By most critical consensus, the Fantastic Four films aren't really very good. Sure, they're glossy enough, packed with effects, and there's an argument that the sequel's actually the better of the two. But there's no getting away from the suspicion that it's all been cynically packaged to tick the right demographic boxes, with little ambition at lifting the film anywhere above 'passable'.

The game is a very faithful tie-in to the film.

It follows the plot reasonably closely, with the four main superheroes then embarking on a by-numbers smash-and-beat-'em-up on their way to trying to defeat Dr Doom. Again.

Not everything from the film makes it into the game, but the majority does, and for the target audience - surely the under 10s? - that's at least going to keep them happy for a while.

Of the Fantastic Four themselves, you can rightly expect that each of them has specific pros and cons when it comes to combat, and these abilities can be further compounded by the collection of pick-ups to boost powers throughout the game. That's routine. It also becomes clear that some of these powers are far more effective than others, and once you've worked out what they are, the game falls into a fairly repetitive routine. You go through levels, you fight, you open doors and stuff, fight some more, and so on.

Sadly, the fighting just isn't that interesting. The battle mechanic works, certainly, but it never really excites, never convinces you that it's super heroes you're in control of. The fairly shabby visuals hardly add any spit and polish either, and, crushingly, the Fantastic Four of the title could be pretty much any generic fighter from any generic fighting game by the time you've worked your way through to the end.

And that won't take long: some games will take you a good weekend, or a week, to get through. There's a sporting chance that Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer won't even get you through the day that you've bought it. And then, chances are you'll hate the vapid ending.

The problem here, though, isn't that the game is bad per se. More that it's so steadfastly ordinary, so lacking in flair and excitement as to make it simply forgettable. It has occasional ideas - the fusion attacks, where two characters can temporarily unite their powers, for instance, or the solo missions for individual characters - but they don't generally work very well. Nor does the in-game camera at times, either.

You can't help but conclude, sadly, that the game has been approached with the same cynical outlook that many would complain underpins the films. Content to be ordinary, never daring to be special, it'll earn its publisher its money, and then disappear forever back into the Excel spreadsheet. And that's where it probably belongs.

A functional tie-in to a functional movie. Very firmly middle of the road, and never making you feel like any of the heroes it tantalises you with.