AQUAMAN Debuts With $9 Million In Thursday Evening Screenings Ahead Of Projected $120+ Million Opening
While Aquaman is set to face stiff competition at the North American box office this weekend, the latest figures are in and they still point to the King of Atlantis ruling at #1 this holiday period...
Aquaman managed to earn an impressive $9 million in Thursday evening previews at the North American box office for a total preview figure of $13.7 million (the rest comes from special Amazon Prime screenings last weekend).
While $9 million would normally be considered a muted number for a superhero movie like this, the Christmas period is a strange one. People don't tend to flock to theaters this weekend as they're preparing for the festivities and the only exception to this slowdown are the Star Wars movies.
Business will pick up in a big way come the afternoon on Christmas Day and analysts currently believe it should make a whopping $110 million - $120 million over the five-day weekend.
It's also expected to easily top Bumblebee and Mary Poppins Returns, while it's closing in on $300 million before evening reaching North America thanks to a massive debut in China and a number of other overseas locations.
Will you be checking Aquaman out this weekend? Share your thoughts in the usual place.
Click on the "View List" button below to see
the best and worst moments in Aquaman!
The Good
Aquaman Vs. Orm
This gladiator battle has been teased in the trailers for the movie but those barely scratch the surface and the actual fight between the two brothers is both packed full of emotion and a thrilling ride from start to finish. With Arthur Curry out of his comfort zone, Orm has the edge when it comes to fighting underwater and that just makes things all the more exciting.
Some will argue that throwing in the crowd responses makes it feel a little less serious, but Thor: Ragnarok did the exact same thing and it's handled in a way here that actually enhances the action.
While the ending is a tad underwhelming, it's also necessary for the story and a great way to set up the final fight between the two which we'll cover in more detail a little later on in this post.
Black Manta's Origin Story
We've heard a lot about this being an origin story for Black Manta and while it initially sounded like he wouldn't receive anywhere near as much screentime as he probably should, what we actually get is a satisfying story arc for him which should continue paying off moving forward.
Arthur's decision to let Manta's father die at the start of the movie is what puts him on an even worse path than the one he was already on, while the way the costume is created both makes sense and actually works really well. The subsequent fight between Manta and both Aquaman and Mera is also incredible, and quite possibly one of the best action scenes to grace a superhero movie.
The Trench
James Wan promised that he would bring his horror background to the table in Aquaman and he wasn't kidding! While it's all strictly PG-13, Arthur and Mera being surrounded by the Trench on a boat out at sea is still terrifying and there are plenty of jump scares.
The fact that they can only hold them off with flares (which, as you'll probably already know, don't last forever) just emphasises that, and you will be on the edge of your seat as the two heroes are pursued by thousands of these monsters through the depths.
It's a terrific sequence and one which definitely does these villains justice. Once again, say what you will about the rest of the movie, but it's a scene which is right up there with Spider-Man battling Doctor Octopus across that train for me as being truly memorable.
Meet Aquaman
In order to gain Atlan's trident, Arthur is forced to prove he's worthy and must do so after confronting a giant sea creature voiced by Julie Andrews of all people. As bizarre as that sounds (and make no mistake about it, it's more than a little cheesy in places), it works really well and the moment the hero emerges from the waterfall decked out in the armour...well, it's bound to give you chills.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Warner Bros. spoiled that in the trailers!" Yes, they did, but there's more to it than what we saw there and while it probably shouldn't have been shown at all beforehand, I'm still pretty sure it's a moment which comic book fans will love.
The Final Battle
Another sequence heavily featured in marketing materials for the movie, I really didn't expect to be wowed by this when it felt like we'd already seen pretty much all of the biggest and best moments.
Thankfully, the studio did decide to hold quite a bit back and while it may be extremely heavy on CGI, it works wonderfully and dodgy effects are never actually an issue (there are moments throughout the movie where they are but that was to be expected and I'd rather the swimming look awkward here and there than a sequence like this be ruined by Green Lantern quality effects).
I think it helps that this fight is telling a story with real emotional stakes and I cannot wait to watch it again and again.
Orm's Defeat
Now, in 99% of superhero movies, Orm would have been killed by Aquaman and that would have been the end of that. Thankfully, Aquaman bucks a trend by not only leaving the self-proclaimed Ocean Master alive but leaving the door open to possible redemption.
Arthur tells him that when he's ready, he'll happily talk to him and it's clear now that the two brothers could end up repairing their relationship - to some extent, at least.
Taking that aside, though, and the fight between these two (which takes place above the surface) is nothing short of epic and definitely one which takes full advantage of both Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson's respective acting skills. The parallels with their first fight are also clear and a nice touch which does a great job of wrapping the movie up in a satisfying manner.
Mid-Credits Scene Tease
Earlier in the movie, Black Manta is defeated and sent rocketing over the side of a cliff. He's dead, right? Nope. During the mid-credits scene, the villain is found floating on debris out at sea and then wakes up in the care of Dr. Shin, a slightly unhinged scientist whose claims that Atlantis is real are still being scoffed at by the media.
Manta promises to help Shin prove that Atlantis exists in exchange for the scientist helping him find Aquaman. He clearly has revenge on his mind and this is a great tease for a possible sequel.
The Bad
Flashbacks
These scenes aren't terrible by any means but they're probably the most disappointing thing about Aquaman.
Nicole Kidman's goofy reaction to waking up on the surface worked better when Thor did it back in 2011, while the young Arthur talking to fish for the first time comes across a little silly.
Vulko's training is also a bit hit and miss (mostly because the actor playing Arthur isn't the best) and I'm not sure how necessary these flashbacks were. If anything, they're a distraction!
Throwaway Justice League Mention
Yes, Aquaman is very much a standalone movie and that means DC Extended Universe Easter Eggs are few and far between. In fact, there's a grand total of one, and that comes when Mera mentions that Arthur was able to defeat Steppenwolf.
Beyond that, we learn nothing about the current status of the Justice League or the world at large and that's bound to disappoint a lot of comic book fans.
An Unexpected (Expected?) Return
During the final act after Arthur and Mera escape the trench, they enter a hidden land full of dinosaurs and, well, the whole thing is a bit daft if I'm being honest! So too is the somewhat predictable return of Nicole Kidman as Atlanna.
It turns out that she's been stuck there for over twenty years and she's decked out in a costume almost as silly as the one Janet Van Dyne had in Ant-Man and The Wasp!
Atlanna's return helps create a happy ending for a number of characters so I can see why it was included. Ultimately, though, I don't think the movie would have suffered too much without her! In the grand scheme of things, these are all fairly minor complains and Aquaman is a damn good time.