# So help me Aquaman looks like a good movie! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, hbomax-wb-dc\ **Created:** [July 21, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347 "2018-07-21T22:20:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/1 "2018-07-21T22:20:16Z")
The trailer is [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDkg3h8PCVU&ab_channel=WarnerBros.Pictures). It looks like a good, fun to watch movie. Full disclosure, I actually liked Justice League. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/2 "2018-07-21T22:23:59Z")
I am, once again, cautiously optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/3 "2018-07-21T22:39:48Z")
If it didn’t star Jason Moana I would have assumed it was another of their CW “Arrowverse” shows. I’m sure they spent a lot of money to make the CGI look that way, but it really looks cheap to me. And as much as the ‘Brah’ Aquaman provided some decent commit relief in Justice League that didn’t seem awkwardly shoehorned in from obvious to Whedon post-production reshoots, it just isn’t a character who can convincingly carry an entire feature on his own. But this trailer isn’t the complete dumpster fire that [_Shazam!_](https://youtu.be/-oD7B7oiBtw) is. “Okay, elevator pitch: _Big_ meets _The Greatest American Hero_!” Gal Godat deserves a 600% salary bump for keeping the entire DC film franchise afloat at this point. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/4 "2018-07-21T23:06:27Z")
_Suicide Squad_ looked great in the trailers. The problems with DC movies are usually poor characterization and plotting. And those are hard to spot in a sixty second trailer. At this point, I remain pessimistic on DC movies unless I hear good word of mouth on them from people that have seen the completed movie. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/5 "2018-07-21T23:09:43Z")
I dunno… it’s no [Empires of the Deep](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3dnwxUSK9k). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/6 "2018-07-21T23:16:32Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > But this trailer isn’t the complete dumpster fire that [_Shazam!_](https://youtu.be/-oD7B7oiBtw) is. “Okay, elevator pitch: _Big_ meets _The Greatest American Hero_!” I thought that looked like 10x more fun than Aquaman. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/7 "2018-07-21T23:18:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The problems with DC movies are usually poor characterization and plotting. And those are hard to spot in a sixty second trailer. From what was presented in this trailer, the plot seems to have been copied from _Black Panther_ with the setting changed to in underwater kingdom with some slight retooling of roles. Of course, this strategy worked reasonably well in _Wonder Woman_, which appeared to draw whole elements from _Captain America: The First Avenger_ and set them in the First World War, but Gal Gadot was able to carry that film despite often clunky pacing and cringeworthy dialogue. Is Jason Moana a similarly undiscovered talent? I guess we’ll see. > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I thought that looked like 10x more fun than Aquaman. Fun? In the MST3K sense, yes. Worth shelling out $20 to watch it in theaters? Pass, thank you. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/8 "2018-07-21T23:55:13Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _Suicide Squad_ looked great in the trailers. The problems with DC movies are usually poor characterization and plotting. And those are hard to spot in a sixty second trailer. > > At this point, I remain pessimistic on DC movies unless I hear good word of mouth on them from people that have seen the completed movie. Agreed. All DC movies suck donkey balls until proven otherwise. The more Zach Snyder involvement, the higher the degree of suckitude. **Wonder Woman** is the only movie that was better than awful. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/9 "2018-07-22T00:13:59Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > From what was presented in this trailer, the plot seems to have been copied from _Black Panther_ with the setting changed to in underwater kingdom with some slight retooling of roles. Of course, this strategy worked reasonably well in _Wonder Woman_, which appeared to draw whole elements from _Captain America: The First Avenger_ and set them in the First World War, but Gal Gadot was able to carry that film despite often clunky pacing and cringeworthy dialogue. Is Jason Moana a similarly undiscovered talent? I guess we’ll see. And I feel like I’m seeing a lot of Spiderman in _Shazam_. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You don’t need to tell an original story to tell a story well. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/10 "2018-07-22T01:54:31Z")
BTW, it’s Jason **Mamoa**. Moana is an animated movie. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/11 "2018-07-22T02:00:30Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I am, once again, cautiously optimistic. I’m cautiously with you in this. I liked-ish _Justice League_ - that is to say, I liked the characters, but the bad guy was boring - and I’m reasonably fond of the tension in the scene with the resurrected Superman where Arthur is the one that realizes “He’s not all right.” I don’t think they’ve established if Arthur’s telepathy can extend to creatures other than fish, but if so, I can imagine him getting a vibe that Kal-El was not going to be cool with recent events. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/12 "2018-07-22T02:04:27Z")
I’ve only seen him in Game of Thrones and I got the distinct impression that he was hired for his appearance not his acting prowess (no offense to the man). And I suspect that his fame is largely an effect of female fans of that series who love the thought of a barbarian man three times their size having his way with them. If they were smart, they’d try to target that audience and adapt the content to match. Make it all about Aquaman trying to save some mermaid girl, portrayed by a lythe, little blonde woman. Ship it as the most romantic film with big budget special effects since Titanic and you’ll have a huge money maker. My guess is that they’ll try for a generic action hero presentation, which will mean that only men will show up to watch and they’ll be largely unimpressed by Momoa’s ability to carry a film. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/13 "2018-07-22T02:09:48Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > BTW, it’s Jason **Mamoa**. Moana is an animated movie. Ahem. M **o** moa ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/14 "2018-07-22T02:24:48Z")
I don’t know, that whole scene of him swimming into Atlantis or whatever it is made me have flashbacks of Phantom Menace, will Jar Jar be in the background somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/15 "2018-07-22T02:30:17Z")
I haven’t watched the trailer, I hate trailers, they can ruin the movie by showing too much. Anyway, I thought Jason Momoa was good in the Justice League movie, so I’ll probably see this because of him. I think he can carry a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/16 "2018-07-22T02:33:35Z")
Well, worst case it’s an underwater-superhero disaster. An imperius wreck. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/17 "2018-07-22T02:33:40Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’ve only seen him in Game of Thrones and I got the distinct impression that he was hired for his appearance not his acting prowess (no offense to the man). And I suspect that his fame is largely an effect of female fans of that series who love the thought of a barbarian man three times their size having his way with them. I’m not sure I agree with this. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones, honestly, but what seems to come out of Momoa is charisma. He’s one of the few people in the DC movies who actually seems to be enjoying himself. That sells to the audience when you’re dealing with a superhero action picture. Know that what you’re doing is silly and communicate to the audience that it’s a lot of fun and they’ll love you for it. Honestly, that’s what the DC universe’s focus on dark and gritty has always missed about superhero movies. They should be fun. If I want grim and dark I’ll see a Jim Jarmusch movie. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/18 "2018-07-22T03:01:58Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > but what seems to come out of Momoa is charisma. He’s one of the few people in the DC movies who actually seems to be enjoying himself. Yes, and he’s believable as the characters. He could have been hired because he’s drop-dead gorgeous handsome, but he plays a role in each case. There’s no way I could sit through watching him just looking handsome, I’d be bored witless. He’s what’s-his-face in Game of Thrones, and he’s Aquaman in the Justice League. His looks and his physique are obviously important to the characters, but they can’t make you want to sit there watching him, there’s more to it than that. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/19 "2018-07-22T03:24:27Z")
I’ve now watched the trailer. He presents pretty well. The girl’s hair looks a little too much like a wig and the plot does look pretty Black Panther-y, but I’ll probably watch it. Looks decent. I’d still say that they could have doubled or tripled their money by following the strategy I suggested, and that they have wasted an opportunity. > [@blob](#): > > Yes, and he’s believable as the characters. He could have been hired because he’s drop-dead gorgeous handsome, but he plays a role in each case. There’s no way I could sit through watching him just looking handsome, I’d be bored witless. He’s what’s-his-face in Game of Thrones, and he’s Aquaman in the Justice League. His looks and his physique are obviously important to the characters, but they can’t make you want to sit there watching him, there’s more to it than that. I’m reasonably sure that I didn’t propose having him standing around looking handsome. I suggested a maiden rescue film, which strongly implies action. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347/20 "2018-07-22T03:44:15Z")
I haven’t watched any of the DC movies, they really haven’t appealed at even a base level. But if they had started out looking like this, I almost certainly would have been a fan as much as I am for Marvel. Too late now, my disinterest hasn’t wavered despite the apparent superficial improvement in stylistic choices. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-help-me-aquaman-looks-like-a-good-movie/818347.md?page=2)