Spoilers Aquaman - Grading and Discussion
- Thread starter dahj
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Am I the only one who needs to see this on screen now?
Legends of Tomorrow season 2.
(Only it's the British that get advanced weaponry there
)
I have seen this film three times. For myself, one of the highlights is the relationship between the lighthouse keeper and the queen. I am a hopeless romantic.
It was more believable then the relationship between the Aquaman and Mera, as the first couple had a longer time to develop the relationship. They started as a couple who could adapt to the partner's traits and idiosyncrasies. That was exemplified by how the lighthouse keeper responded to the queen having eaten one of his fishes.
The villain had believable motives. He saw his neighborhood being trashed and vandalized by outsiders. He wanted to end it. The way it ended with him made me believe that we will see him return as a villain, along with Black Mantis.
I am still puzzled by how the BM managed to get the Russian submarine operational. It was badly damaged in the fighting.
It was more believable then the relationship between the Aquaman and Mera, as the first couple had a longer time to develop the relationship. They started as a couple who could adapt to the partner's traits and idiosyncrasies. That was exemplified by how the lighthouse keeper responded to the queen having eaten one of his fishes.
The villain had believable motives. He saw his neighborhood being trashed and vandalized by outsiders. He wanted to end it. The way it ended with him made me believe that we will see him return as a villain, along with Black Mantis.
I am still puzzled by how the BM managed to get the Russian submarine operational. It was badly damaged in the fighting.
Hi! Happy New Year! Well, King Orm, he did say that it was barely functional, but at least it had served it's purpose. Hmm. In his position, I suppose he was able to keep the shipwreck from being investigated in an honest way. No mention of bodies recovered, the reactor recovered, et al., to reduce further contamination.
Well, to keep myself from doing multiple posts in a row.... Ahem.
With the "NBC" series, "The Simple Life", I ended up liking Paris more than Nicole, because Nicole disappointed me when she actually swallowed that poor goldfish!
I was reminded of that, the second time that I saw the movie, and saw another Nicole, swallowing a goldfish! But because of t the animal welfare disclaimer at the end, I suppose that at least this time it was a fake goldfish. But I know that since the 1920s at least, there was a college fad, in which students would swallow live goldfish. People made sushi popular too. So would swallowing a live goldfish be excempt, because of a probable/possible food exception? Do they become Vegans on set, for the duration of making a movie or a series?
Ah, the loser's trope: Posting a GIF instead of an argument.
Look, I'm not a professional writer, and have no desire to be one. Therefore I have no monetary interest in taking marketing BS seriously. My thinking ostentatious stupidity is bad style is reasonable. You've claimed Howl's etc. are "fantasy sci" and "explicitly classified as fantasy..." Insisting that kind of stuff be taken seriously isn't.
No, science-fantasy is not a real thing. Mixing a few sciency words with mumbo jumbo isn't a genre. Mixing props doesn't change the nature of the story. "Sword and planet" is a genre in the same way Ruritanian romance is a genre, which is to say, a useless exercise in pedantry. You can't just wish away real issues about narrative structure, theme, setting and style with cliches. And this is doubly true when you can't even get simple facts straight. For example, the Force in Star Wars iisn't magic, it's God.
Getting outraged because I didn't love, love, love all the nonsensical images in Aquaman is rather touchy.
Moving on from nonsensical arguments that deny reality, does anybody have a guess as to when Aquaman will come out on Blu-ray/DVD?
Probably end of March, beginning of April. That is when the 3 Star Wars films with similar theatrical releases dates came to home video.
Just came home from my 3rd viewing. The Wonder Woman article is in the exact same frame as the “Who is Aquaman?” article Black Manta attacks.
I really want to see this on IMAX but the the closest to me is an hour away. Maybe sometime before it leaves theaters I will take the trip.
Just came home from my 3rd viewing. The Wonder Woman article is in the exact same frame as the “Who is Aquaman?” article Black Manta attacks.
I really want to see this on IMAX but the the closest to me is an hour away. Maybe sometime before it leaves theaters I will take the trip.
Yet, still an inadvertent confession of failure.
Just came back and concerning DC movies i am mostly pleasantly surprised.
The Good:
- Jason Momoa.. been a real fan of him since he appeared on Game of Thrones when he owned the role of Khal Drogo, liked him as Conan very much (even if the movie itself was not so good) and from then on i saw bits and pieces and he seems quite good. Saw a few interviews and talk show appearances and he seems like a standup guy who enjoys his work and i'm glad he's getting recognition (even if it's mostly beefcake roles for now but he has done other lower key roles that required more acting and he was not bad)
- The visuals were amazing... Avatar level amazing. This was one of the main draws for me and the movie delivered. The design was so beautiful and they even owned some of the more ridiculous comicbook aspects like riding giant seahorses and sharks but they made it work. I only saw the german dubbed version but i also loved how they modulated the voices when people spoke underwater.. that was a nice effect
The Bad:
- Why was Black Manta in the movie at all? Just to set up a main villain from the comics and have a foe for the sequel? It was completely unnecessary and bogged down the whole movie by needlessly extending the runtime for no real story gain. It just seemed like he was shoehorned into the movie because someone higher up said so as he has no relevance to the actual main story and just provides some action pieces (admittedly the fight in the sicilian village was cool to look at, reminded me of the rooftop firefight from Modern Warfare 2 )
- Mera - cool character but why do writers and studios insist on having a romantic subplot for every movie? It's ok if it develops naturally over time like they did with Iron Man but here they once again follow the blockbuster blueprint and have them go from adversaries to respect to love all in the span of a single movie. They probably know there'll be a sequel so why not step on the brakes a little and have this actually develop over time and not have them kiss amidst a gigantic sea battle that will decide the fate of Earth.
It was an entertaining movie with a few involuntary laughs (first one was eyerolling as the special forces pirates open up on full auto - in a sub - several hundred feet below the surface
) to the throwaway line about Atlantis gate, border control and customs duties (which made me laugh hard as i was not expecting such a topic in a superhero movie).
Up until Aquaman reunites with his mother until he aquires the Trident i really liked it but that awful scene and hero dialogue made me nearly vomit.. it was so bad and cringeworthy it reallxy pulled me out of the movie hard.
It also concludes extremely generic by Aquaman kicking the ass of his brother just because he now has the magical Trident of Asskicking and Kingly Power (tm) and of course leaving him alive so he can continue to be a villain for the sequel.
However even with these drawbacks i was still entertained enough which these days for a DC superhero movie is quite a step up. It doesn't come near the quality of story and message of Wonder Woman but it's leagues above the godawful Superman vs Batman.
If DC manages to leave the trodden paths of generic superhero shenanigans and manages to write good stories that surprise the audience (who was surprised that at some point they'd discover that Arthur's mom wasn't dead
) they might start to compete with Marvel but until that point they will have financially successful movies but not the critical and sometimes social success that Marvel enjoys (can you imagine a DC movie pull off social relevance like Black Panther did? I can't either).
So a B- from me, could have been an A if not for the godawful mom scene and generic huge battle ending.
The Good:
- Jason Momoa.. been a real fan of him since he appeared on Game of Thrones when he owned the role of Khal Drogo, liked him as Conan very much (even if the movie itself was not so good) and from then on i saw bits and pieces and he seems quite good. Saw a few interviews and talk show appearances and he seems like a standup guy who enjoys his work and i'm glad he's getting recognition (even if it's mostly beefcake roles for now but he has done other lower key roles that required more acting and he was not bad)
- The visuals were amazing... Avatar level amazing. This was one of the main draws for me and the movie delivered. The design was so beautiful and they even owned some of the more ridiculous comicbook aspects like riding giant seahorses and sharks but they made it work. I only saw the german dubbed version but i also loved how they modulated the voices when people spoke underwater.. that was a nice effect
The Bad:
- Why was Black Manta in the movie at all? Just to set up a main villain from the comics and have a foe for the sequel? It was completely unnecessary and bogged down the whole movie by needlessly extending the runtime for no real story gain. It just seemed like he was shoehorned into the movie because someone higher up said so as he has no relevance to the actual main story and just provides some action pieces (admittedly the fight in the sicilian village was cool to look at, reminded me of the rooftop firefight from Modern Warfare 2
)- Mera - cool character but why do writers and studios insist on having a romantic subplot for every movie? It's ok if it develops naturally over time like they did with Iron Man but here they once again follow the blockbuster blueprint and have them go from adversaries to respect to love all in the span of a single movie. They probably know there'll be a sequel so why not step on the brakes a little and have this actually develop over time and not have them kiss amidst a gigantic sea battle that will decide the fate of Earth.
It was an entertaining movie with a few involuntary laughs (first one was eyerolling as the special forces pirates open up on full auto - in a sub - several hundred feet below the surface
) to the throwaway line about Atlantis gate, border control and customs duties (which made me laugh hard as i was not expecting such a topic in a superhero movie).Up until Aquaman reunites with his mother until he aquires the Trident i really liked it but that awful scene and hero dialogue made me nearly vomit.. it was so bad and cringeworthy it reallxy pulled me out of the movie hard.
It also concludes extremely generic by Aquaman kicking the ass of his brother just because he now has the magical Trident of Asskicking and Kingly Power (tm) and of course leaving him alive so he can continue to be a villain for the sequel.
However even with these drawbacks i was still entertained enough which these days for a DC superhero movie is quite a step up. It doesn't come near the quality of story and message of Wonder Woman but it's leagues above the godawful Superman vs Batman.
If DC manages to leave the trodden paths of generic superhero shenanigans and manages to write good stories that surprise the audience (who was surprised that at some point they'd discover that Arthur's mom wasn't dead
) they might start to compete with Marvel but until that point they will have financially successful movies but not the critical and sometimes social success that Marvel enjoys (can you imagine a DC movie pull off social relevance like Black Panther did? I can't either).So a B- from me, could have been an A if not for the godawful mom scene and generic huge battle ending.
It's simple. Producers are convinced that with a love story it is easier to attract female demographics. This is the reason why do you have a romantic subplot even in more action oriented movie. There was an interesting article somewhere about this...
I realize this but it's a tiresome trope. I am not necessarily against this but why not let this develop naturally over the course of 2-3 movies (i think with such huge blockbusters and Hollywood nowadays sequels are inevitable), kind of what they did with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.
First one employers and employee though very close personally and several hints that cross the worklife separation into very private areas. Second one the get together at the end, third one some major relationship crisis and every subsequent movie Iron Man is been in there's been some development that seems natural.
Felt nicely spaced out and not becoming the focus of the story at the most inopportune moments.
Movies in general could do with a little more lovin' and a little less punchin'
Sure but does it have to be in huge action adventure movies? It's becoming very predictable.. 2 hot, A or B list actors, and you inevitably know that by the end of the movie they'll be together even if they start in an adversarial position.
It's ok for a romantic comedy or a relationship drama but i could do with less of it in blockbuster action movies.
Romance is kinda a big part of life, or at least it should be, so I don't find it tiresome, and frankly I don't get why some of you guys are so opposed to emotions getting in the way of explosions, but I like it just fine and especially here in a grandiose epic adventure.
I don't disagree on that, but there were people gloating here and elsewhere right up until the premiere how this movie is gonna flop hard, so sequels were hardly guaranteed.
It had a bit of that old school screwball romantic comedy vibe to it.
Aquaman
The lastest DCEU movie, (maybe the beginning of the reboot following the failure of Justice League?) involving the eponymous aquatic superhero. Arthur Curry, the Aquaman, discovers that his half brother is plotting to conquer the civilisations of the surface world. But that isn't all there is to the plot. The film is about Arthur's path to becoming the hero the world needs to defend against such paradigm changing threats. Arthur's origin story is different to other heroes' origin stories, so it doesn't feel like a re-tread.
The story of the lighthouse keeper and the princess of Atlantis was done rather well, and rather effectively set up some plot elements that paid off later in the film (especially with Arthur's father waiting on the dock every sunrise). The set piece in the lighthouse residence was a great example of choreography and forshadowed the later set pieces, especially the running fight in the Sicilian town. Talking of the Black Manta, that his vendetta against Aquaman starts off as a result of Arthur not saving his father, is rather believable.
Mera seeking Arthur's help is a rather good way of drawing him into the situation with Orm's plot. The quest for the Trident of Atlan is portrayed rather well, with each step in the journey providing more information on the history of Atlantis and time for Arthur and Mera to get to know each other. The scene at the lost tribe in the Sahara is rather good. As is their relaxing around each other in the Sicilian town (before the Manta attacks). The quest leading through a very dangerous area (in the form of the Trench) is predictable, but enjoyable.
The scene with the Karathen leviathan at the Core location was a rather good indication of how far Arthur was willing to go to get the Trident. The final battle was also a rather good scene, if rather heavy on CGI (but then it would need to be). Overall the film is a very effective telling of the Hero's Journey. 9.25/10.
The lastest DCEU movie, (maybe the beginning of the reboot following the failure of Justice League?) involving the eponymous aquatic superhero. Arthur Curry, the Aquaman, discovers that his half brother is plotting to conquer the civilisations of the surface world. But that isn't all there is to the plot. The film is about Arthur's path to becoming the hero the world needs to defend against such paradigm changing threats. Arthur's origin story is different to other heroes' origin stories, so it doesn't feel like a re-tread.
The story of the lighthouse keeper and the princess of Atlantis was done rather well, and rather effectively set up some plot elements that paid off later in the film (especially with Arthur's father waiting on the dock every sunrise). The set piece in the lighthouse residence was a great example of choreography and forshadowed the later set pieces, especially the running fight in the Sicilian town. Talking of the Black Manta, that his vendetta against Aquaman starts off as a result of Arthur not saving his father, is rather believable.
Mera seeking Arthur's help is a rather good way of drawing him into the situation with Orm's plot. The quest for the Trident of Atlan is portrayed rather well, with each step in the journey providing more information on the history of Atlantis and time for Arthur and Mera to get to know each other. The scene at the lost tribe in the Sahara is rather good. As is their relaxing around each other in the Sicilian town (before the Manta attacks). The quest leading through a very dangerous area (in the form of the Trench) is predictable, but enjoyable.
The scene with the Karathen leviathan at the Core location was a rather good indication of how far Arthur was willing to go to get the Trident. The final battle was also a rather good scene, if rather heavy on CGI (but then it would need to be). Overall the film is a very effective telling of the Hero's Journey. 9.25/10.
I offer you this (anecdotal) rebuttal.
I watched Rogue One with a (female) friend of mine. She isn't a particular Star Wars fan, it was just an occasion to spent a little time together, still she enjoyed the movie until (SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER) the two main characters died without exchanging a kiss!
She complained during the whole journey home. Why (she said), after all that they had spent together, had they not exchanged at least one kiss before dying?!?! I tried to make your point (that in a similar movie a romantic subplot probably would be incongruous), but she wouldn't budge.
So, even if it seems sexist to say, the reality is there is a female demographic who wants to see a love story in your average blockbuster and Hollywood producers want their money. It's simple.
But in this case Mera/Arthur are a part of the story. They are really the power couple of the DC universe (at least until the Legion returns). Yes, they've been separated for dramatic purposes on several occasions but their relationship is a core element to the story.
