From left, Susan Storm (Jessica Alba), Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) and Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) ponder an altered existence as the "Fantastic Four."

It's not exactly what you'd call fantastic.

But at least "Fantastic Four" -- the latest in a seemingly endless string of cinematic comic book adaptations -- proves fleeting, frenetic fun. After the somber intensity of "Batman Begins," a bit of fun seems welcome indeed.

Although "Fantastic Four" comes equipped with all the comic book basics, from the reluctant crime fighters themselves to their power-crazed adversary, it's a friendlier, more down-to-earth tale than some of its predecessors.

And in some ways, that undermines its impact, transforming it from a life-or-death saga to a "Superheroes in the City" soap opera full of more prosaic conflicts.

Never mind the standoff with Dr. Doom. Will scientific genius Reed Richards, alias the impossibly straight-arrow Mr. Fantastic, ever look up from his research long enough to notice Invisible Woman Susan Storm? (When she's not invisible, that is.)

And can literal hothead Johnny Storm (Susan's brother), the Human Torch, ever patch things up with The Thing after one too many juvenile pranks?

Inquiring minds want to know -- but first, we've got to get the matter of those pesky superpowers out of the way.

Simple enough: put impoverished research whiz Reed (Ioan Gruffudd, TV's swashbuckling "Horatio Hornblower") aboard a space lab owned by his longtime nemesis, arrogant gazillionaire Victor Von Doom ("Nip/Tuck's" smilingly slimy Julian McMahon), where they're planning to study the impact of killer solar winds.

Little do they dream that they'll be transformed into experiments themselves, along with their fellow space travelers: Reed's winsome ex Susan ("Sin City's" Jessica Alba), the current object of Victor's affection; hot-shot fly boy Johnny ("Cellular's" Chris Evans) and his fellow pilot, the lumbering, loyal Ben Grimm ("The Shield's" Michael Chiklis).

They manage to survive the freak space storm. But will they survive back on Earth? Returning to their home planet seems to have triggered some mighty strange effects, from Reed's uncanny flexibility to Ben's transformation into a walking boulder. Not to mention Victor's electrifying discovery of his own expanded powers.

Unlike some comic book movies set in stylized environments (think Tim Burton's "Batman" movies), "Fantastic Four" takes place in a relatively recognizable urban setting.

And the script (credited to "The Punisher's" Michael France and "Twin Peaks' " Mark Frost, working from the comic books by Jack Kirby and Marvel mogul Stan Lee) takes advantage of the contemporary setting with some diverting spoofery, especially when the accidental superheroes become media sensations.

Director Tim Story ("Barbershop") proves perfectly capable of orchestrating the movie's obligatory, over-the-top effects sequences. Yet he never quite generates the kind of express-train urgency -- or sense of gee-whiz wonder -- that might lift "Fantastic Four" above pleasant popcorn-cruncher status.

Neither do the primary players, who prove perfectly adequate in their roles, if seldom anything more. Evans' obnoxious Johnny is amusingly gung-ho -- until he becomes annoyingly gung-ho. Alba works hard to convince us she's a brainy scientist; sometimes she almost succeeds. Gruffudd's earnest, tunnel-vision genius gets a bit smug and self-righteous; no wonder the malevolent McMahon wants to zap him to oblivion. And while the powerful Chiklis finds the wounded soul beneath The Thing's monstrous exterior, he doesn't get much chance to reveal it. Not when he can stomp around and shout, "It's clobberin' time!"

Of course, the best superhero movies make time for more than clobberin'. So I guess we'll have to wait for the inevitable sequel to see whether "Fantastic Four" has what it takes to live up to its title.