Day: May 5, 2019

Aquaman: a Mishmash of Mush

Aquaman movie review 3SMReviews

The review:

Sometimes the experience of watching a movie is an exercise in picking apart why the film isn’t working and so it was for James Wan’s Aquaman. I came up with a host of reasons: big gaps in the origin story; villains who had already turned evil, leaving me without reasons to “feel” for them;* flimsy story with not-great writing** that leads to too many action scenes; a very fit guy is only part of the reason to watch a movie, the character he creates has to also be compelling; lack of day-to-day stuff about his life.*** Overall, this was a great example of all style, no substance and I just didn’t care.

The verdict: Skip

Cost: $1.50 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*Green Goblin from Spider-Man and Doc Ock also from Spider-Man come to mind as good examples of villains I felt for, even while rooting for their defeat. Even Ultron managed to by sympathetic.
**For most of the movie Aquaman is all, “I’m totally not going to be your king!” and then at the end it’s suddenly, “This is gonna be fun!” Why the change Aquaman?
***The movie has placed him firmly as a laid-back surfer, and Aquaman himself says he’s dumb at one point. But he speaks, Russian, Italian, Maori and English? When did he learn all of that? Also, how does he eat? Or drink at the bar? Is he paid for his work? Who pays him?

Aquaman movie review 3SMReviews

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Arthur and Orm are elder and younger brothers, but Patrick Wilson is five years older than Jason Momoa, while Nicole Kidman, who plays their mother, is seven years older than Wilson.

If I had a dollar for every movie with a woman playing a “mom” with this age span, it would add up quickly.

On the Town: Good Dancing, Great Costumes

On the Town movie review 3SMReviews

The review:

Since they don’t make movies like Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly’s On the Town anymore, this movie gets a pass on a lot of things.* But it does have great musical numbers*** and that great color saturation that comes with movies from the (almost) 1950s. There are musicals where the story, song and dance meld together into a cohesive wholes and then there is this type where the story is something to pass the time while waiting for the next musical number.

The verdict:

Good, though only because I gave it a pass on a lot of things

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home as part of Filmspotting’s Stanley Donen marathon.

Consider also watching:

  • Singing in the Rain
  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers****
  • Chicago
  • The Sound of Music

Further sentences:

*Outmoded social norms,** a bit too long, a lack of even one very good song.
**Although the character of Brunhilde Esterhazy reminded me a lot of Melissa McCarthy’s character in Bridesmaids.
***I cringed through “Primitive Man” but did enjoy Ann Miller’s awesome green dress with the plaid lining.
****Also a cringe-y plot, but with amazing dancing, great songs and a cohesive story.

Favorite IMDB Trivia Item:

There was a real-life version of the “Miss Turnstiles” contest in New York City. “Miss Subways” was a beauty contest run by the New York Subways Advertising Company from 1941 to 1976. Subway cars featured posters of pretty young women who lived and worked in New York. Link is here.

On the Town movie review 3SMReviews