Things are not looking good for Marvel's first family. Fox's highly anticipated Fantastic Four reboot has been savaged by early reviews so far.
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the film's plot and pacing, saying that the set up 'provides no dramatic or sensory dividends whatsoever.'
"Fantastic Four feels like a 100-minute trailer for a movie that never happens. At this point in the ever-expanding cinematic superhero game, it behooves any filmmakers who gets involved to have at least a mildly fresh take on their characters and material, but this third attempt to create a worthy cinematic franchise from the first of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's iconic comic book creations, which can genuinely claim to have launched the Age of Marvel, proves maddeningly lame and unimaginative. "
Henry Barnes of The Guardian echoed McCarthy's comments, saying the film moves at a 'glacial pace.'
"You can feel this giant film straining for indie cred. Mara's character listens to Portishead to unwind. Teller and Jordan share a nice moment where dorky Reed Richards responds to Johnny's fist bump with a gentle open-palmed pat. Yet none of these details fit into the whole. They're just weird kinks, mumblecore-y elements in another shiny franchise picture whipped out for a quick buck."
HitFix's Drew Mcweeny, was not as harsh. He gave the film a C rating and said it was passable, if mediocre, entertainment.
"Neither the disaster the fanboy nation seems to be itching to attack nor a significant improvement over the Tim Story movies, "Fantastic Four" seems doomed to please no one."
The Josh Trank directed film features rising Hollywood stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell as reimagined versions of Marvel's famous foursome. It lands in US theaters tomorrow.
