FANTASTIC FOUR [2015]

Chronicle director Josh Trank enters into Hollywood blockbuster circle with the comic book movie adaptation of the Fantastic Four, only to be swiftly tossed out of the circle.
It's the good guys origin story sloppily sharing time with a bad guy trying to destroy the world schpeal only without any sort of personality.
The first act of the film is actually kind of okay but it quickly falls apart into a dull emotionless crap-fest that seems like it can't wait to get to the end and be over with.  There's absolutely no chemistry between the four core characters, the villain means next to nothing to the big picture and it lacks any sort of humor, fun or spirit that makes the MCU films so much fun.
Even Stan Lee couldn't have been bothered with his obligatory Marvel films cameo.

1 power outage out of 5

CHRONICLE [2012]

I'm getting awfully tired of the superhero and found footage trends in film, so I went into Chronicle with leery expectations. 

Director Josh Trank & writer Max Landis' feature film debut started out pretty much like every other found footage film but the intrigue and dread slowly crept up after the 30 minute mark.  It captures your attention with a realistic view on the superpower genre, while never really relying on the found footage gimmick and instead integrates it into the storytelling with subtle yet effective ideas.  Graced with some strong lead performances by a bunch of unknowns, Chronicle is a fine addition to two tired film genres.

3½ buddhist monks out of 5