Critics: "Fantastic Four" is a fantastic fail

In an attempt to cash in on the superhero box office craze, Fox Studios is releasing a reboot of "Fantastic Four" just 8 years after the first two failed adaptions.

The film itself was born in controversy: A rabid comic book fan base felt burned by the first two movies, which were commercial failures. Director Josh Trank was chosen to helm the reboot, but rumors ran rampant that he was "erratic and isolated" on set. A weak showing at Comic-Con, the greatest conclave for comic book fans, left critics less than excited. Slap on this oddly offensive interview with cast members and suddenly "Fantastic Four" becomes an underdog story, leaving people hoping it would overcome these challenges and gives the quartet the superhero movie they deserve.

Unfortunately, all hopes were dashed by critics. Read what they have to say below.

"Fantastic Four" hits theaters August 7.

"An outstretched, moronic, drama-less time-suck that somehow manages to be less fun than 'Pixels,' which was only slightly more enjoyable than slamming a door on your face." -- Matt Pais, RedEye

"I wish the whole film were as terrible as its final 2/3, because there is just enough promise, just enough good acting and interesting dialogue that I started to hope that the hype was wrong." -- Scott Mendelson, Forbes

"'Fantastic Four' is a synthetic bum-out, an assembly-line product, a movie a group of people made just because they could." -- Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald

"Frankly, it's amazing this is watchable at all." -- Tom Huddleston, Time Out

"After battling months of bad buzz, 'Fantastic Four' emerges as a wounded animal of a superhero movie, only rarely showing flashes of the darker, more emotional breed of Marvel film it's trying to be." -- Tim Grierson, Screen International

"Director Josh Trank has assembled a quartet of engaging, charismatic performers and stranded them in a miasma of exposition and set-up. So much time is spent putting the pieces on the board that there's barely any time to play with them." -- Alonso Duralde, TheWrap

"There are specks of promise hidden amidst the muck of "Fantastic Four," but what disturbingly permeates the surface is director Josh Trank's creative anguish over seeing his movie get viciously stripped of its soul." -- Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile