While every DCEU movie has its defenders, the critical consensus on the superhero saga has usually been less than glowing, making Aquaman the rare example of a film in the franchise that garners significantly more positive reviews than negative, and the promotion is wisely taking advantage of the plaudits.
Two new TV spots for James Wan’s latest release showcase an array of admiring quotes amidst some pretty dazzling imagery from the underwater world inhabited by Arthur Curry. Indeed, the film’s visuals remain a consistent point of praise among audiences and critics, with Shazam! director David F. Sandberg just recently claiming that the flick has “some of the most spectacular action and visuals ever.” Meanwhile, some fans have even started lamenting that the movie was ‘snubbed’ in the Visual Effects Oscar race, since the feature was revealed to be conspicuously absent from the Academy’s newly shared shortlist.
In any case, Aquaman has earned more praise from critics than you’d normally expect for a DCEU movie, with the film currently holding a score of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 136 reviews. Granted, this response is nothing spectacular, with last year’s Wonder Woman earning a figure of 93%, but when you consider that the cinematic universe’s next highest scorer is Man of Steel at 56%, Wan can at least boast that he’s made the saga’s second most acclaimed entry.
On a commercial front, however, things look to be going even better, with the film currently tracking for a domestic gross of between $65 million and $70 million in its first three days, before taking in a total of at least $120 million over the full five-day holiday weekend.
You can decide for yourself if Aquaman is worth all the praise and attention when the movie comes out on December 21st.