Have you ever prepared to take a very long and difficult test, only to find out it’s not nearly as hard or as long as you thought? Well that’s how “Fantastic Four” felt, and it’s not a good thing.

A reboot of the 2005 film of the same name, this “Fantastic Four” is directed by Josh Trank of “Chronicle” fame and stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan, who starred in “Chronicle.”

Much like how “Captain America: Winter Soldier” is a political thriller/superhero film, and “Ant-Man” is a heist/superhero film, “FF” aims to be a horror/superhero film and it mostly hits the mark. The movie adapts some very good horror tropes, such as the dark lighting, the grotesqueness of The Thing and Dr. Doom, and the suspense as each of the four discover their capabilities.

Unfortunately the movie also adapts some bad horror tropes as well, such as the main characters making very questionable and sometimes downright stupid decisions, which is glaring considering these characters are supposed to be geniuses.

But this movie’s biggest failing is not a bad horror trope, it’s a filmmaking flaw. The entire movie feels like a set up for something that never comes. Yes, there is a big boss fight, but it feels more like a first round than a boss fight. When the credits rolled, I thought there was a part of the film that the theatre forgot to play for us.

But, alas, there are no missing parts to “Fantastic Four,” just a very rapid ending that makes it obvious that Twentieth Century Fox is planning on making a franchise out of this. But, in doing so, the studio did a disservice to the film at hand.

The one very bright spot in this movie is the cast. All of the actors were on their “A” game. The friendship between Ben Grimm (Bell) and Reed Richards (Teller) is very believable, and the family bond between Sue (Mara), Johnny (Jordan), and Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey) is evident.

When a film is bad, going forward it’s easier to change the director and writer than it is actors because they are the face of the film. Thankfully, the acting is on point here.

Even though it has a horror sub-genre going on, there is nothing too extreme, with it being most appropriate for a person 13 years old and and up.

With exquisite cinematography and wonderful acting, I give “Fantastic Four” a B-minus. It’s a good blockbuster summer film for the whole family to enjoy.

–Aug. 7, 2015–