him. The four then take up residence in the Baxter Building, which is where Reed's lab is housed. The group begin to study their abilities and come to see how the cloud altered their DNA.

One day, a depressed Ben is sitting on the Brooklyn Bridge when another depressed man arrives, preparing to jump off. Ben tries to stop him and the man falls onto the bridge, landing in front of an oncoming truck. Ben jumps in the way and slams into the truck, saving the man's life. However, this results in a traffic pileup which leaves a fire engine dangling over the edge. The others, having followed Ben to the bridge, arrive to help and save the firemen. The police arrive and surround the four, but the civilians hail them as heroes, so the police allow them to go. The media reports on the incident, dubbing the group the Fantastic Four.

Meanwhile, an embittered Victor watches the news report. It is revealed that he has been facing backlash from his stockholders for the failure of the highly publicised space mission, eventually costing him Von Doom Industries. Victor is also jealous of how the others were granted superpowers for the ordeal, while he lost everything and gained nothing.

Johnny enters a motorcycle stunt show, during which he learns that he is able to fly. Interviewed outside, Johnny gives the group individual names; he calls himself the Human Torch, Sue the Invisible Girl, Reed Mr Fantastic and Ben the Thing. The others arrive to take Johnny home, but he and Ben get into a heated arguement which turns into a violent physical fight. Reed and Sue manage to break it up before any permanent damage can be done. At the same time, Reed and Sue grow as a couple.

Reed has meanwhile been building a machine to recreate the effects of the cloud and turn them back to normal, against Johnny's wishes. Reed tests it on himself, but is unsuccessful. He also sees that he does not have the power required to properly recreate the cloud, but refuses to do so as it could prove fatal.

Victor approahces Ben, promising to turn him human. Victor simply does what Reed is unwilling to; overload the machine, while Ben is inside. Victor sticks his hand inside during the process, allowing him to absorb some of the cloud. Ben emerges as a human again, but Victor knocks him out and then uses his new power, which allows his to produce bolts of electricity, to hunt down and kill those he deems responsible for the collapse of his company, saving Reed for last.

After capturing Reed, Victor begins to freeze him, knowing that his rubber-like body structure won't survive. At the Baxter Building, Johnny and Sue reluctantly overload the macine once more on Ben's orders, turning him back inot the Thing. Doom fires a heat-seeking missile at the Baxter Building, so Johnny fully engulfs his body in flames and flies out into the harbour, drawing the missile away. However, when it explodes he plummets into the water.

In his office, Victor mocks Reed but then notices that he is own face is becoming scarred due to his use of the machine. Sue turns invisible and tries to sneak past Victor to free Reed, but he catches her and they fight. As he corners her, Ben suddenly arrives and knocks Victor out of a window.

Johnny resurfaces from the bay, having actually survived. The four reunite and reconcile. Reed finally asks Sue to marry him, and she accepts. Ben, meanwhile, has met a blind artist, Alicia Masters, and they grow close. Johnny celebrates by flying over the skyline.

At the end, Victor is shown putting on a metallic mask to hide his scarred face and returning to his native land of Latveria. Before departing, he swears revenge on the Fantastic Four and announces that he shall hence forth be known as Doom.

Cast
Matthew Morrison - Reed Richards

Malin Ackerman - Sue Storm

Chris Pine - Johnny Storm

Ron Perlman - Ben Grimm

Mads Mikkelsen - Victor Von Doom

Val Kilmer - Utau the Watcher

Sequel
The film was followed by FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer.