#aquaman review

[yamasuso]

完全にネタバレ。アクアマン2、オームちゃんのここが可愛い！まとめ。そして妄想もプラスされております。

[batmannotes]

Super Friends: The Complete Series (DVD & Blu-ray) Box Set

Super Friends: The Complete Collection Box Set comes in two different formats; standard definition DVDs and for the very first time, High-Definition Blu-rays. 

Super Friends 1973 Blu-Ray Screenshot

The Super Friends is an animated television series which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup. Sadly, kids today will never know the excitement of waking up early on a Saturday morning and watching wall-to-wall cartoons. Back then there was no streaming your favorite animated series on your tv or mobile devices whenever you wanted, however you did get your fill of kids programming on the weekends. 

The All-New Super Friends Hour 1977 Blu-Ray Screenshot

The show was produced by Hanna-Barbera, who was behind tons of cartoons back in the day like the Flintstones and Jetsons. The Super Friends were obviously members of the Justice League from DC Comics that were rebranded in name. Throughout the show’s 12 year run it had slight name variations like The All-New Super Friends Hour, The Challenge of the Super Friends (which was my personal favorite year), and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, among others. Here is a list of the different name changes through the years. 

Super Friends (1973–1974) 

The All-New Super Friends Hour (1977) 

Challenge of the Super Friends (1978) 

The World's Greatest Super Friends (1979) 

Super Friends (1980–1983) 

Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984) 

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985) 

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985) 

The great news here is that you will find all 9 seasons of the 12-year run in this box set including The Lost Episodes. This release has an amazing runtime of 3142 minutes. The Blu-ray version contains 16 discs and the dvd version has 21. Upon doing a side by side comparison of my old DVDs of the show and the newly released version of DVDs, I really can’t notice any difference, however since the old DVDs are out of print and hard to find nowadays this is a great way of collecting all the episodes in one place if you simply want to collect the show on DVD. 

Comparing the original DVD (left) with the 2024 release (right)

However, my excitement for this release is definitely for the Blu-ray version. This is the first time that fans can add the high-definition version to their home library. Looking at a side-by-side comparison of the original standard defintion DVD version next to the newly released Blu-ray version you immediately notice the beautiful upgrade in color. The animation gets a boast in chroma, unfortunately, that seems to be where the upgrade ends. Little attention was given to cleaning up the film cels that make up the picture here, as spots and other insincerities are still obvious. After so many complaints about how Warner Bros. remastered Max Fleischer's Superman cartoons, the studio is a bit more careful now on how they clean up these older animated titles. Here they were a little too careful … maybe even just lazy.

Comparing the original DVD (left) with the 2024 Blu-Ray (right)

You will also notice this is a very bare-bones release. There is no accompanying booklet or physical extras and NO DIGITAL COPY. On the discs themselves you will find the same extra featurettes that were on the original DVDs such as One-Dimensional Goodness: The Super Friends and the Good Old Days, The Super Powers Collection: The Effect of the Toy Industry on the Super Friends, among a host of others. These featurettes do not receive any upgrades in picture or sound. One of the most annoying things to me is the actual box the discs are in. The discs do not pull out easily from their holder and they certainly don’t pop back into to place without some serious frustration. The bracket on my box set also broke away from the box itself within the first couple times of opening it up. The discs themselves are also extremely basic. No artwork of the characters like most of the original DVDs had on them. That said, the titles are easy to read and presented in an assorted color for each season. 

Shot of open Blu-Ray Box Set/Discs

But let’s face it, the real reason fans are grabbing this release with such delight is for the show itself. For many of us this was an introduction to the superheroes such as Batman & Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Green Lantern. Long before I picked up my first comic book, I watched the Super Friends each and every Saturday morning, rain or shine. Not only was this how I discovered comic books, but it was also my entry way into superhero toys and collectibles. Last year I was really pushing to get this box set released for the Super Friends 50th anniversary, but I will say it puts a huge smile on my face to own every episode now in HD in this mega box set. The lack of extra aside, this is a must-have for Justice League fans. Check out the link here where you can grab a copy for yourself. 

Check out links below for purchase options

The greatest of the DC superheroes work together to uphold the good with the help of some young proteges. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, Super Friends is an animated TV series, featuring the Justice League of America, that ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part the Saturday morning cartoon lineup.

Blu-Ray Box Set available: https://amzn.to/4d8hfaR

DVD Box Set: https://amzn.to/3Bbi99l

Watch the video review below:

[the-desolated-quill]

Okay. So here’s the problem I have with Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.

It’s not a bad movie as such. It has its moments. There are things to like. The problem is that it pales in comparison to the first film. I LOVED Aquaman. I loved it way more than I thought I would. It was a well written, visually stunning fantasy epic. It was also a complete story with a beginning, middle and end. Which leaves us with a big problem with the sequel. Because the ending of the first film is so definitive, there isn’t actually anywhere for the second film to go. I mean they try. We see Black Manta continue with his quest for revenge, and we see Arthur try to reconnect with his half-brother Orm in the hopes of redeeming him, but it all feels kind of superfluous. Everything The Lost Kingdom does, the first film had already done and done better.

It also doesn’t help that this film came out at a time when Warner Bros was busy trying to suffocate the DC Universe with a pillow. Plus the extensive reshoots in order to erase Amber Heard from existence because Hollywood has the backbone of a chocolate eclair. And on top of that, the script’s environmental messaging is both clumsy and painfully on the nose. The villain, a dollar store Sauron, was imprisoned in Antarctica and now global warming is thawing him out. And the film ends with Arthur addressing the United Nations, lecturing humanity to look after the planet, which is not only a complete ripoff of the ending of Black Panther, minus the emotional payoff of a well executed character arc, it’s also unintentionally hilarious because Jason Momoa is doing his speech in his day-glow orange Aquaman suit. I’m sorry, but there’s a reason why Chadwick Boseman didn’t have his Black Panther suit on during his big speech, and that’s because it would be impossible to take him seriously if he was trying to tug at the heartstrings and promote international and intercultural unity while dressed in a giant cat costume. 🤣

And THEN there’s the racial allegory.

