Is Warners’ DC curse over? Aquaman seems to be rolling out as fun holiday fare, maybe a little light in the scripting department, but certainly a fun adventure and it must be said, spectacular. It’s already earned over $260 million internationally, and conquered hearts in China, where it broke the box office record once held by Captain America: Civil War. Didn’t see that one coming!
And Saturday’s Amazon Prime Previews were a success, bringing in $2.9 mil.
Amazon Prime Previews are essentially paid packaged sneak previews. The sales allow for the studios to get a better idea of an audience’s interest in a film and help make projections for the film’s box office numbers based on it. While there is no way to definitively say how these numbers will translate to the film’s overall figures, larger preview hauls tend to equate to a bigger hit of a film. And Aquaman certainly has been making big box office waves overseas.
The Beat was one of those who saw the Saturday screening (although taking the wrong train back from a holiday party in Bed-Stuy meant I missed the first 10 minutes or so – guess I’ll just have to see it again.)
The Beat will leave the official review to Kyle Pinion, but short version: I was alert the whole time, and it had a wonderful score, and well, Jason Momoa was born to play this version of Aquaman. (Although if his dad is Temuera Morrison does that make him Bobba Fett?) And why would you need any OTHER version of Aquaman? This tattoed, chain wallet-bearing, beer guzzling king with a trident is just goofy enough to be engaging on many levels. The script was wildly uneven though, as seen even in the trailers, with Amber Heard’s fierce Mera begging Arthur to rule his kingdom one moment and engaging in put down flirting banter the next. It seemed like a desperate mission to inject humor that thudded to the sea floor on shoes of lead. Luckily, the other goings on were not doomy and serious, unlike some other DC movies I could name, but fantastic and world building, with enough realms and locales to fire the imagination for hours. And the best big ending battle since The Two Towers!
One problem though: all the high Atlantean men had very strange hair-dos that were very distracting whenever director James Wan did an over the shoulder reaction shot – which he did all the time. Seriously – people are going to be talking about the back of Patrick Wilson’s head for a long time.
‘It’s already earned over $260 million internationally, and conquered hearts in China, where it broke the box office record once held by Captain America: Civil War.’
That’s who these movies are really aimed at: the global audience, and especially the Chinese.
First I plan to see “The Mule” with Clint Eastwood, who proved himself a real superhero by directing and starring in a movie at the age of 88.
James Wan usually makes pretty miserable films. Hard pass from me.
“Furious 7” was kind of fun, if you don’t care about logic, coherence, realism, acting, etc. It probably got him the “Aquaman” gig.
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