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Aquaman (2018)

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M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#476: Jan 14th 2019 at 11:52:52 PM

Post-Flashpoint Black Manta (and most other incarnations of Black Manta) tend to be a lot more sympathetic than pre-Flashpoint Black Manta.

Pre-Flashpoint Black Manta was a straight up monster.

Disgusted, but not surprised
windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#477: Jan 14th 2019 at 11:57:11 PM

[up][up]Why did Arthur want to kill Manta again?

[up]Now that I think about it, Manta killed Arthur jr, at least a decade before the Joker killed Jason Todd. Aquaman basically had the original Death In The Family.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#478: Jan 15th 2019 at 12:02:51 AM

And Jason Todd at least was a trained superhero sidekick.

Arthur Curry Jr. was still barely more than a baby when Black Manta suffocated him to death.

Disgusted, but not surprised
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#479: Jan 15th 2019 at 12:11:05 AM

Jesus that’s fucking brutal.

........ And a baby commercial is on TV right now.

Even more fucked up.

Edited by slimcoder on Jan 15th 2019 at 12:11:31 PM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#480: Jan 15th 2019 at 12:15:39 AM

Even worse is the way he did it. He trapped Arthur Jr. in a globe that was filling with air (he couldn't breathe air yet) and forced Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad to fight each other in exchange for Arthur Jr.'s life. Aquaman of course chose his son over his sidekick, something which would cast a shadow on their future relationship. But Aquaman was unable to reach Arthur Jr. in time.

And it doesn't end there. Aquaman buried his son at Mercy Reef, the same place where Aquaman himself was left to die as a child. Black Manta would later destroy Mercy Reef, desecrating Arthur Jr's grave in the process.

The sickest thing is that Black Manta is proud of this and has on more than one occasion gloated to Aquaman about it.

That quote I mentioned? That's from a storyline where Aquaman showed mercy and sympathy to Black Manta and healed him of autism (...yeah, don't ask). Black Manta pretended to be a changed man and grateful...right up until he stabbed Aquaman and said that quote.

Edited by M84 on Jan 16th 2019 at 4:19:45 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#481: Jan 15th 2019 at 12:33:09 AM

My favorite thing about Black Manta, however, is the fact that, until he took off his helmet, nobody knew he was black. And then he was like, "Why the hell did you think I called myself Black Manta?"

Here's that moment.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#482: Jan 15th 2019 at 12:50:48 AM

Future stories would then play around with this by teasing the idea that Black Manta was motivated by racial reasons, only to go "nope he's just an evil self-serving asshole".

A later story which I mentioned before also teased that one of the reasons he was so awful was because he was...austistic.

Yeah...

The only saving grace was that the story showed us that the autism had nothing to do with his morality. See the quote.

Black Manta is probably the one DC villain who is most motivated by a deep personal hatred of his heroic Arch-Enemy.

Edited by M84 on Jan 16th 2019 at 4:53:53 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#483: Jan 15th 2019 at 1:01:16 AM

Yeah there is something just beautiful about his hatred of Aquaman.

It’s such a pure hatred that you can’t help but think “damn this is one fucked up motherfucker.” tongue

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#484: Jan 15th 2019 at 1:13:37 AM

Other archenemies serve as thematic foils or something to the heroes.

Black Manta? He just plain hates Aquaman.

Disgusted, but not surprised
windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#486: Jan 16th 2019 at 5:11:21 AM

Depends on the Reverse Flash.

Ookamikun This is going to be so much fun. (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
This is going to be so much fun.
#488: Jan 16th 2019 at 9:34:35 AM

Wait, critics are hating on Aquaman? Are we seeing something like Speed Racer except it didn't bomb?

windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#490: Jan 16th 2019 at 9:43:54 AM

From what I can tell, it's been getting mixed-to-positive reviews. Not especially glowing, but nothing super-negative either.

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#491: Jan 16th 2019 at 10:14:01 AM

"here’s a character in Aquaman named Orm, he’s the younger half brother of Arthur, and he’s filled with angst and bent on conquering the world. he spends the final climactic battle getting his Draco Malfoy-lookin ass whooped by Jason Momoa, then proceeds to have a nervous breakdown when his mom shows up. seems like the type of thing you all would run with"

Ok that make me laught a lot, there indeed a tendecy to draco latter pant little skinny white gus, isnt?.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#492: Jan 16th 2019 at 2:52:58 PM

Rotten Tomatoes started at mid-70's and dropped to mid-60's. Most everywhere I've seen seem to agree that it's flawed (mostly a generic story) but the movie is definitely a net-positive experience.

ShirowShirow Dinosaur Hunter from Land of Maple Syrup (Old as dirt)
Dinosaur Hunter
#493: Jan 16th 2019 at 8:54:08 PM

The reviewers I actually follow (Nerdy ones, of course) all had positive stuff to say about the movie.

Moviebob's final line in his review pretty much spells it out: What else did you want an Aquaman movie to be?

You are not alone.
windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#494: Jan 18th 2019 at 12:48:53 AM

I hope I don't regret posting this.

Zack Snyder Helped Aquaman Director Undo Joss Whedon's Justice League Changes

The information about Snyder's involvement in Aquaman comes from actor Neil Daly on the Fire and Water Podcast. Daly was responsible for running the test screenings of both Justice League and Aquaman. Daly revealed that Whedon was behind much of Justice League's "teenage boy sexual humor." This includes gags like Aquaman hitting on Wonder Woman while under the influence of the Lasso of Truth. Wan didn't want this approach in Aquaman.

This calmer (and arguably more likable) Arthur is apparently the vision that Snyder had for the character all along, though there's only Daly's word for it. Snyder never really had much of a chance to deliver his version of Aquaman in the DCEU. Snyder did cast Momoa and the actor has been clear about his gratitude toward Snyder. However while Momoa is in Snyder's Batman v. Superman, he only has a wordless cameo. If Daly's comments can be taken at face value, it seems a lot of Arthur's depiction in Justice League is down to Whedon, at least in terms of Aquaman's humor and/or his relationship with women.

Edited by windleopard on Jan 18th 2019 at 12:50:30 PM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#495: Jan 18th 2019 at 12:55:17 AM

Somehow I'm not surprised.

Disgusted, but not surprised
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#496: Jan 18th 2019 at 12:55:31 AM

Whedon's Aquaman and James Wan's Aquaman seem pretty much the same to me.

I mean, Wan's Aquaman offers to pee on an ancient Atlantis treasure. That's just about the same crude humor from him we saw in Justice League.

Edited by alliterator on Jan 18th 2019 at 12:57:51 PM

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#497: Jan 18th 2019 at 1:03:49 AM

I mean, I'm not the hugest fan of Whedon as a director, but this feels an awful lot like Snyder (who doesn't have much of a high ground imo) trying to pass the buck at Joss' expense.

"Oh, this actually well received thing? That was my actual vision all along. Honest."

He's also taking credit for James Wan's work and characterization, which is nice.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Jan 18th 2019 at 1:07:35 AM

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#498: Jan 18th 2019 at 1:07:35 AM

It's also from a third party (an actor who ran test screenings?) which seems to me like he's trying to gain favor from Snyder in some way.

windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#499: Jan 18th 2019 at 1:17:40 AM

[up][up]Snyder didn't give this interview. He's not taking credit for anything.

Also, Wan himself also stated he showed Snyder the film and Momoa has attributed some of Aquaman's success to Snyder.

Edited by windleopard on Jan 18th 2019 at 1:20:41 AM

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#500: Jan 18th 2019 at 1:22:46 AM

If you listen to the podcast, however, is seems like this guy is giving way too much credit to Snyder, saying that everything bad about the DCEU is due to executives and Whedon, while everything good is due to Snyder himself. He especially seems to be talking about things that he would have no knowledge of — i.e. "Snyder wanted to make solo movies first and not rush in to making Justice League, but WB execs wanted it" like how would you know that, you were just running test screenings.

[up] Momoa credited Snyder because Snyder was the one who hired him to be Aquaman. Without that, Momoa wouldn't have been Aquaman.

Edited by alliterator on Jan 18th 2019 at 1:24:25 AM


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