AQUAMAN’s opening weekend has come and gone (sorta) and it did fairly well. Per BOX OFFICE MOJO, director James Wan’s Arthur Curry superhero flick took in $67.5 million over its first Friday/Saturday/Sunday — $72.1 million once you through in the Amazon Prime screenings (to which yours truly contributed). Also, it stands to take in $100 million+ once you tack on screenings on Christmas Eve (Monday) and Christmas Day (Tuesday).
In terms of the unofficially-named DC Extended Universe (“DCEU”) — a moniker that I loathe (but that’s an op-ed/vlog for another time) — it ranks 6th out of the, well, 6 DCEU (ugh, I’ll begrudgingly use it for the sake of simplicity here) movies that have been released starting with MAN OF STEEL (kinda) in 2013.
So, speaking of those 6 DCEU films, we know how they ran in terms of opening, 3-day weekend box office, but how do they rank — per, well, me in terms of enjoyment and quality?
I so glad you asked because I’m fixin’ to tell y’all. Here goes!
6) BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
Overly, dark, depressing, morose, violent, and boring AF, BvS features the absolute worst portrayal of Batman on film since 1997’s BATMAN AND ROBIN.
I haven’t watched this film since the “Extended Cut” (I sorry, it doesn’t make BvS “better”), was released and I don’t think I’ll ever watch that film again.
This should’ve been MAN OF STEEL 2 dammit!
5) SUICIDE SQUAD
I actually don’t mind this movie…well, 2/3 of it.
The first 66% is OK, but the thing goes to hell in a handbasket during the 3rd act. Enchantress as the main “villain” sucked.
However, the cast was great (I don’t even mind Jared Leto’s Joker) — especially Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Will Smith as Deadshot — and that’s what ultimately kinda-sorta saves this flick.
4) JUSTICE LEAGUE
The best thing I can say about JL is that I don’t hate it.
To borrow a line from the great BATMAN BEGINS…
“I don’t hate you, but I don’t have to like you.”
Well, not exactly, but y’all get the point.
The bottom line is that this film was a complete flop and utter disaster. Even worse, the general audience just flat-out didn’t care about it and didn’t turn out to see it.
Thank you BvS!
3) AQUAMAN
Overall, a fun comic book/superhero popcorn movie.
However, it’s not great nor is it one of the genre’s best. That claim in straight-up hyperbole and/or is coming from folks who are drinking too much Atlantean Cool Aid. (I will say that I am happy for the folks who really like or love this movie. DC on film needed something good and I count AQUAMAN as that.)
The first hour of AQUAMAN is really, Really, REALLY good and the finale is exciting and fun.
But the middle of this movie?
Not. Good.
Jason Momoa is cool, Amber Heard is hot AF (but can’t act, but that’s forgivable), and Patrick Wilson as Orm was alright as the film’s main baddie (I liked him as Ocean Master better with subsequent viewings).
So yeah, I’m interested in seeing a sequel — though I don’t know what they’re going to do with it as they through in everything “Aquaman” plus the kitchen sink in this first one. And I couldn’t care less about Black Manta returning, so Zzzzzz on that mid-credits scene.
2) MAN OF STEEL
I guess we have to, but I’m not sure that MAN OF STEEL should really count as a “DCEU” movie. It was intended to be Superman’s BATMAN BEGINS, if you will, and not the beginning of a cinematic universe. Whatever.
If I have said it once here on BOF since 2013 I’ve said it a thousand times: I borderline love this movie. MOS is great…until the finale. It’s simply too long and too violent. A couple of storyline and editing changes (I don’t mind Superman killing Zod, but perhaps a more clever way of taking him down would’ve worked better) and this thing could’ve been a classic. Regardless, I’m HUGE fan of it.
Yeah, Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent really doesn’t become the fully-formed Superman in the film, but that’s OK because he was learning how to be”Superman.” And in fact, film’s ending with the “Welcome to the Planet” line perfectly set up a sequel.
But alas, a proper Superman sequel to MOS was hijacked and we ended up with the overly, dark, depressing, morose, violent, and boring AF, BvS that features the absolute worst portrayal of Batman on film since 1997’s BATMAN AND ROBIN.
1) WONDER WOMAN
WONDER WOMAN is awesome and it’s one of my favorite comic book/superhero films of all-time.
Period.
Nuff said.
OK, I’ll say one more thing: I can’t imagine anyone in this role but Gal Gadot. Not only is she lovely, but she is a fine actress and lights up the screen with charisma. (So suck it fanboys who said she was “too skinny” to play Wonder Woman and wanted someone such as Gina Carano in the role. WTF?!)
I’m invested and I care about her Wonder Woman and I can’t wait to see WONDER WOMAN 1984.
So that is that…for now.
We’ve got SHAZAM! coming in April of 2019, JOKER in October of next year, BIRDS OF PREY in February of 2020, and, of course, the aforementioned WONDER WOMAN 1984 coming in June of 2020. Where will those 4 movies (and yes, I’m counting JOKER because it is a DC film) end up on this list? We shall see soon enough.
Oh yeah, hopefully, we’ll be getting THE BATMAN from Matt Reeves to add to the mix in the relatively very near future as well. Fingers crossed. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
