Rating: 3.7/5
Review: "Fantastic Four movie review"

"A decent gritty reboot that could have been something more than what it is now."

This is Josh Trank's first big budget movie and it seems he is slightly inexperienced of directing a movie of a massive scale. Fresh from directing a small budget movie, Chronicle, it seems that he is overwhelmed by whatever happened (there are rumours that Matthew Vaughn was brought in to reshoot). Nonetheless, on the whole, the reboot is an alright movie that rehashes on the tired superhero origin. It is disappointing that it is a little shallow. I think with a longer runtime, it could benefit the characters' development and flow of the story.

The story: Apparently, the writers of the film said that it does not follow any story from the source material. Instead, a new origin is created. I didn't exactly know how the original source material goes (I read a couple of Fantastic Four comic books to know the tone and characters enough). First thing is the noticeably grim tone. I personally found it alright as it is not terribly dark like Christopher Nolan's Batman though it wouldn't harm to turn on the lights at some points. The thing I had problems is the flow of the story. I didn't mind the slow start of how they discover their powers. I find it commendable as Josh wants it to be different from the usual superhero film. It feels like an indie film with a dash of the superhero genre. However, the second third of the film feel rushed and it does not do justify the slow beginning. In short, it feels like the audience endures the slow beginning to see characters develop but the developments are marred by rushed middle (perhaps the director and editor realised that they have to reach the climax soon). Because of the middle, by the end of the film, you may not feel anything for them. The climax is literally the only action scene in the whole film and is not too bad. It is the only time that is packed with heavy CGI visuals. It does not look that cheap but could be better.

Acting wise is alright. No one is particularly outstanding. Everyone looks dead serious and hardly cracks a smile. Michael B. Jordan is surprisingly alright as Johnny Storm. Music is decent enough. It has a hint of John Ottman's version.

Overall: Is it worth to catch it in cinema? It is up to your taste. If you enjoy grim visuals in superhero films and ignore plausible plot holes. Possibly this would be fine. If you want to catch a fun, light-hearted, feel good superhero film. This is not for you. Sure, it may have its noticeable flaws but if you don't think too much, it could be fine. Is it better than Tim Story's version? I am one of the few who like his version. His version is more true to the tone of the source material and is more engaging to watch.
Is it that bad? No, it is actually somewhat entertaining if you put aside everything in your brain. I would admit that I would like to see a sequel to this to see how the characters are further developed. Sadly, it probably won't happen due to underwhelming box office and negative reviews. Or hopefully there is a director's cut somewhere (there are noticeably some scenes cut from the trailers).