Not including the unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film; Marvel's First Family had their cinematic debut in 2005, with a sequel released in 2007. FOX took a good look at the Sam Raimi Spider-Man success and decided they can do more than just X-Men films.
Well, critics and fans didn't agree with their execution. While the first F4 film brought in 333.5 million dollars in the box office, it only scored 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, with fans not liking it much more with a 45% score. So then we had a sequel, bringing newcomers like Galactus (not really) and the Silver Surfer. Reviews for that movie were slightly better, but with a box office of 301.9 million, FOX decided to wave the white flag and ended that franchise.
First things first, let's see what they got right. The Fantastic Four are more than just superheroes who live under the same roof. They are a close-knit family that has average family problems and virtues. What makes them so interesting, is that this family is always put in otherworldly situations. So in terms of feeling like a family, this cast did that pretty well, along with playing their characters decently.
Before Chris Evans had a shield, he pulled off a charming and hilarious Johnny Storm. Ioan Gruffudd did a solid job as Reed Richards. Not only did he play him well, but he also looked precisely like Mr. Fantastic from the comics. Then there's Michael Chiklis, who honestly knocked the role out of the park. He provided a top-notch, grizzly voice, and gave his Ben Grimm heart and soul. Other than being pretty short for The Thing, he was the best one of the cast. Jessica Alba was passable, but out of the four, she is the most forgettable.
Other than that, both movies had some great comedic parts, an awesome music theme, as well as some downright impressive CGI and effects for its time. That Thing suit, while incredibly uncomfortable for the actor, was tremendous.
Unfortunately, that's where the positives come to a halt. Neither of the F4 films had any weighty substance. In the comics, the F4 are explorers first, superheroes second. However, neither of the films made that a priority in their stories. Also, Doctor Doom is supposed to be a terrifying, brilliant ruler of his own country. This Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) was nothing more than an irritating businessman with a few metal scars here and there. So, they completely flopped on the villain end for both films.
Overall, both Fantastic Four and its sequel were simply decent, popcorn flicks. If you hate both of them, it's not preposterous at all. However, you have to admit you had a good laugh at least a few times for either of the F4 films. That's more you can say about the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, which made me shiver just typing those words. Hopefully, Kevin Feige and his bountiful MCU world can give respect and love the F4 deserve.
Let's be real... It's not like they have a high bar to clear in the first place.