Fantastic Four
20th Century Fox 

A movie like “Fantastic Four” has so much potential to stink that you almost don’t want to even risk it. I’ve been burned in the past by movies based on comic books (see “Daredevil” and “Elektra”), but other flicks have kept the hope alive (see "Batman Begins" and "Spider-man"). I was pleasantly surprised to find that this movie wasn’t that bad. The plot is simple: five people go into space on a ship to study DNA from a cosmic storm and end up altered in different ways when the storm collides with the ship.  Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) can stretch his body, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) can become invisible, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) can turn into a human torch and Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) becomes The Thing. The fifth person on board is Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who gradually turns into their metallic nemesis, Dr. Doom.  Of course there’s a love story, struggles to find identity, rage, jealousy and lots of things blown up and thrown around. But the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s fun to watch, the special effects are amazing and the acting is actually pretty good. 

Beyond the usual extras on this DVD (cast commentary, trailers, deleted scenes, music videos), there are a few more gems for fans, including a sneak peek at the “X-Men III” movie coming out next year.

features
Fantastic Four Video Diary: A behind-the-scenes camcording of various press junkets and appearances around the country, produced, narrated and mostly filmed by Jessica Alba.
Making of Fantastic Four: Excellent short featurette that delves into the character development, special effects and plot of the movie without ever getting too full of itself.
Fantastic Four: Making a Scene: Fox Movie Channel featurette that explains one of the most exciting and technically complex scenes in the whole movie—the pile-up on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Fantastic Four: Casting Session: Another Fox Movie Channel featurette, this time examining the casting process. It includes commentary from Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, executive producer of the movie and, along with Jack Kirby, creator of the Fantastic Four comic in 1961. He makes his token cameo in the film as a mailman.

also in December:
C.S. Lewis & The Chronicles of Narnia (Delta)—Bone up on the man and the mythology behind the land of Narnia before you see the big Hollywood-ized version of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” in theaters now.

KISS: Rock the Nation Live (Image Entertainment)—This is almost every KISS fan’s wet dream—the latest incarnation of the band rockin’ out live on tour in 2004, playing old classics like “Makin’ Love” and “Lick it Up” along with regulars like “Rock & Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.”

The Biggest Loser Workout, Vol. 1 (Lions Gate)—While you may have marveled from your couch at how much weight these every day Joes and Janes lost on “The Biggest Loser,” this DVD allows you to try on their workouts for size and see what kind of difference you can make at home.

Toy Story 2: 10th Anniversary Edition (Walt Disney Video)—Buzz, Woody and all his friends return as the folks at Pixar take it up another notch. Voice turns by Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammer help make this installment better than the first (if that’s possible).