By the spring of 2005, there were high hopes for Fox's "Fantastic Four."  The studio had turned a corner with the critically acclaimed "X2" the summer before and previews highlighted a CG-animated and wise-cracking Johnny Storm/Human Torch (played by Chris Evans) that had fanboys giddy.  Plus, Jessica Alba (Sue Storm) was at the height of her sex symbol fame with "Sin City" hitting theaters just two months before.  Fans were even intrigued by "Nip/Tuck's" Julian McMahon playing Victor Von Doom and Michael Chiklis (less than two years from winning both an Emmy and Golden Globe for another FX series, "The Shield") as Ben Grimm/The Thing.  Unfortunately, the classic superhero team was rendered lifeless with this impossibly dull big-screen adaptation. The studio's first mistake was hiring middle-of-the-road comedy director Tim Story ("Barbershop," "Taxi") for the job, a  move that only served to highlight their cynical rush to capitalize on current trends when they should've held out for a more visionary talent. When it was announced Story would return for the 2007 sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," fans' hopes for this big screen incarnation of comic book's First Family were put completely on ice.

- HitFix Staff