Fantastic Four review: ‘Not strong enough to stand out’

It’s been a decade since the previous, rather underwhelming Fantastic Four adaptation took to the screen, and it seemed inevitable that Hollywood would attempt to fix what was broken sooner or later. This latest summer blockbuster takes us back to the origins of the iconic quartet, where four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which modifies their physical form in shocking and exciting ways.

Fantastic Four opens strongly, with an emotional focus on its backstory. The solid cast who manage to make their could-be two dimensional characters hold some interest; Mister Fantastic is played by Whiplash’s Miles Teller, the Human Torch with the power to fly and shoot fire played by Michael B. Jordan, while Kate Mara takes on Sue Storm, or ‘Invisible Woman’, with the power to disappear and project force fields. She also happens to be the only female character to have any notable screen time. Finally there’s The Thing, who possesses superhuman strength and rock-like skin, played by Jamie Bell.

For a relatively short 1 hour and 40 minutes, Fantastic Four feels incredibly long. While the detailed origin story is appreciated, it’s when the action finally gets going that the film gets completely lost. While the 2005 was too silly or cartoonish, director Josh Trank attempts to take this film in the opposite direction, producing a more atmospheric, gritty and moody picture. However, when your movie is about a giant talking rock and Mr Stretch, a tongue-in-cheek approach is definitely needed.

The pacing issues and clunky script soon take their toll. Sometimes you feel you’re watching a straight-to-TV movie, especially with the unfinished-looking special effects.

While it clearly has its issues, it is an improvement on the previous, excessively goofy attempt at the franchise, thanks to the commitment of its talented cast alone. However, this just isn’t enough to make it stand out, with the constant stream of often high calibre superhero flicks being churned out such as Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. Perhaps best to wait for the DVD.

Fantastic Four is in cinemas now. 

Words by JOEY PASSMORE