The DC Movies Thread v AQUAMAN

[BlackInk]

It was hilarious when they tried to justify the squad going up against the Enchantress and Incubus. Incubus was blasting things with his death tentacles all movie, but when the "heroes" are close and within his range HE STARTS KICKING THEM! Incredibly funny in all the worst ways. Same thing with Enchantress. "Enough!" and then snatches away all their weapons. Could she have done that all along? Was she fighting them earlier just for fun? Doesn't seem like something she'd do.

[Zantera]

I know some people said that about Avengers, like "what's Black Widow and Hawk Eye gonna do against aliens?" but in Suicide Squad it was far worse because most of them had no powers and should have been useless. I could see the need for Pyro, maybe even Deadshot. But really, Harley Quinn with her bat and Captain Boomerang with his boomerang, that's what you're sending against a witch?

My opinion on the film is probably controversial because I hated it so much that it's down there with Fantastic Four for me, there's just so many things that bothered me. By far the worst DCEU film.

[BlackInk]

By far the worst DCEU film.

I agree. Despite being flawed, I actually enjoy both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. So yeah, this one is the worst one by far.

[Zantera]

I don't love MoS or BvS, but I look at both and I see movies that feel like completed movies. Sure, theatrical cut of BvS was a mess, but the Ultimate Cut felt like a movie at least. Both MoS and the ultimate cut of BvS still has problems and Zack Snyder made choices that didn't quite work for me, but they still feel like finished movies. Suicide Squad definitely felt closer to Fantastic Four, you could see the two different visions (director and studio) and how it clashed.

[Adami]

I just remembered something I hated about BvS. The action fight scene in Batman's future dream. I mean, was this really done by the same guy who did the rescuing Martha scene? It's literally a bunch of heavily armed men standing around waiting to be punched by Batman and doing virtually no fighting in the slightest bit.

[BlackInk]

Yeah, that was one weirdly done fight scene.

[Zantera]

https://www.screengeek.net/2016/08/12/open-letter-from-former-wb-employee-bashes-ceo-zack-snyder-wonder-woman/

 

[Darkstarshades]

I dunno, I actually loved The Hobbit trilogy.
I'm a huge fan of the novels (even The Silmarillion, which seems to get a lot of hate for being too much) and I always tho the criticism was needlessly harsh. I tried looking at them from a non-reader point of view, and I can only argue the first film's lenght, but that's it, and maybe that they didn't use the full time for the third film, but that would have ensured even worse reviews.

The additions were good, I enjoyed Legolas being there, I tho the experience was more vivid, and Tauriel character was alright, I don't see the hate on it.

Anyway, the letter is cringeworthy.

[Darkstarshades]

BTW.
Many of the films listed there were box office successes, isn't that what matters?
What's the point of making 10/10 films if you're only getting half the budget in box office?
Sure quality should be there, and it certainly isn't in a lot of the cases, but saying that WB has totally failed, well, not really.

DCEU isn't stopping because it's earning money, and I've never seen a franchise stop because of bad reviews, in that case, Adam Sandler would have stopped filmmaking a long time ago.

[Adami]

Is it what matters? Yes.

Should it be what matters? No.

In the end, audiences (by and large) have ruled that poorly written, poorly made films that entertain them to some extent are actually more valuable than well written, well directed films.

Hence, more and more films like Transformers and Suicide Squad and BvS. Why try to make a good film when people prefer poorly made ones?

[Darkstarshades]

Aside from The Hobbit, I've never denied their lack of quality, specially in their Sci-fi films and Pan which totally sucked ass.

But look, every Transformers film is more succesful than the previous one, and I'm sure the next one will cross the billion mark too.
And I'm sure the DCEU will continue to miss until they're proven that their poor writing will hurt their box office, which hasn't happened in enough extent to make it visible.

[Adami]

Aside from The Hobbit, I've never denied their lack of quality, specially in their Sci-fi films and Pan which totally sucked ass.

But look, every Transformers film is more succesful than the previous one, and I'm sure the next one will cross the billion mark too.
And I'm sure the DCEU will continue to miss until they're proven that their poor writing will hurt their box office, which hasn't happened in enough extent to make it visible.

Yea. Which is my point. You don't need a good movie to make a billion. DC seem to be under the impression that mindless entertainment is what the masses want. As far as I can tell, the SS box office is supporting that theory. BvS just didn't have a moment's fun to it. You take the same horrible story and horrible acting (with exceptions) of BvS but add in some fun, it would have made well over a billion.

[King Postwhore]

My turn to see SS.

[Darkstarshades]

My turn to see SS.

Are you still alive?

[King Postwhore]

Nope, I died.

After reading reviews I went in thinking it would be terrible.   I came out surprised that I liked it.  Was it on the level of any Marvel films?  Not even close but it was better than BvS.   

A lot of the complaints about this group not being able to stop a God but let's be honest, evil would always win if that was the case.  It's always been like that in cartoons.   The impossible happens.

Margo and Will stole the show.

7/10

[Adami]

I have a ton of complaints about that film, between my complaints and all of the complaints I've read about, the probability of defeating the villain was very very low on most people's lists.

It's actually unfortunate for the cast that they were in this movie. They were deserving of so much better. (except Slipknot)

[King Postwhore]

I still feel it was better than BvS.

[Adami]

I still feel it was better than BvS.

It's more fun than it for sure. I wouldn't say, as a movie, it's any better.

But people generally, especially with these types of movies, equate enjoyable with well made.

I mean, it's better than any of the Transformers movies, and even if it is better than BvS, that's a really low bar to set.

I just don't see how "bad story, plus bad writing, plus bad editing, plus a complete lack of logic, plus underutilized characters, plus two really good performances" equates good movie.

I dunno. Guess it's just hard to see standards dropping so low as to say "this was pretty fun, so I will ignore the problems and say it's a good movie and be okay with them making more movies of this quality".

Maybe it's because I'm a comic book fan and I don't equate them to silly mindless fun.

[King Postwhore]

I cannot stand the Transformers movies.  I understand what you are saying and when you look at the Marvel films it's not even a race.

Sometimes,  a fun movie does outweigh the faults.   This is one. Still I'm not praising it at all.

Maybe my expectations were so low that it helped with my perception.   

[Zantera]

I thought BvS was meh (the theatrical cut was about a 5/10, ultimate cut 7/10) but Suicide Squad was more like 3/10 for me.

[ariich]

But people generally, especially with these types of movies, equate enjoyable with well made.

No they don't, but many equate it with "good", which I don't see a problem. If I like a movie because it's well-made, or thought-profoking, or thrilling, or intense, or entertaining, or funny, or any combination of one or more of the above, then I like it. A good film doesn't have to hit all of those.

But well-made is very subjective too based on some of the characteristics you listed (story, writing, under-utilised characters).

I haven't seen the film, by the way, I just have a general dislike of any kind of snobbery.

[BlackInk]

Sometimes,  a fun movie does outweigh the faults.   This is one.

I agree with the bolded, but not with the rest. I felt that the "fun" in this movie was never natural, it felt like they trying to be fun, rather than just being fun. I didn't feel it. The faults in this movie are so large that, for me, the "fun" aspect does not save it.

[King Postwhore]

Hey, to each their own.  It just was better than BvS.  But still not on the level with any Marvel.   My least favorite Marvel is The Incredible Hulk.

[Zantera]

I keep hearing that people thought Suicide Squad was fun and I really wish I shared that view. I mean, at least they tried to spice it up with jokes, but most of it fell really flat for me.

There was one scene that was so great and could have been a shining moment, but they botched it. The gang is at the bar and they're drinking their troubles away before the final battle. Rick Flagg destroys his phone and says something like "You're all free to go, you don't need to help", followed by Captain Boomerang brilliantly exiting the bar immediately in a "Cya"-fashion. It was really great, but they screw it up 5 seconds later when he still shows up in the background and helps anyway. If they had made that scene his exit from the movie, it would have been really funny.

I liked Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, but the jokes she got were mostly terrible. Like when she introduces herself to Katana on the chopper, "the smell of death" or these random lines that felt like improvisational outtake #57 "That's a killer app!". Captain Boomerang was probably the most funny, and that scene when he kinda tricks Slipknot into escaping and his head explodes, that was great. But most of the funny things were the subtle things. When they actually went for those big funny moments/funny lines, most of it fell so flat for me.

[BlackInk]

Hey, to each their own.  It just was better than BvS.  But still not on the level with any Marvel.   My least favorite Marvel is The Incredible Hulk.

Mine is probably the first Thor, which is also an example of a movie where the issues are too big for the "fun" to overcome. But at least in Thor the fun aspect feels natural, unlike Suicide Squad. I do enjoy, at least much of, The Incredible Hulk.

EDIT: Scrap that, I just now remembered that Ant-Man exists. Big issues and unnatural fun-ness.

[Adami]

I haven't seen the film, by the way, I just have a general dislike of any kind of snobbery.

I'm not sure if you're saying that about me, but I don't like the idea that having standards and being critical to any degree is being considered bad and snobby. Too critical is bad, but critical is good.

[Zantera]

The argument I'll never understand is when people defend a bad blockbuster movie with "I just wanted some dumb action". WHY?! There's plenty of great blockbuster films with heart, that are well made and doesn't suck ass. I don't feel like a movie being a blockbuster movie should disregard the need for a good characters or a coherent story.

[King Postwhore]

Dumb action is any Transformers movie. This is at least better than that.

[Tick]

I loved Suicide Squad. So did my wife and daughter. Much better that S v. B.
 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Have you guys seen this yet? I didn't see Suicide Squad but I thought this video was pretty funny.

Suicide Squad Sales Pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMNFaAUs2mo

[Cyclopssss]

Nope, I died.

After reading reviews I went in thinking it would be terrible.   I came out surprised that I liked it.  Was it on the level of any Marvel films?  Not even close but it was better than BvS.   

A lot of the complaints about this group not being able to stop a God but let's be honest, evil would always win if that was the case.  It's always been like that in cartoons.   The impossible happens.

Margo and Will stole the show.

7/10

Pretty much my view. I came away feeling pretty much as expected before I watched it, which was just a fun movie. Come on people, we're talking a comic book movie here, it's not like it's going to win an Oscar.

Loved the chemistry between the characters, even Diablo had me surprised. I liked Boomerang and Katana very much, Killer Croc was well done. I understand there are a lot of Joker/Harly Quin scenes, which is a shame becuase they totally underused the Joker.

Also loved the surprise Flash scene. Margot Robbie is the star of the movie, but Will Smith surprised me pleasantly. I rate it just under Deadpool, which I put in the same catagory.  I would like to see a sequel, hopefully with a better script.

[soupytwist]

Pretty much my view. I came away feeling pretty much as expected before I watched it, which was just a fun movie. Come on people, we're talking a comic book movie here, it's not like it's going to win an Oscar.

A few comic book movies have actually won Oscars....

[BlackInk]

Come on people, we're talking a comic book movie here, it's not like it's going to win an Oscar.

To me, that is no reason to settle for mediocrity.

[Zantera]

It may just be a superhero movie, but why settle for a Fantastic Four level movie when you can make a Dark Knight or Avengers level movie?

[King Postwhore]

I can separate that some cannot reach those levels.  Look at the consistency of any movie Christopher Nolan directs.  That's the cream of the crop.  I know most cannot achieve that.  Marvel is a we run machine and their level is just amazing.

I can still enjoy a movie not at that level.  It's like music.  Sometimes a simple pop tune is all I need and sometimes I want to listen to something complex.  That being said, some do stink at a simple pop tune.  The DC universe is ok so far.  Great, no way.  Still not as bad as the Transformer franchise.