Critics Say 'Fantastic Four' Is Not So Fantastic

"Fantastic Four" is a reboot that most critics say should get the boot.

With a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reviews blasted the superhero movie, starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Kate Mara, as a low-effort, slow-paced film that is anything but fantastic.

The trouble, critics say, starts with a gloom hanging over every scene.

"(W)hile comicbook aficionados will likely welcome the seriousness of tone, the near-absence of humor and lengthy emphasis on building the interdimensional portal largely handcuffs the cast, with only a hint, for example, of the ebullience Johnny gleans from his newfound powers" -- Brian Lowry, Variety

Despite a promising cast, the film's execution fails them.

"Director Josh Trank, whose debut feature 'Chronicle' put a smart new spin on superhero tropes, has assembled a quartet of engaging, charismatic performers and stranded them in a miasma of exposition and set-up that sinks the movie. So much time is spent putting the pieces on the board that there's barely any time to play with them.” --Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

As for any more reimagining of the franchise, most critics can't imagine it.

"The fact that the writers couldn't think of anything interesting to do with these characters in this first series reboot does not bode well for any potential excitement in a sequel” --Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter