Aquaman (2018)

[BetterButter]

[MarkHB]

It is apparently finished!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpvNOBeFpA-/

[AimingforYoko]

Cuttin' it kind of close, aren't they?

[Trini]

With so many visual effects, it probably would have ended up that way anyway. I don't know how much of the film takes place underwater, but all of those scenes would be a VFX shot.

Also, I'm still unsure where this fits in continuity with Justice League. Have we gotten an answer about that? It doesn't matter to me either way, but I'd like to know going in.

[VCRTracking]

New posters:

 

[MarkHB]

16 hours ago, Trini said:

With so many visual effects, it probably would have ended up that way anyway. I don't know how much of the film takes place underwater, but all of those scenes would be a VFX shot.

Also, I'm still unsure where this fits in continuity with Justice League. Have we gotten an answer about that? It doesn't matter to me either way, but I'd like to know going in.

Yeah, I remember for "Attack of the Clones," one of the earliest big digital releases, they leveraged the later lead time for digital to add the shot of Anakin's robot hand at the wedding; the film prints didn't have that.   They really only need enough time to create the hard drives and add the subtitles where necessary (the movie opens in China at the beginning of December).

My understanding is that, other than the prologue, this film is intended to follow Justice League, I believe that the underwater scene in JL was intended to be the first meeting of Arthur and Mera.

Also, if your preferred method of fighting is "poke it with a stick," it appears that this film's for you!

[VCRTracking]

11 minutes ago, MarkHB said:

Yeah, I remember for "Attack of the Clones," one of the earliest big digital releases, they leveraged the later lead time for digital to add the shot of Anakin's robot hand at the wedding; the film prints didn't have that.  

Yeah, I remember. This was the film version:

and the digital version where they hold hands(and it's now what's on all home releases):

What I like about what I'm seeing so far in Aquaman is everything including the underwater stuff is bright and colorful, unlike Zack Snyder's movies.

[MarkHB]

Behind-the-scenes featurette... Shots from a few scenes we haven't seen yet.

[BetterButter]

[Trini]

Jason Momoa to host SNL on Dec. 8th. Don't see how they would not have an Aquaman related skit.

[Dee]

‘Aquaman’ Early Reactions: ‘Avatar’ Meets Jupiter Ascending,’ & Maybe DC’s Best Superhero Film

Quote

After months and months (actually years) of hype, it’s finally happening — Jason “My Man!” Momoa’s “Aquaman” film is right around the corner. And while we are still almost three weeks from the general public (that is, if WB doesn’t move up the release even more…) getting a chance to determine if Momoa’s superhero film will ultimately sink or swim, those lucky few that got to see the film early are beginning to talk about the latest installment in the DCEU. And to no one’s surprise, the general consensus seems to be that the film is pretty fun, entertaining, and in the minds of some, better than expected (reactions to the early trailers were iffy).

We say that it’s no surprise because the first batch of folks in the film journalism community that are selected to view the film are from outlets that generally react favorably to superhero fare and perhaps more favorably than the average critic. So, when reading these blurbs, keep in mind that the ultimate word on the film is still yet to be determined.

That being said, things are looking up for “Aquaman.” Who would have thought that a film about a superhero who wears a bright yellow and green costume, talks to fish, and lives in the lost underwater civilization of Atlantis would actually be anything other than a disaster? But here we are. Director James Wan and stars Momoa and Amber Heard have turned in a film that apparently checks all the boxes for fans of superhero films.

Do you want epic, stylish, fight scenes? “Aquaman” has those in spades (complete with plenty of underwater monsters). Always wanted to see a beautiful, long-haired, muscle-y man share quips with equally beautiful people underwater? Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II provide all the necessary eye candy you’ve been waiting for. One breathless take even describes the film as ” ‘Avatar’ meets ‘Jupiter Ascending,’ with hints of ‘The Lord Of The Rings,’ ‘Indiana Jones‘ and a triple AAA video game. There’s also an Octopus who plays the drums. I loved it.” Ok, then. Several other suggests the film is DC’s best film so far and yep, even better than “Wonder Woman.”

Ultimately, what you have with “Aquaman” is apparently exactly what you’d expect — a film that’s well-crafted, with stunning special effects and great underwater battles, a charismatic leading man that dives headfirst into his role (Momoa). That’s the early narrative, of course, it will be interesting to see how the movie fares with regular civilians not already in the water tank for superhero movies.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Dee

[Trini]

Another article that gathered twitter first reactions: https://io9.gizmodo.com/is-aquaman-moist-or-soggy-the-first-reactions-are-in-1830663261

[MarkHB]

Folks, since first looks are going to start coming out and there are some overseas releases happening before North America, this is just a quick reminder that spoilers must be spoiler-tagged until the broad USA release on December 21.

Personally, I already have my Amazon Prime Preview tickets for Dec. 15... even though it means an hour's drive with winter already upon us :)

[Trini]

So if you want an Aquaman 'film' for yout 3-year-old, this was posted on DC's youtube:

[Dee]

Way too much CGI but Jason Momoa is pretty great.

[JustaPerson]

This interview with Patrick Wilson has a great clip from the film at the beginning!

[ApathyMonger]

Spoiler

 

That was fun. Not great, but very enjoyable once the action gets going. They could have gotten to Atlantis sooner, as there's a bit too much setup, and then parts of the climax feel rushed.

There's not much plot, but I liked both Momoa and Heard, and loved most of the action scenes. Patrick Wilson isn't given much to do as a bad guy, but he does it fairly well.

The deaging effects look pretty good on Willem Defoe, but "young" Temuera Morrison looks weird in the opening scenes. Morrison's only 20 years older than Momoa, but he still looks like he's in his late 30s in the flashbacks, which makes him seem too young in the modern day scenes, especially as Momoa is supposed to be at least five years older than Patrick Wilson. I wish they'd just hire younger actors. There's no need for it to be Morrison in the flashbacks.

Mera seems to be the only woman in Atlantis, or at least the only one to get any lines and screen time. No wonder Patrick Wilson wants to marry her.

Also, Sicily looks lovely in this movie. I hope the tourism department paid them well.

 

[Trini]

Interview with director James Wan: https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-director-james-wan-nailed-aquamans-tone-and-used-ju-1831079999

Answers one of the questions I had:

Quote

io9: I was surprised that there’s only one mention of the outside DC universe in this film, to explain it takes place after Justice League. Was that always the plan and why was it important to keep this story separate?

Wan: Early on we sort of [asked] whether this was a prequel, like Wonder Woman, where they backed it up and did her origin story. But working on the story, thinking more about it in my head, I realized there’s a way I could get around that. I could do his solo movie, post-Justice League, but still make it an origin story. And, obviously, a big part of that is due to the fact that in Justice League, Jason’s character, Arthur, looks so different and has such a different personality to him. I felt that I could actually take him on his character arc for him to realize the hero that he needs to be by the end of the movie, and, henceforth, he becomes the Aquaman as we know it from the comic book. That really is the case. And when you start doing that and start to give him his own journey, literally, his own path that he has to take, he goes to such a different world that doesn’t tie-in with the bigger universe so to speak. It is literally his stand-alone film.

io9: So it sounds like Justice League’s treatment of Arthur ended up giving you a great place to start from.

Wan: Yeah, exactly. Having Momoa start off as just kind of a loner and a guy that doesn’t want to have anything to do with anyone meant that he starts off in one extreme way, and I could steer him more and more towards the other way.

[Stenbeck]

Spoiler

 

Saw it today and it's pretty good.

The story was cohesive and interesting, although the movie felt a bit too long. It would've benefitted from a 15-20 minute shave. The underwater CGI is solid, especially in giving the audience the feel that we are underwater...the surface CGI wasn't as good, especially on Temuera Morrison.

Age nitpick: Aquaman is apparently 33 (Jason Momoa is 39), and older than Orm...who's supposed to be, what... 29-30? Patrick Wilson is 45! 

Mera is a great character, but too often she was being pushed too hard as DC's answer to Black Widow. The camera angles, the bright hair, heck, even the pale complexion! 

Final Scene: How will Black Manta benefit from being helped out by the Atlantis investigator now that Aquaman is King of Atlantis and therefore will no longer have access to Atlantan technology?

 

[Dee]

How James Wan pulled off Aquaman

Quote

For so long Aquaman was, as director James Wan puts it, “the joke of the superhero world — people like to make fun of him.” Hanna-Barbera’s ’70s cartoon Super Friends portrayed the character as an ineffectual seahorse rider chatting with fish. Robot Chicken‘s Justice League skits show Aquaman bullied by the other heroes (“You treat me like I’m not even on the team!” Aquaman whines). There were South Park and Family Guy gags, and that running storyline on Entourage where out-of-work actor Vince begs his agent to find him any role other than starring in an Aquaman movie (“I’d rather do a play than this bulls—!” Vince huffed).

Even through all that, Aquaman was destined to hit the big screen. Introduced in 1941 as an oceanic superhero battling Nazi U-boat officers, Arthur Curry is one of only a handful of DC golden-age characters to maintain a continual presence in print (the others are Superman, Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman). “His viability comes from the backdrop of the world he’s in — the underwater world — and the fact he’s so ingrained in people’s heads,” says Aquaman executive producer Geoff Johns.

Yet the character wasn’t on Momoa’s mind when he met with director Zack Snyder in 2013 to audition for the role of Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The half-Hawaiian former Game of Thrones star was seeking his next gig, but had been so convincing in the part of stoic horse lord Khal Drogo on the HBO hit that he was still meeting producers who didn’t realize he spoke English (as if Dothraki were somehow his native language). Momoa almost canceled on Snyder because he was so skeptical about his odds.

“I’m not a white guy, I ain’t playing Batman,” Momoa remembers thinking. “That’s like an American playing Bond.” So Momoa read the Caped Crusader’s lines like a jaded smart-ass. “And that’s when Zack was like, ‘I have an idea.'” Momoa was stunned when Snyder said the character’s name. “I’m like, ‘Blond? Orange shirt and green tights? Is this a joke?'”

Wan, who was in talks to direct Aquaman at the time, was thrown by the casting of Momoa too — at least at first. “After sleeping on it for a while, it hit me that was such a brilliant move,” Wan says. “If there’s a superhero that most people like to make fun of, the sheer fact you have Jason Momoa [playing him] — the jokiness goes right out the window.”

Edited December 19, 2018 by Dee

[benteen]

I saw Aquaman last night and I thought it sucked.  It didn't hold my attention at all and I nearly fell asleep.  It's only the second movie I ever seriously considered walking out of.

Definitely way too much CGI and it's noticeable.  It's appreciated when you get real-world locations though.

Unless it's Wonder Woman or Batman, count me out for any future DC movies.

Edited December 21, 2018 by benteen

[MarkHB]

Personally, I saw it last week at the Amazon Prime preview and really enjoyed it.  Yes, there's a ton of CGI, but it's a movie heavily set underwater and they're riding a tylosaur; I didn't expect a lot of non-CGI scenes.  If you're willing to just go with it, it's a lot of fun (and pretty much non-stop; skip the giant drink as there's no good spot for a bathroom break).  My favorite scene can be summed up in one word: wine.  :)

[callie lee 29]

Just got back from IMAX viewing and I liked it. I want very into the whole Aquaman idea, but my friend wanted to go so...  The beginning took a little while to get going, and they could have cut down on some exposition, but then Aquaman is probably a character that many in the audience may need more info on than others in DC, so I guess I get it. I agree with others, the ages of the actors and the ages of the characters did not line up. While I could not figure out who donated the brother until the credits, there was no way Wilson looks younger than Momoa. And the guy who played Momoa's dad... do should have gone with another actor for flashbacks. I don't know what was going on with the special effects on him in those scenes but it was freaky. 

Honestly, I think I liked it better than Infinity War.

[Proclone]

I just got back from seeing it.  I enjoyed it.  It's not a perfect movie, but it is generally an enjoyable one.  It's probably the best or at least most fun of the DC movies, save Wonder Women.  Momoa is thoroughly charming as Arthur and he and Heard have good chemistry.  I also liked the character of Mera on her own.  She's smart and capable and never made the damsel (the one time she almost is, she's not saved by Arthur but rather another woman).  The visuals are also pretty good and I thought the creature designs were pretty interesting.  The CGI seemed to be better than in Justice League as well, where Steppenwolf seemed like he was out of a video game cut scene.  I do second that the deaging was a little distracting on Morrison at the beginning and we started to tread into uncanny valley.  The main plot was pretty coherent and Patrick Wilson was a pretty compelling villain with actual motivations besides being evil.  Though he could not make the line declaring himself "Ocean Master" not sound super hammy, I suppose no one could.  To be perfectly honest I'm not sure how he ever said it with a straight face.

That being said, it did have its share of problems.  I found the inclusion of Black Manta to be unnecessary at best and is obviously just there to set up the sequel.  I think the introduction of the character was way too long and felt tacked on.  There were also several strange music cues during the set-piece on the sub.  It repeatedly places this weird little guitar riff to introduce Arthur doing something cool.  It might have worked if they had done it once, but it seems like they had several spots where they thought it might work and instead of picking one, they decided to put in all of them.  It was oddly distracting.  I think the movie would have worked just as well, if not better without Black Manta and been slightly shorter and a tighter story. 

Also while only in one scene I did find the guy who played teenage Arthur to be painfully bad.  The entire theater I was in laughed at his line readings (the lines themselves weren't supposed to be funny).  And I wasn't really a fan of the flashbacks to Arthur's time with Defoe's character in general.  They don't explain when or how he started to show up to teach Arthur (or how he hid for all those years) and I think it was just another thing that sidetracked from the more interesting main plot.  I think the concept could have worked but I didn't feel like it was integrated into the plot very well.  When Arthur first mentioned Defoe's character name I almost said, "Am I supposed to know who that is?" out loud.

All in all, I found it enjoyable.  Unlike many of DC's movies, it is undoubtedly fun.  The action is pretty good and Momoa is likable and really the whole thing rides on that.  In the hands of a less charismatic actor, this could have been awful.  But you just want to like Mamoa's Arthur.   I still don't think it's as good as most of the Marvel movies, even the lesser ones, but I enjoyed myself for a couple of hours.

[Advance35]

I liked it.  Jason Momoa has a swagger I can't help but find charming 9 times out of 10.  To tired to go into detail but I will definitely see the sequel.

[thuganomics85]

I enjoyed it and thought it was a fun film, but I didn't think it was the "Savior of the DCEU" like some where claiming.  First, I thought Wonder Woman got that honor?  And even then, it wasn't exactly mind-blowing stuff, so if this is the savior of DC, then that says more about the shape the DCEU is in, than the actual quality of this film.

Never the less, it still did a lot right and I give James Wan a ton of credit, because I do think it was his direction that helped make the film stand out.  Even if the CGI was noticeable at times, I still thought it was beautiful, and a lot of the underwater shots were breathtaking (the Trench chase sequence was actually suspenseful and even breathtaking.)  And the fight scenes were almost as close to a live action comic book sequence as one can get.  I did think the final battle was a bit too hectic at times, but I was entertained.  Although, he did rely a bit too much on the whole "sudden explosion during a dialogue scene" jump scare.  It was too much to be taken seriously, but not enough to be humorous.

And the "de-aging" of the characters in the flashbacks didn't quite work.  In particular, Temuera Morrison's looked rough as hell.  Willem Dafoe's was a bit better, but it somehow made him look ten times creepier, which I didn't think was possible (I say that with love!  Dafoe rules, but there is admittedly a reason he tends to play sinister characters.  At least this was nice change of pace.)

The overall story was fine, but some of the dialogue was definitely hokey.  I'm not expecting Oscar-caliber screenplays for my comic book films, but some of the lines made me guffaw. 

Orm was one of the better recent villains, thanks to Patrick Wilson and his motivation having some merit (lets be honest: we surface dwellers really have been fucking up the ocean), even if he went about it the worst way possible.  Of course, part of me think that was just an excuse to find a way to make himself the "Ocean Master" (I guess that is a thing in the comics, but I was cracking up over how he over-dramatically said that line.)  I did like that he didn't die at the end, and will hopefully be back.

I know Black Manta is a big character from the comics, but he was kind of underwhelming here.  But I'm guessing he'll be expanded upon in sequels.

Between this and Creed II, I'm glad Dolph Lundgren seems to be making a comeback.  And Nicole Kidman is always a delight, as it Temera Morrison when he isn't covered in awful CGI!

Jason Momoa continues to be a charismatic presence and a great Arthur, despite whatever limits he might have as an actor (he kind of reminds me of Dwayne Johnson on that level.)  I'm usually not a fan of Amber Heard (always found her kind of cold), but I thought she was good as Mera (and not just because she was rocking the red-hair and skintight outfit.)  Arthur/Mera had good chemistry, although considering all the shit Clark/Lois got for making out during a partially destroyed Metropolis, I wonder if we will hear any peep over these two picking the middle of an underwater war zone to have their big kiss.

Overall though, it succeed at what it needed to be, and I'll be back for any sequels.  I do wonder if maybe DC is better off at just making solo films, because they seem to be way better than any team-ups as of now.

[MarkHB]

9 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Of course, part of me think that was just an excuse to find a way to make himself the "Ocean Master" (I guess that is a thing in the comics, but I was cracking up over how he over-dramatically said that line.)  I did like that he didn't die at the end, and will hopefully be back.

I haven't kept up with Aquaman since they introduced the multiple kingdoms, but originally Ocean Master was just Orm's villain name in the comics. I did think the film did a credible job of justifying the names for him and Black Manta, even though the DCEU in general has had an awkward relationship with its hero and villain names alike.

[SeanC]

So I ended up kind of loving this. It's not as artful in terms of its character work compared to the other big superhero movies of the year, but it's incredibly fun, and James Wan is effective at tailoring the lead role to Jason Momoa's strengths while generally avoiding his weaknesses. Momoa can do gruff comedy, he can summon gravitas for the big moments, and he can banter decently with Amber Heard (though the banter itself is generally not the wittiest to grace a film); he's not asked to do stuff outside of his weight class.

It feels like Heard has been in search of a big Hollywood role like this for about a decade, and she finally got it, so I'm happy for her. She's the acting highlight of the film. I also think the movie does a very good job of making Mera a competent partner on the adventure without unduly/noticeably sidelining her, which is particularly impressive since the main plot is based on how Arthur is the One True King. Though I do have some questions relating to Mera, in particular that she has "superpowers" within the context of the Atlantean species yet nobody ever comments on or explains this. And her superpower is basically the exact same thing that everybody is later awed that Aquaman can do (command the seas). Indeed, isn't she basically the most powerful person in the ocean until the very end of the movie when Arthur gets the golden trident?

They do a pretty good job with the villains, too. Orm isn't an all-time classic villain, by any means, but I like they way his scenes with Arthur are played, particularly the discussion before their first duel. The ending also does a nice job of acknowledging that he kind of got dealt a bad hand with how his father treated him, while at the same time not just ignoring all the people he killed.

My favourite little moment is Wan taking a stock comedy bit (Aquaman grumpily posing for a photo with the fans) and then turns it on its head by showing all the subsequent photos of him warming up to them and having a great time partying at the bar.

Also, the visuals of this movie are legitimately amazing.  Some of the most imaginative and freewheeling translation of a comics aesthetic to the screen we've seen so far.

[AimingforYoko]

5 hours ago, SeanC said:

And her superpower is basically the exact same thing that everybody is later awed that Aquaman can do (command the seas). Indeed, isn't she basically the most powerful person in the ocean until the very end of the movie when Arthur gets the golden trident?

Mera is essentially a Waterbender, in that she's able to telekinetically control water. Arthur can communicate (and I guess control) telepathically with any sea animal.

Put another way, Mera commands the seas, while Arthur commands all that are in the seas.

[Silver Raven]

I did NOT recognize Dolph Lungren!

Can we talk about how 51-year-old Nicole Kidman fits into that skin tight costume?

[callie lee 29]

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

 

Can we talk about how 51-year-old Nicole Kidman fits into that skin tight costume?

No, no we can't (as I shove another handful of Bugles into my mouth.)

[JessePinkman]

What an exquisitely bad movie.

I went into it already put off by Jason Mamoa's bro take on Aquaman but he didn't bring most of his Justice League energy to this, in fact I'd say he was one of the better parts of the movie. He's not only stupid attractive but incredibly charismatic. It's a shame he didn't have a script or direction or effects to match his charms.

You know the Black Pather/Killmonger fight scene in Black Panther? That's how the entirety of this movie looked to me. The special effects in this special effects heavy movie (maybe 15% of this movie had practical sets or effects) were remarkably bad. Like I can't believe they thought this was fit to release bad.

Good writing and pacing can save bad special effects, unfortunately this movie had neither. The characters were shallow and unfunny and not well drawn. And frankly they looked silly. Beyond "this is a comic book silly" but just plain ridiculous. Between Amber Heard's Kool-Aid red hair and Willem Dafoe's martial arts master haircut I was done.

Okay, onto the things I liked: the costumes for the armed guards of Atlantis were really fucking cool.

[Silver Raven]

Oh, I meant to ask: Was all of the billowing hair CGI?

[Zuleikha]

I really enjoyed it. I thought Wan did a good job with a pretty classic plot outline. I liked how in the end, a lot of Arthur's success came down to his willingness to be humble and his motives being from love rather than hate. It reminded me a lot of Wonder Woman there.

I also thought the script did a decent job with the villains. Prince Orm really did have a point about the surface land starting things (although as my child and I discussed afterwards, perhaps a little diplomacy may have been a better way to start things rather than leaping to war!). Black Manta also felt like someone who got dealt a bad hand in life, but wasn't irredeemable (although since he's a recurring supervillain in the comics, I suspect he will be irredeemable).

I thought it was more than a little irrational of him to blame Aquaman for his father's death. While yes, technically, Aquaman could have saved his father, they both were responsible for innocents deaths and they had attempted to kill Aquaman. If I followed the sequence correctly, Aquaman had functionally let them go when they attacked again, resulting in the father getting pinned by the torpedo. Black Manta could try taking a little responsibility! I'm looking forward to the presumed sequel featuring more of Black Manta and Dr. Stephen Shin.

Is there any explanation for why Mera can control the water when no one else can? I'm not familiar with the comic books but per the wikis I found, it seems like she just can. 

[MarkHB]

4 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Oh, I meant to ask: Was all of the billowing hair CGI?

I believe so.

3 hours ago, Zuleikha said:

If I followed the sequence correctly, Aquaman had functionally let them go when they attacked again, resulting in the father getting pinned by the torpedo.

I saw the movie again tonight (Imax 3D), and I was watching this sequence for that.  You're correct; Arthur says, "You got yourselves into this, you can get yourselves out" as he's leaving them, and then Manta's father takes the shot that leaves him pinned.

On the subject of Imax 3D, usually 3D makes me a bit queasy, but after seeing the preview on a regular screen I had to have the 3D experience... and it's wonderful.  They did a great job IMHO and the fact that this film is already off of the shortlist for the special effects Oscar is a sin in my bok.

[ohjoy]

I enjoyed this movie, but there were several points during which I felt so strongly that I was watching a Fast & Furious movie (the last one I saw was Furious 7, but I’ve watched it a lot) that it was distracting. I’m sure that’s just a side-effect of having the same director using flourishes that I associate with a specific other movie. But there were things — lots of the camera shots during fight sequences, or the way the Sahara landscape was covered, etc. — that just hit me with the Fast & Furious vibe.

But like I said, I really like the movie. I can do this level of popcorn flick. And while the writing (particularly the dialogue) could have been better, and the most of the flashbacks could have been cut for time, and Black Manta was disappointingly superfluous, Jason Momoa’s charisma really did carry the movie. Amber Heard was really good, as was Patrick Wilson (though I don’t think I’ve really watched either of them in anything else). I liked the progression of Arthur’s character over the course of the movie; overall it was interesting to make an origin story for him that’s in continuity with Justice League without being a prequel. I didn’t necessarily have much problem with the CGI, but there definitely was a lot of it. And I kinda struggled to care about the big battle at the end, between characters we’re not supposed to like snd characters we hadn’t even seen before that point, with so much CGI. Clearly it was just to showcase Arthur as OTK, so I didn’t need it. But the hand-to-hand combat scenes were good.

[AES13]

I thought it was fun trash.  What bothers me is the potential that gets squandered: they have the money to create great CGI effects, a decent director, and mostly fine actors, but they didn't bother writing a decent script. I don't think there was nearly enough character development for anyone.  It really struck me as being analogous to Thor; I just hope I don't have to wait until the 3rd movie in the series to get a decent movie.

[IOU Payne]

I went with my son, and we were laughing at the exact same parts.  So it's not just me.  We both enjoyed Black Panther, so the following things cracked us up:  Black Manta, advanced technology in Wakanda/Atlantis, a bunch of tribes that T'Challa/Aquaman has to unite, a ritual fight to become king, and Aquaman's suit at the end which made me give him the nickname Krillmonger and the motivation to do a "Who Wore It Better" meme.  There were other movie shoutouts, too - Ariel's hair color for Princess Mera, and the trope of a bitter, resentful brother. At one point, I actually said "Shut up, Loki!"

Please give Jason Momoa some decent material to work with.  

[Blergh]

 Well, one thing one can say for this movie (and no spoiler needed here): it's one of the few movies that showcase the grandeur, charm and history of Sicily without even vaguely alluding to the MAFIA. The historian in me cringed when

Spoiler

stuff got blown up, destroyed in that seaside town to advance the plot.

[SeanC]

23 hours ago, IOU Payne said:

I went with my son, and we were laughing at the exact same parts.  So it's not just me.  We both enjoyed Black Panther, so the following things cracked us up:  Black Manta, advanced technology in Wakanda/Atlantis, a bunch of tribes that T'Challa/Aquaman has to unite, a ritual fight to become king, and Aquaman's suit at the end which made me give him the nickname Krillmonger and the motivation to do a "Who Wore It Better" meme.  There were other movie shoutouts, too - Ariel's hair color for Princess Mera, and the trope of a bitter, resentful brother. At one point, I actually said "Shut up, Loki!"

Virtually all of the things you cite aren't "movie shoutouts", they're longstanding features of the Aquaman comic, in many instances predating the other things you describe.  Mera has always looked like that, and is 25 years older than Ariel.

[VCRTracking]

[IWantCandy71]

On ‎12‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 7:34 AM, benteen said:

I saw Aquaman last night and I thought it sucked.  It didn't hold my attention at all and I nearly fell asleep.  It's only the second movie I ever seriously considered walking out of.

Definitely way too much CGI and it's noticeable.  It's appreciated when you get real-world locations though.

Unless it's Wonder Woman or Batman, count me out for any future DC movies.

I am not a superhero movie fan, for the most part. I was as a kid-loved all of the characters in any incarnation. TV shows, cartoons, movies, comics. But I think for the past ten years or so, Hollywood has done the slick, glossy, surface level retelling of the stories, where you basically get cardboard cut out characterizations with little or no depth. The focus is on the CGI, combat/fight scenes, and the costumes. And if you are impressed by that, you'll like this movie. If you aren't, there's nothing here to see.

That's how I feel: two hours of my life I will never get back-I went only because that was the majority group vote on the movie to see. It bored me so much. And some of the scenes-the kissing scene at the beginning of the battle-were so cheesy and stupid. I laughed out loud. I don't think I was meant to.

Sadly, it's a perfect example of a not very good movie, that will make a lot of very good dollars at the box office, and will spawn another unnecessary franchise. Proof positive that $$$ is no indicator of quality. That, and I just don't think JM is  a leading man. He doesn't have the strength or the charisma for that. But hey, guys like Leonardo DiCaprio keep getting jobs, so who says charisma is a mandatory thing anymore, anyway.

I did like Patrick Wilson in this, but then, I always have been more drawn to the bad boys. He and Wilem Dafoe are about the only thing to recommend this, though. 

[MaggieG]

It was definitely cheesy in some parts but overall, I enjoyed it. My favorite part was Tom and Atlanna reuniting at the end. 

[bettername2come]

I liked it enough. I say this as a superhero movie but not comic fan. On par with the Thor movies with the massive CGI, attractive long-haired male lead who’s a king, with all sorts of issues with his little brother who wants his crown. I thought I needed more of Arthur’s personality to come through. Outside of tough guy who wants to help people and fish, and loves his parents, I just don’t know who he is. I liked Mera. She reminded me a lot of Black Widow with her general attitude, badassery and skintight outfits.

 I will say how much I love that this is the only superhero movie in which the hero has two living parents at the beginning and the end. I loved his dad and his relationship with Arthur, so I was very concerned he would die and was overjoyed that he didn’t.

[Silver Raven]

My biggest choking point is that the king under the Sahara has a document saying to go to Sicily and use the statue of Romulus.  But the water covered the Sahara thousands of years before there was a Romulus.

[IWantCandy71]

44 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

I liked it enough. I say this as a superhero movie but not comic fan. On par with the Thor movies with the massive CGI, attractive long-haired male lead who’s a king, with all sorts of issues with his little brother who wants his crown. I thought I needed more of Arthur’s personality to come through. Outside of tough guy who wants to help people and fish, and loves his parents, I just don’t know who he is. I liked Mera. She reminded me a lot of Black Widow with her general attitude, badassery and skintight outfits.

 I will say how much I love that this is the only superhero movie in which the hero has two living parents at the beginning and the end. I loved his dad and his relationship with Arthur, so I was very concerned he would die and was overjoyed that he didn’t.

I think the whole Thor comparison may be one of my least favorite things, TBH. I liked the first Thor and TDW, but honestly all the rest with Thor and Loki have been a miss for me (still haven't seen IW and probably won't). I am a sucker for brotherly relationships. Brother against brother is a story as old as time-Cain and Abel, anyone ? But-the similiarities here are TOO strong., and too soon after the last few with Thor and Loki in them, to not see and count them all. And yet-they are NOT Thor and Loki. No real effort was made to make them and the relationship different, and it could have been done. But that would take away from precious time for the characters to run across rooftops and fall off of things, and we can't have that.

I just would like to see a version of any comic book universe where the brothers are actually not at each other's throats all the time. They changed some things from the comics, they could have entirely revamped the whole Aquaman/Orm dynamic. Purist might hate it, but oh well. Like, have their mother sneak Orm for visits to Arthur-they are childhood playmates. That could have been the reason their mother was banished and believed dead, when Orm's father found out. And have Orm grow up believing Arthur just didn't want to see him because this is what his father lead him to believe. IDK. Anything but these idiotic power trips and ego contests. They could be more like Sam and Dean, than Loki and Thor, and could have gone up against Black Manta together. 

But maybe they are saving that for the sequel-which we will probably get, whether we want it or not.

24 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

My biggest choking point is that the king under the Sahara has a document saying to go to Sicily and use the statue of Romulus.  But the water covered the Sahara thousands of years before there was a Romulus.

Honestly I was too busy being bored to count all the inaccuracies, but you are right. And while some people may not care about such things-the problem is that it's laziness for no good reason. And if you are lazy about details you don't have to be lazy about-what are you going to be lazy about later ? That kind of thing gets bigger with each passing movie, not better, in my experience.

[Lantern7]

The good news: this is the second-best movie of the DC Comics Wave. Bad news: that really ain’t saying much. I was good with it, but I kept predicting story beats. Well, I thought Black Manta was going to drop by to murder Atlanta Atlanna. Nope . . . he winds up with Atlantis History Freak for the sequel that might never happen, she gets the reunion with the humble lighthouse keeper.

While I thought the scruffy look and the tattoos was basically Warner Bros. really trying their damnedest to get people interested in a usually-derided character, I thought Jason Momoa did a good job.

Black Manta? This one was interesting, but I think the version from Young Justice has that topped, in the sense I wound up caring for an Aquaman villain. Nice that Prince Orm looked more like canon recognizable Aquaman, but he wasn’t much of a villain. Didn’t really go beyond one dimension.

Are man buns no longer derided these days? So many here. Maybe if Henry Cavill had one in Justice League, they wouldn’t have needed CGI to get rid of the mustache, because people would be distracted by the man bun. 🤷‍♂️

Well, at least Shazam! looks fun. Sadly, I don’t think the DC movies will reach the acclaim of Marvel. Also, in the inevitable Honest Trailer, Black Manta will be labeled “Krillmonger.”

ETA: Here's the Crowing Moment of Funny page from TVTropes. Didn't remember Julie Andrews was in there . . . voicing the guardian of the super trident.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Lantern7

[Scarlett45]

On 12/22/2018 at 1:05 AM, Proclone said:

Also while only in one scene I did find the guy who played teenage Arthur to be painfully bad. 

Goodness he WAS!! They probably cast him because of how much he looked like Jason Momoa. 

I enjoyed the movie- it was better than I thought and a fun adventure film. I think the casting directors did a good job, Patrick Wilson does look like he could be Nicole Kidman’s son (if he were younger, I know he’s much older in real life). They have the exact same nose and complextion, same eye shape.....

 

On 12/23/2018 at 5:46 PM, Zuleikha said:

I thought it was more than a little irrational of him to blame Aquaman for his father's death. While yes, technically, Aquaman could have saved his father, they both were responsible for innocents deaths and they had attempted to kill Aquaman. If I followed the sequence correctly, Aquaman had functionally let them go when they attacked again, resulting in the father getting pinned by the torpedo. Black Manta could try taking a little responsibility! I'm looking forward to the presumed sequel featuring more of Black Manta and Dr. Stephen Shin.

Criminals ALWAYS do that though. It’s okay for them to kill innocent people to steal and commit piracy, but it’s not okay for Aquaman to defend himself and NOT save the life of someone who was actively trying to kill him?!! It’s asinine but believable. 

[Quickbeam]

On 12/7/2018 at 7:48 PM, Dee said:

Way too much CGI ....

On Nicole Kidman’s face alone! 

[SeanC]

On 12/26/2018 at 7:18 PM, Lantern7 said:

Nope . . . he winds up with Atlantis History Freak for the sequel that might never happen

The movie is a huge hit.  The sequel is definitely happening.