How did YOU like Aquaman? Vote! (spoilers allowed)

[Jim Kelly]

I have no idea why he shows up for two fights and is never seen again.

You left during the credits?

[babybats]

I have no idea why he shows up for two fights and is never seen again.

You left during the credits?

Haha...yeah, I did. >.> tbh, I didn't enjoy the movie enough to feel like it would be worth it to wait for whatever was at the end.

[Holt]

Plot was pretty rote but it had a charming cast and spectacular direction and visuals. Easily the second best DCEU film right now.

[Lightning Rider]

I'm somewhere between very good and alright. I really enjoyed it, but I don't think I'd call the movie very good by any stretch. And alright, kind of makes it sound like I didn't enjoy it as much as I did. However, while I did enjoy it, it's a very flawed film and DC is walking a tightrope continuing to make flawed films like this.

The characters are paper thin, but look cool. Which, seems to be the from the Zack Snyder school of filmmaking. Jason Momoa is not the strongest actor, but he's also not really asked to do a whole lot besides act like a badass, which he does very well. Though, like someone said above, it does start to grate after a while. I like Jason Momoa, but I still feel like his casting is a bit too try hard to make Aquaman into a serious character. Amber Heard looks like she stepped right off the comic page. She's gorgeous, seems powerful, and while I know it's not her's, hair that red only exists in comic books. But her character is somewhat flat and I don't really buy the chemistry. The script was asking them to kiss at the end, not the actual movie.

I enjoyed the people around them, Willem Defoe was a welcome addition and Patrick Wilson did a great job selling the film's conflict. But, my favorite part of the movie was the stuff between Arthur's mother and father. DC struggles with adding in the human moments, but these scenes were great and really helped ground the movie in a way that it would not have been if left out. But as a whole storywise, I think the movie just tried to do too much. Every time there was a second to breathe, something exploded leading to the next fight scene, which didn't help the movie feel very human and it lead to things feeling very disjointed. I wasn't able to connect to Arthur and Mera's story because the movie was too busy going from one set piece to the next. The movie felt both overlong and too short. I think a big problem with comic book movies is that they can sometimes intentionally leave the more interesting things in the sequel, which you cannot say that they did in this movie, but it felt too stuffed and all of the storylines suffered for it. My wife who is less into comics also had trouble following it in parts because they couldn't spend too much time on the lore.

Like I said, I had a good time with the movie, but the flaws really stood out. I want these movies to be successful and it looks like Aquaman will be, but I think they need to spend more time focusing on the story and human elements and less on cool visuals. But you can do both.

Agreed, especially on your points about the movie not being able to breathe. There were about 4 explosions interrupting those moments, it was almost abusive. I would argue even Snyder had more character moments, with less exposition.

I thought the characters and story were fine. It's a jam packed rock and roll experience featuring the first biracial superhero in the genre. I had a blast with Aquaman.

I'm not really sure where you're trying to lead us. If you didn't like it, fine. But why try convince others they didnt really like it either ?

I don't inetnd to come off as grumpy or insistent with my view, but when my view is so opposite that of the consensus, I aim to kind of figure it out. I trust most of you all more than average movie-goers, and it's more about understanding myself and why I feel what I feel than it is trying to convince everyone else. That being said there are objective filmmaking flaws that I found shocking, I'm surprised they didn't (nearly) ruin the movie for everyone else and I'm curious why. I felt this same curiosity when I thought Batman v. Superman was awesome and others absolutely hated it.

[hareluyafan1]

The main characters:

Jason Mamoa did a fine job as Arthur Curry/Aquaman. He starts off as a rough and ready guy who grows into his role as a king and a hero throughout the movie. By the end he feels much more like the Aquaman we know and love from the comics.
Amber Heard was great as Mera. Not only does she look like she stepped right off the page, she's a really good character. She's a dedicated warrior but is still noble, caring and very human (like when she created water dolphins to make a child happy).
Tom and Atlanna were nice and their scenes together, made me smile, especially their reunion.

The Villain(s):

Ocean Master was ok. No offense to Patrick Wilson (he did a great job), I've just never found Orm particularly interesting. He claims he's trying to protect his people from humanity's pollution but that's baloney. Not only because he kills his own people but frankly I'm sick of this "waa waa, humankind is so horrible" nonsense. If Orm really wanted to help his people he'd contact the surface world (which, remember, doesn't even know Atlantis exists) and negotiate for a peaceful soloution. As it is, he just seems to want to destroy the surface world because he hates it. Still he served his purpose as main villain well enough.

Black Manta was awesome! I love that the movie gave a reason why he chose "Black Manta" as his codename and the scenes with him and his father are great. You really feel for him and understand why he hates Aquaman so much. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impressed me with a steller performance. He conveyed every bit of David Kane's rage and bitterness while still managing to give him a few lighter moments to keep him from being one-dimensional. The scene where he creates his iconic helmet gave me a chuckle. Plus he fights with swords. That's awesome.

King Nereus was also good. I like the fact that while he sides with Orm he's not really bad since he's been duped into it. Plus he still cares about his daughter and doesn't want her harmed even when she's seemingly betrayed her nation.

The Storyline:

A little too fast-paced at times with too much happening too fast but overall it was really good. It had action, humour, interesting settings, romance, emotional mooments, even some scares. There's something for everyone. Plus it made sense and felt natural throughout. At no point did the story ever feel contrived or like characters were doing something stupid because the director/studio had an agenda ("cough" The Last Jedi "cough").

Heck, I didn't even mind that Dolphin (my favourite character from the comics) isn't included (hopefully she'll be in the sequel). Since I normally don't give a fudge about any comic movie/series that doesn't include my favourite characters, I'd say the movie did a great job.

Plus, no Batman stinking up the place. That's a huge bonus.

The Overall Tone:

Fun, exciting and engaging. I was never bored while watching this movie and after the DCEU's previous bore-fests that was most refreshing.

The Visuals:

Magnificent! Finally, a DCEU movie that isn't dull and boring to look at! Finally, actual colours! The scenery was a joy to look at throughout. Atlantis looked amazing, as did the Trench and the various sea monsters. The batle-suits worn by the Atlantean soldiers looked great, sleek and high-tech looking but quite distinct from those seen in similar movies.

The Action:

Excellent! This movie had some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen in a superhero movie. Both the underwater fights and those on land were incredible. Plus, like I said before, swords are awesome and I was delighted to see Aquaman, Mera and Manta all use them at certain points.

[hareluyafan1]

How though? What memorable lines and scenes between two characters watching made you have fun?

I like them from the comics and it was fun to see them on the big screen. If you really need something more I liked Mera using her power to make water dolphins because it shows she has a good heart, that she did something just to put a smile on a little girl's face. I also liked her courage and integrity in saving Arthur after the duel even though it meant losing everything she knew. I also liked the flower eating scene because it was sweet and funny.

Plus the action scenes because they were exciting.

That's all you need for a villain to be villainous, but a good villain has to have more going for them. Orm didn't.

I don't really care much about villains. I see them mostly as plot devices there to start things off and then be defeated. As long as they aren't boring I don't really need anything else.

Characters are supposed to feel real, not just have narrative purpose. I have no idea who he is as a person or what drives him to do what he does.

And I really don't care. You're taking this WAY too seriously.

It wasn't enough. He was committing heinous acts already. Who is Black Manta beyond a criminal with a dead dad? Again, characters need to feel like people and not narrative devices.

It was enough for me. Do you need to see his entire life history? We know why he and his dad are criminals (a family tradition stemming from how David's granddad was unfairly treated), we see from their interactions that Jesse Kane was proud of his son and so we know why David hates Arthur so much. Yes he's a criminal but he clearly loved his father and so we feel for him. We also see that as angry and bitter as David is he still retains some humour (his line about needing a bigger helmet), we know he has guts and is somewhat overconfident, given that he tried to fight a guy who just lifted a submarine. That's plenty.

Lol what? The movie doesn't presuppose we've read the comics. This is a fairly ridiculous argument. The point of seeing comic book heroes on screen is to recreate the stories and themes that make them who they are. If you skip all that, what's the point? A movie needs to make clear why characters act in certain ways, otherwise nothing has any weight.

Or it can give us just enough and let us fill in the details. I don't need to have everything explained.

Comic book movies don't have to have bad dialogue. Plenty don't. I expected something other than cliche platitudes because a lot of great comic book movies are written competently.

LOL. All comic book movies have bad dialogue. They're supposed to be a bit over the top and larger than life. That's part of the fun.

That was cheesy as hell. But if that were the worst joke in the film I wouldn't mind it. But none of their interactions seem like earnest bonding.

That's your opinion. Personally I thought their interactions were fine. As I said, the flower eating scene was a great moment that showed how they were becoming closer, with Arthur eating the flowers so as not to embarrass Mera.

It just sounds to me like you don't care about the movie being good, having a bunch of Aquaman characters in it fighting a bad guy is enough for you. And that's cool, but it doesn't make it a good movie. If your villain is generic, your dialogue is bad, your story is disjointed, and your characters are underdeveloped, you don't have a great film. Maybe a serviceable one.

It sounds to me like you're thinking too much. Like you're so obsessed with dissecting and analysing every bit of this movie you don't allow yourself to enjoy it. Lighten up. I watched this movie to be entertained and I was.

I don't inetnd to come off as grumpy or insistent with my view, but when my view is so opposite that of the consensus, I aim to kind of figure it out. I trust most of you all more than average movie-goers, and it's more about understanding myself and why I feel what I feel than it is trying to convince everyone else.

Why? You like what you like. Simple as that. It doesn't need to be figured out or explained. You have a different opinion to most people. So what? There's nothing wrong with that. You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

[Stanlos]

The poll option descriptions did not match my thoughts. I thought that the film was just above average, essentially right in the middle. The bad script and overstuffed quality of the film were balanced by the strength of Wan's directing, the visual effects team, and stellar performances from the veteran thesps in the supporting cast. It is right at a 6 to 7 out of 10 for me.

[Lightning Rider]

I like them from the comics and it was fun to see them on the big screen. If you really need something more I liked Mera using her power to make water dolphins because it shows she has a good heart, that she did something just to put a smile on a little girl's face. I also liked her courage and integrity in saving Arthur after the duel even though it meant losing everything she knew. I also liked the flower eating scene because it was sweet and funny.

Plus the action scenes because they were exciting.



I don't really care much about villains. I see them mostly as plot devices there to start things off and then be defeated. As long as they aren't boring I don't really need anything else.



And I really don't care. You're taking this WAY too seriously.



It was enough for me. Do you need to see his entire life history? We know why he and his dad are criminals (a family tradition stemming from how David's granddad was unfairly treated), we see from their interactions that Jesse Kane was proud of his son and so we know why David hates Arthur so much. Yes he's a criminal but he clearly loved his father and so we feel for him. We also see that as angry and bitter as David is he still retains some humour (his line about needing a bigger helmet), we know he has guts and is somewhat overconfident, given that he tried to fight a guy who just lifted a submarine. That's plenty.



Or it can give us just enough and let us fill in the details. I don't need to have everything explained.



LOL. All comic book movies have bad dialogue. They're supposed to be a bit over the top and larger than life. That's part of the fun.



That's your opinion. Personally I thought their interactions were fine. As I said, the flower eating scene was a great moment that showed how they were becoming closer, with Arthur eating the flowers so as not to embarrass Mera.



It sounds to me like you're thinking too much. Like you're so obsessed with dissecting and analysing every bit of this movie you don't allow yourself to enjoy it. Lighten up. I watched this movie to be entertained and I was.



Why? You like what you like. Simple as that. It doesn't need to be figured out or explained. You have a different opinion to most people. So what? There's nothing wrong with that. You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

What I get from this is that you're happy enough to see a serviceable movie with characters from comics you like. Which is fine if that's all you want from a movie. There's nothing obsessive or overly analytical about wanting decent dialogue and a story that isn't shallow and I'm trying to see why people had different reactions than I did. This is a discussion forum, so we're discussing the movie. I get that some people can obsess over details and get lost in them, but art is about making you feel things, and I felt that very little in this movie had weight, so I'm explaining and investigating why I felt that way. I don't like movies that feel like nothing matters unless they're intended to be that way, and this one certainly isn't.

[Lightning Rider]

The poll option descriptions did not match my thoughts. I thought that the film was just above average, essentially right in the middle. The bad script and overstuffed quality of the film were balanced by the strength of Wan's directing, the visual effects team, and stellar performances from the veteran thesps in the supporting cast. It is right at a 6 to 7 out of 10 for me.

6.5 sounds like "alright" to me, maybe the "disappointing" part gives too much bite.

[Stanlos]

6.5 sounds like "alright" to me, maybe the "disappointing" part gives too much bite.

Exactly, particularly when taken into context its part in the DCEU which has been spotty at best. That Aquaman came out in the positive side at all could scarcely be called 'disappointing'. It is a rousing success as far as the DCEU is concerned.

[Flash Gordon]

What was great about the characters? Momoa aside, who had any distinct personality? Orm was "bad guy", Vulko was "good guy's friend", Black Manta had literally 1 scene of characterization, as did Arthur's dad, and we know nothing about Mera's upbringing or personality, or her father's motivation. None of the relationships are explored. The relationship that movie rests on is Mera's and Arthur's and the dialogue there is terrible. Everyone else is a plot device.

They're all fantastic characters tbh.

[Robotman]

One more negative, he didn’t say “Outrageous!”

[Godlike13]

Visually stunning, but the character moments were weak IMO. Every thing had to be this epic moment.

[Lightning Rider]

Exactly, particularly when taken into context its part in the DCEU which has been spotty at best. That Aquaman came out in the positive side at all could scarcely be called 'disappointing'. It is a rousing success as far as the DCEU is concerned.

This is definitely the case for the franchise in a meta sense, but I think I wrote that concerning purely how you felt coming out of the theater. Like "Not as good as I hoped it would be."

They're all fantastic characters tbh.

What fantastic lines and character moments stood out for you?

Manta's introduction and Arthur's parents' romance was great but left me wanting.

[Hawkman]

I'm not going to vote yet, because I'm hoping to see it again this weekend with my friend, and my opinion may change after a second viewing.

That said, though, right now I'd give it a solid 6/10. I thought it was entertaining enough, but I didn't find the acting particularly strong, the visuals very stunning, or the plot all that engaging. It just felt like a stereotypical action flick to me, with a superhero veneer and too much CG.

But again, my opinion may very well change.