I went to a preview of The Fantastic Four tonight (thanks, Leslie and the Science Fiction Museum!). It was okay -- not X-Men good, not Daredevil bad. Only two major disappointments, really:

1) E was not there to see it with me. It just isn't a Marvel Extravaganza without him.

2) Doctor Doom never once referred to himself in the third person. I get that he couldn't run around doing it through the whole movie ("Shrimp puff?" "No, thanks -- Doom is allergic to shellfish"), but there was one moment when it would have been perfect.* Jane was much aggrieved that the filmmakers did not take advantage of it.

Also, Stan Lee's screen time is on its way back up. Bleah.

On the plus side, Michael Chiklis is great as Ben Grimm. In fact, he, um, rocks. Yeah, I know, sorry. Just be grateful I cut the joke about Latverian folk art.

*His last line in the parking garage