Fantastic Four (DVD, 2009, Widescreen; Movie Cash)

Marvel's second attempt to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen is a much better ride than I had anticipated. The story is written much like a comic book with comic book situations created (Johnny Storm's flame goes out of control as he careens into a snow bank, resulting in an instant hot-tub. "Care to join me?" he asks the cute nurse he's flirting with.)
As a life-long comics fan, I was concerned more with how Dr. Doom was presented. Tim Story nailed the FF- no question about it. Yes, even Jessica Alba was good as Sue. Michael Chiklis was a great choice for Ben Grimm.
Doom was my one dissappointment in this film. In the comics, Dr. Doom is the supreme sovreign of Latveria. He is the son of gypsies who were persecuted by the Nazis in World War II. He has a genuis rivaled only by his arch-nemisis, Reed Richards, and he has even dabbled in magic. His past efforts at conquest have left him horribly scarred, and Doom is so vain, he cannot allow anyone to see him as he truly is and find acceptance from others. His ego is so over the top as he speaks of himself in thrid-person (No one dares assault DOOM!), but Doom is also very cunning, having laid out every detail of his plan and forcing others to play his game. He has taken down the FF, the Avengers, the X-Men- without having some super-team under him.
In the movie, Victor Von Doom is the head of a major corporation. His arrogant demeanor is almost prissy and sniveling instead of larger than all life. He absorbs metal and electricity to become the armored Doom. The costume falls short of the modern knight Doom is in the comics. He is in space with the FF when the cosmic storm hits, making him almost a fifth member of the team, and no one in the group looks down on him for what he did on the space station (except for Sue, but she doesn't vocalize it). But there are refernces to him being from Latveria. The ending to the movie opens the door to a sequel- maybe we'll see if Doom's character develops.