Aquaman will likely make bank, judging by its sneak preview numbers and massive Chinese box office. The movie’s US release is December 21st, this coming Friday, and it’s set to be a big holiday draw. But how do you prepare folks to see this film who’ve never heard of Arthur Curry before?
Of the standalone DCEU movies, Aquaman has the least name recognition among the general public—Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman having existed for decades in different media iterations and high-profile comics. Chances are your non-comics/superhero-movie consuming friends and family members will have seen Jason Momoa and Co. making the rounds for Aquaman‘s recent promotional blitz, but they may have no idea what to expect going in.
This Looper video is a helpful primer to prepare or persuade the people in your life to go and see Aquaman. As for whether you should see it, you can read my review (summary: I think the movie is a lot of fun, if overly long and meandering, but it’s worth it for the visuals alone).
The Looper video runs down the main characters—Arthur, Mera (explaining that director James Wan envisioned her as more of a sidekick, and that Mera is in most scenes after she joins the movie), B-plot bad guy Black Manta and his helmet, Arthur’s mother Queen Atlanna, and his treacherous half-brother Orm. It’s been a big year for misguided environmentalism from our villains; Orm’s actor Patrick Wilson is seen explaining that his character really just wants to save the oceans, man.
I think this little video is helpful Aquaman prep as it showcases the movie’s strengths—completely over-the-top action sequences—as well as runs down some of the campier history of Arthur in the comics. People who never saw Justice League may worry that they don’t know anything about Aquaman going in, but the video shows just enough of his Justice League appearances to get the necessary info across, and Aquaman really stands on its own two fins. You absolutely do not have to have seen Justice League to become immersed in this undersea universe.
A lot of my “superhero movie-going friends” are rooted in the MCU and have told me that Aquaman hadn’t really been on their radar until some of the recent hype; these are the sort I’d send this video. If you’re planning to round up a whole family crew over the holidays to see Aquaman, this could also be helpful. You can assure them that the film bears zero resemblance to previous conceptions of Aquaman that they may be holding, though as Looper explains here, there are some historic holdovers and Easter eggs that longtime fans will be glad to see.
Are you planning to catch Aquaman this week or over the holidays? Are your friends/family hyped or do you have to anticipate making a persuasive case? Talk fish to me in the comments.
(via Looper, images: DC Comics/Warner Bros.)
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