'Fantastic Four': This blue man group is a power house

It's high time for "clobberin' time."

Fantastic Four, the seminal Marvel Comics series launched in 1961 that paved the way for Spider-Man and X-Men, finally hits the big screen — years after those other mutant heroes became box-office sensations.

Twentieth Century Fox 'Fantastic Four' B The verdict: An entertaining comic-book romp Director: Tim Story Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon Run time: 123 minutes Release date: July 8, 2005 Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "Fantastic Four"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

It also arrives on the heels of The Incredibles, a computer-animated smash that borrowed from Fantastic Four's premise about a dysfunctional family of superheroes who are variously capable of such feats as super-strength, invisibility and stretching like rubber.

Producer Roger Corman previously adapted the comic in a 1994 movie so that Constantin Films could retain the film rights, but the campy, low-budget movie was never released.

Director Tim Story's highly anticipated take captures the playful tone of the Fantastic Four comics, which makes for a refreshing change from such dark summer films as Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins and War of the Worlds.

But with apologies to the elastic Mr. Fantastic, the lighthearted action-adventure film doesn't stretch beyond genre conventions.

Sticking to the origin-story format, Fantastic Four introduces its heroes and villain, charges them with superpowers and then turns them loose on one another.

Scientist Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) spearheads a trip to outer space to study the effects of an approaching cosmic storm on human genetics. Unable to fund the project, he turns to billionaire industrialist Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), his old college rival.

Reed's crew aboard Von Doom's space station includes his best friend, astronaut Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis); his ex-girlfriend, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), now a researcher for Von Doom; and Sue's hot-headed brother, pilot Johnny Storm (Chris Evans).

Thanks to a fateful miscalculation, the crew and Von Doom are exposed to cosmic radiation, which radically alters their DNA.

Back on Earth, they must come to grips with their emerging powers, as well as one another.

Fantastic Four is funny, without being corny, thanks to some clever lines and snarky banter.

It's also visually impressive, with a highly appealing cast.

Chiklis provides a touch of pathos as the rock-like Thing. He is surprisingly expressive from beneath his latex costume, which proves to be more convincing than the computer-generated Hulk from a few years back.

In contrast, McMahon becomes lost once he dons the iron face mask of Dr. Doom — much like Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin in the original Spider-Man.

Fantastic Four is an entertaining comic-book romp, even if it feels like we've seen it all before.