Let's be honest: the Fantastic Four haven't had much luck when it comes to movies. Even without including the dreadful TV movie or any of the animated abominations, Marvel's first family just hasn't been able to make the jump from page to screen.
Then, the trailer for the latest Fantastic Four reboot debuted, and fans were shocked to see that it looked great. The special effects were good, the story seemed solid – it even pulled some huge, previously-unused elements from the comics to help modernize a story that began back in the '60s. Even more surprisingly, the trend continued: each subsequent trailer was just as good or better than the last ... surely, the final movie had to be somewhat decent, right?
According to early reviews, no. Not only is the Fantastic Four reboot currently sitting at one of the lowest scores of 2015, but it's rating is currently tied with Elektra – one of the worst movies ever made.
As of this writing, the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot is sitting at a measly 10 percent Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Elektra, a sequel to the Ben Affleck Daredevil film that no one wanted, is also sitting at 10 percent. Remember, Elektra was a movie in which a ninja fought against living tattoos – how could Fantastic Four possibly sink that far, especially after so many awesome trailers?
Judging from early reviews, much of it has to do with how the film handles its story: namely, much of the Fantastic Four feels like setup for a movie that might not even happen. Many reviews also cite the film's cut-and-paste climax, as well as its poorly written script.
It's not all bad – the movie's not at 0 percent yet – and some reviews praise the dynamic, complex interpretations of classic heroes. However, positive reviews for Fantastic Four are the minority: when a review begins with "this is the summer's worst movie," things aren't exactly going well.
Is this a case of reviewers being too hard on a movie for not exceeding their expectations? While that may contribute in a small way, it's probably safe to say that so many similar negative reactions aren't the result of hyperbole.
At the end of the day, it looks like Fantastic Four is just a bad movie.
If you're still planning on seeing Marvel's first family on the big screen, Fantastic Four hits theaters on Friday, Aug. 7.
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