Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Much better than the first; OK for tweens and up.

Movie PG 2007 92 minutes
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

fahimforid
fahimforid Adult
December 18, 2020
age 10+

This title has:

Great role models
Ugzilla
Ugzilla Adult
September 16, 2020
age 8+

Fun for kids, younger won't get the jokes, nothing too bad for older kids either

Average film, fun for the teenagers who are obsessed with Marvel these days. Not much for adults, but this one seems markedly better than the first. Some comments on sexual content based upon other reviews: The scene where Jessica Alba loses all her clothes is not bad at all (and I tend to be very opposed to sexual content for youngsters). She falls to the ground, she's hidden by a crowd of people and you can only see a bit of her shoulders and back, and the camera doesn't linger. It's funny, and not too concerning. More concerning for young men is the scene in the club about 11.5 minutes into the movie or so. Revealing clothing, comments about exotic dancers, etc. Not a big deal, but if you're very sensitive, that scene doesn't really add anything to the movie and could easily be skipped or edited out. Self sacrifice, some good messages and teamwork throughout. Not great acting, so don't expect too much, and enjoy!

This title has:

Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the sequel FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, wedding plans fall apart for Sue "Invisible Woman" Storm (Jessica Alba) and Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) when the Fantastic Four (who are rounded out by Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch) are called in to help investigate a series of mysterious craters and blasts of radiation occurring throughout the world. Turns out those inexplicable incidents are the work of the Silver Surfer (body acting by Doug Jones, voice by Laurence Fishburne), who's prepping Earth for the cosmic, planet-eating Galactus to devour. As nemeses go, the Silver Surfer pales compared to Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). After the Silver Surfer's arrival brings him back to life, he wants nothing more than to swipe the powerful board for his own selfish purposes. So the Fantastic Four has a clear mission: Stop Von Doom and convince the Surfer to defy Galactus.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (19 ):

Let's get this out of the way: Yes, the sequel is much better than the original, which was universally panned. That doesn't mean that FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER reaches Spider-Man or Superman Returns heights -- but it also doesn't take itself as seriously. At 92 minutes, it's a short, easy-to-follow adventure that will amuse older kids without scaring younger ones.

There's no internal monologue, no introspective brooding a la Peter Parker or Kal-El. The foursome work together, live together, and do what's best for the common good -- well, except for Johnny, who sometimes lets his hubris get in the way. They also have fun doing what they do: Johnny even suggests that they attach sponsors' logos to their skin-tight uniforms, like racecar drivers. It's funny, and in today's celeb-obsessed society, quite believable that superheroes -- especially ones who look like Alba, Evans, and Gruffudd -- would get corporate endorsements, hounded by the paparazzi, and followed by the tabloids.

As a film series, the improved Fantastic Four looks poised for another outing. That might annoy hardcore fanboys, but it's just fine for families who don't mind their superhero mythology a little lighter and less intense.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this movie is similar to and different from other superhero films. What makes the Fantastic Four different from other superheroes? Do you like them better or worse than characters like Superman and Spider-Man? Why?

  • Discuss selflessness and responsibility. Sue tells the Silver Surfer that every being has a choice to do the right or wrong thing. Are there times when you're pressured to do something and feel there's no other choice?

  • What is the appeal of superhero movies? How does this one compare?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate