Aquaman's Critical Reception Thread (Rotten Tomato and Metacritic)

[dennis_3107]

Come to think of it, WB should have made it a dome on the sea floor and no water can get it, change the name to Captain Atlantis or Brown Stingray or something.

It’s already faulted for similarities, might as well lol.

 

[Iceman]

Rotten Tomatoes kind of changed the critic game(for the worse IMHO). Before, people just watched the critics that they liked(like Siskel and Ebert) and made their decisions about a film accordingly. Now RT scores can make or break a film even though its just an aggregate of whether or not a critic thumbs up or thumbs down not an actual measure in what they think the quality of the film is. In some ways, we are getting smarter as a species but in so many other ways, we are becoming simpletons.

It would have been fine IMO if they filtered out the guys who have no business being a professional critic and had never come up with the Tomatometer measure and stuck with average rating.

 

[Lucellit]

I know right?

I can’t take it seriously when they complain about the amount of cgi in an underwater movie.

Imagine if wan had decided to base most of the movie on land, the tune would then be “to scared to try underwater environment”. We can never win.

It doesn't matter with countless movies, even praised for it.
They also said that visually Aquaman is good, then what's the problem?

I know it's horrible....but I almost hope Cameron drowns someone this time This guy has to stop

You're scary.
But I do think that some BTS stories and drama will emerge years later, The Abyss 'The Abuse' style.

 

[Crashorama]

Down to 71% falling kinda quickly.......

 

[Iceman]

Anyone complaining about that has already lost at life so maybe we should be sympathetic with them.

 

[JtheDreamer]

I see the Rotten Tomatoes discussion is happening for the 255th time. LOL

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

It would have been fine IMO if they filtered out the guys who have no business being a professional critic and had never come up with the Tomatometer measure and stuck with average rating.

I think the Tomatometer is better than average rating. An aggregate of critics isn't something to derive much detail from in my view, so it's better to just ask how many critics that recommend a given film. Especially since critics don't even use the same rating scales, the ones that do use the same scale don't all define it in the same way, and some don't even use ratings at all.

When we want more detail it's better to look at individual critics in my view.

 

[Beatnation]

To be fair, I would be totally heart broken is Aquaman end up being rotten, I really can't understand, is that hard to make a good Superhero movie at WB??

 

[TheScarecrow]

To be fair, I would be totally heart broken is Aquaman end up being rotten, I really can't understand, is that hard to make a good Superhero movie at WB??

Is it really a bad movie just because people tell you it is?

 

[guyisnotcool]

Gonna be honest I expected it to be in the 80s lol

 

[TheGDBatman]

To be fair, I would be totally heart broken is Aquaman end up being rotten, I really can't understand, is that hard to make a good Superhero movie at WB??

Have you seen the movie? And 70's isn't bad. Chillllll.

 

[Filmfan93]

Is it really a bad movie just because people tell you it is?

It ain't, but when you agree with the critics on that site 5/5 times (in the case of DCEU), it sort of becomes an indicative of what to expect in the future...

 

[JtheDreamer]

By the way the Thor comparison is natural - between the big buff, alpha leading actors and the wacky settings. That's the vibe I got from all the marketing.

The question is whether it's a cheap imitation. Personally I have no faith in Mamoa's acting so if the script is clunky then that's where the gripes begin to sink in because he can't carry the load.

 

[kguillou]

It would have been fine IMO if they filtered out the guys who have no business being a professional critic and had never come up with the Tomatometer measure and stuck with average rating.

The problem is also the movie studios themselves are using RT as a flag that they proudly wave when they get a good aggregate. I saw an Into the Spiderverse commericial that was all like "100% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES, Y'ALL!" and your average person sees that and will think the movie is an A++ masterpiece. Most people think the score is a grade on the movie's quality. Movie studios know that and RT knows that too.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Everyone also needs to realise that its at 50 reviews and its going to jump around a lot, particularly as reviews are added in bunches. Adding two negative reviews simultaenously will shift it 4% down. It will end up with around 300 reviews.

At this stage it could end up anywhere between 95% or 10%. Chillllll.

 

[TheScarecrow]

It ain't, but when you agree with the critics on that site 5/5 times (in the case of DCEU), it sort of becomes an indicative of what to expect in the future...

I think you should just see the movie for yourself. Every film is different.

A minor thing can upset someone's enjoyment of something.

 

[FunkMiller]

I think if it retains its fresh rating that will be something of a mini triumph for the film, given what it follows.

Wouldn’t have thought the box office will be affected much, unless it drops into rotten, which seems unlikely at the point.

 

[Marvolo]

I still will not trust early reactions anymore.

You're just now realizing this? It's been a problem for years. Ever since the early reactions to green lantern said it was a good film.

Early screenings usually are screened to fans, critics, or random audiences. Seeing a film at an early or surprise screening tends to be more exciting than a typical theater going experience. It's a unique or once in a life time event for a lot of people. Sometimes the cast or director may even be in attendance. It skews the emotions and the reactions of the audience. In the case of fan screenings, especially, an exciting early screening in a theater full of fans can make the experience really enjoyable regardless of the quality of the film and that can seriously screw with a person's initial reaction to a film. Anyone that's ever been to was midnight premiere of a star wars film knows what I mean.

And there is the problem of early reactions being posted online immediately after exiting a screening. It doesnt give the film enough time to percolate in their mind. They post their immediate visceral reactions to the film rather than their logical reasoned examination of the film.

Official reviews are a different beast. Unlike early Twitter reactions, reviews are article length. They take more time to write which gives the reviewer more time to actually examine the film properly. And reviews are usually embargoed which gives the reviewer even more time to examine the film before releasing their review.

Long story short, early reactions are about as reliable as a toddler on a coke binge. All emotion and energy. No thought or much reason.

 

[OroroGambitFan]

I dont like to subscribe to conspiracy theories about rottentomatoes but I do believe in marvel after 10 years of solid films has conditioned a good portion of movie goers to like there type of films and only leave room for the occasional deadpool or venom that still has that marvel logo in front of it but be more edgy.

This is the same kind of reply that reeks of 'you knowing more others' just in the sense that if someone genuinely likes the majority of the Marvel movies not based on the things you suggest, but on various other kinds of reasons you relegated that entire group of people as w/weak minded and "conditioned" to like movies. Whether you realize it or not those kinds of comments are very dismissive in the way that you suggest there are other reasons affecting people's true feelings. That's the kind of thing I deplore to no end! It kind of feels elists of you to say that. I actually don't find Marvel films that familiar to one another (Infinity War, Black Panther, Ragnarok, Civil War, Winter Soldier, and Dr. Strange have all distinct feels and themes and to me those set of movies are nothing alike). Sure, after Marvel has put out good movie after good movie you do start to feel safe w/the brand and go in expecting a great movie--- but that doesn't mean that people can't still recognize a good Marvel movie from a bad one. And just because someone likes Marvel movies doesn't mean that don't leave room for other movies, that's ridiculous (at least for the general public at large it's a ridiculous notion IMO).

 

[JtheDreamer]

This is the same kind of reply that reeks of 'you knowing more others' just in the sense that if someone genuinely likes the majority of the Marvel movies not based on the things you suggest, but on various other kinds of reasons you relegated that entire group of people as w/weak minded and "conditioned" to like movies. Whether you realize it or not those kinds of comments are very dismissive in the way that you suggest there are other reasons affecting people's true feelings. That's the kind of thing I deplore to no end! It kind of feels elists of you to say that. I actually don't find Marvel films that familiar to one another (Infinity War, Black Panther, Ragnarok, Civil War, Winter Soldier, and Dr. Strange have all distinct feels and themes and to me those set of movies are nothing alike). Sure, after Marvel has put out good movie after good movie you do start to feel safe w/the brand and go in expecting a great movie--- but that doesn't mean that people can't still recognize a good Marvel movie from a bad one. And just because someone likes Marvel movies doesn't mean that don't leave room for other movies, that's ridiculous (at least for the general public at large it's a ridiculous notion IMO).

You don't understand the power of marketing if you doth protest that harshly to the idea of conditioning a fan-base or general audience. It has nothing to do with elitism.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Another positive yet to be added:

'Aquaman' Review: DC Films' Latest Is The Cinematic Equivalent Of Oops! All Berries

 

[Marvolo]

This is the same kind of reply that reeks of 'you knowing more others' just in the sense that if someone genuinely likes the majority of the Marvel movies not based on the things you suggest, but on various other kinds of reasons you relegated that entire group of people as w/weak minded and "conditioned" to like movies. Whether you realize it or not those kinds of comments are very dismissive in the way that you suggest there are other reasons affecting people's true feelings. That's the kind of thing I deplore to no end! It kind of feels elists of you to say that. I actually don't find Marvel films that familiar to one another (Infinity War, Black Panther, Ragnarok, Civil War, Winter Soldier, and Dr. Strange have all distinct feels and themes and to me those set of movies are nothing alike). Sure, after Marvel has put out good movie after good movie you do start to feel safe w/the brand and go in expecting a great movie--- but that doesn't mean that people can't still recognize a good Marvel movie from a bad one. And just because someone likes Marvel movies doesn't mean that don't leave room for other movies, that's ridiculous (at least for the general public at large it's a ridiculous notion IMO).

But he may not be wrong. The public has always went through trends with pop culture. Pop culture effects the public and the public and the world effect pop culture. It's not a conspiracy to say that after a decade of the MCU, audiences may have gotten used to and prefer their approach to superhero films and that some may be conditioned to be more lenient towards it. Just like after years of bad DCEU films people may be harder on the DCEU and less forgiving.

Maybe its a zeitgeist. *shrugs*

 

[Beatnation]

Another positive yet to be added:

'Aquaman' Review: DC Films' Latest Is The Cinematic Equivalent Of Oops! All Berries

Mendelson likes the film?

Color me shocked.

 

[SomeOldGuy]

I think if it retains its fresh rating that will be something of a mini triumph for the film, given what it follows.

Yup. I mean, I’m a huge CBM fan but...an Aquaman movie? And you’re gonna spend $300 million+ to make and market it? I thought WB had lost their minds. That it’s getting good reviews shocks and amazes me, and I can’t wait to see it.

 

[kguillou]

You're just now realizing this? It's been a problem for years. Ever since the early reactions to green lantern said it was a good film.

Early screenings usually are screened to fans, critics, or random audiences. Seeing a film at an early or surprise screening tends to be more exciting than a typical theater going experience. It's a unique or once in a life time event for a lot of people. Sometimes the cast or director may even be in attendance. It skews the emotions and the reactions of the audience. In the case of fan screenings, especially, an exciting early screening in a theater full of fans can make the experience really enjoyable regardless of the quality of the film and that can seriously screw with a person's initial reaction to a film. Anyone that's ever been to was midnight premiere of a star wars film knows what I mean.

And there is the problem of early reactions being posted online immediately after exiting a screening. It doesnt give the film enough time to percolate in their mind. They post their immediate visceral reactions to the film rather than their logical reasoned examination of the film.

Official reviews are a different beast. Unlike early Twitter reactions, reviews are article length. They take more time to write which gives the reviewer more time to actually examine the film properly. And reviews are usually embargoed which gives the reviewer even more time to examine the film before releasing their review.

Long story short, early reactions are about as reliable as a toddler on a coke binge. All emotion and energy. No thought or much reason.

I can definitely see that. I mean, there are some movies that are just bad and no pampering could fix that but some movies could have just the right amount of "good" in them that it could give you an immediate positive visceral reaction when you leave the theater. Exhibit A: I gave JL a 9/10, i felt very happy with it coming outta the theater. After letting it marinate and watching it again on video, i give it a 6.5. The initial high of seeing Batman, Superman, WW and crew all team up gave me a temporary high that I think dissipated once I realized how problematic the movie is. So yeah, i think sometimes the initial high can skew your perception if a movie.

But anyway, this all looks good, y'all! I'm going to this movie to see Mamoa riding on big ass sharks like a badass mofo and big epic scale action and spectacle and all signs point the movie deliverin on these fronts.