When the first film came out, I remember there was minor controversy because people were hoping DC would cast Polynesian actors as the Atlanteans. Instead they were all white, which was a shame… until you watched the film and you realised that all the human characters were played by people of colour, and you listened to the derogatory way Atlanteans talked about humans in the film, and you realise that, holy shit, this was deliberate. Atlantis is a metaphor for white supremacy. They view humans as ignorant, destructive, primitive, and savage. They even refer to Arthur as a mongrel at one point. I love this idea because I think it’s a clever way of tying Aquaman into the original myth of Atlantis, which people tend to forget was itself an anti-colonialist allegory. The Atlanteans conquered the world, enslaving other nations, and because of their hubris and greed, they fell out of favour with the gods, and so Atlantis sank into the sea without a trace. So using DC’s Atlantis as a metaphor for white supremacy is actually thematically appropriate and adds another layer to the film.

Unfortunately the racial allegory becomes very problematic in the second film.

Like the first film, the Atlanteans (with the exception of Arthur) are portrayed by white people and the humans by people of colour, presumably in order to keep continuity with the first film. The problem is that the context of this film is very different. Think about it. What happens? Black Manta, a black man, wants revenge against Aquaman. Humans, played by people of colour, have caused global warming, melting Antarctica, and now Black Manta wants to speed the process up to resurrect dollar store Sauron in order to gain the power to destroy Atlantis, where the white people live. He fails, and the white Atlanteans decide to reveal themselves in order to share their superior wisdom, knowledge and technology with the natives in order to save the world.

Yikes. BIG yikes. 😰

The racial allegory is a double edged sword that cuts both ways. What was used as a way to examine and condemn white supremacy in the first film is now inadvertently reinforcing colonialist narratives and stereotypes in the second. In fairness, I don’t think this was intentional on the part of the filmmakers, but it’s still a MASSIVE oversight, and I’m amazed nobody picked up on it during production. To say it’s dodgy would be an understatement.

So yeah. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom. Not a fan. 🤷🏻‍♂️😕

[ormymarius]

I JUST GOT BACK FROM AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM SO HERES SOME THOUGHTS (with some spoilers)

straight off the bat, ORM WAS PERFECT I LOVED HOW HIS CHARACTER WAS TREATED. THE ANGST. HOW PATRICK PLAYED HIM. his dynamic with Arthur at times was meh (mostly bc of Arthur’s random jokes with him ?? but I get it, they needed some comedy here and there) other than that, I loved Orm so much in this movie I’m going to cry. Finally, Orm being treated with the respect he deserves as a character.

I love how every character really got their chance to shine though. It really felt like Aquafam: the movie. I loved every character to be honest. It’s a shame there’s not going to be a third movie probably because I would’ve liked to see more of this family.

The fight with Manta in the third act was pretty anti-climactic. But it gave the best scene between Arthur and Orm so I’m kinda conflicted about that )): the emotional scenes between those two were so good. OH YEAH I loved Manta in this movie. Manta and Orm were my favorites (are we surprised?) I’m going to miss those two the most.

Mera’s scenes were so cool too. Every time she used her hydrokinesis I was in awe. I loved her :)

I feel like some potential was missed with this movie to be honest, it feels like something is missing but idk what.

Honestly this movie should’ve been marketed more as an Aquafamily movie rather than a buddy cop comedy movie between Arthur and Orm, really that dynamic between them was there for a few scenes.

Overall, I had fun. It definitely wasn’t a perfect movie. I thought it was good as an Aquafan and was something that was worth waiting 5 years for. Thank you James Wan for treating the Aquafamily with respect. It’s a shame there most likely won’t be a third movie because I would’ve liked to see it. ❤️

[kittykatninja321]

Much to think about…

[detectivereads]

Superman Vs Meshi vol 2 by Satoshi Miyagawa & Kai Kitago

5/5

This post is for fan entertainment, I’m not being paid.

Click here to see Vol 1

Click here to see Vol 3

Yay! Vol 2 of Superman Vs Meshi! I am glad I picked up the first 3 volumes when I did and didn’t just get Vol 1. I am hooked on this series. I am wondering if they would make an anime of this. But now I am in a rabbit hole of watching Japanese food videos. Watching train bentos is oddly relaxing.

Now reading volume 2, Superman has been paired up with some new Justice League members (Wonder Woman, The Flash and Batman also Cyborg.) Each person got their own chapters with Superman treating them to lunch and them being smitten by Japanese cuisine.

The one chapter I did like a little more than anything is the chapter with Cyborg, it shows a side of Cyborg that we don’t really get to see much. I remember an episode of Teen Titian (not Teen Titian Go!)  that it was a Cyborg chapter and Teen Titian was the thing I want to say that got me more interested in DC superhero more than Marvel. This chapter shows Cyborg’s insecurities, that when I read it when Cyborg had his accident and was made into Cyborg that he kind of fell into be more robotic (lack of a better term).

But Superman show him one of his favorite restaurants that he likes and when Cyborg eats some bombastic beef curry that is what sets a spark in Cyborg that he reflects on himself, and he gush about how great the curry is.

Another chapter I enjoyed reading is when Superman gets in a photo war on social media with Lex Luther. Luther had posted delicious, expensive looking meals. Does our boy Superman take that declaration of war lying down…no he does not.  So, (and this is why I love this chapter) Superman picks the restaurant that will help him beat Luthor a gyoza restaurant he also orders this amazing looking crab omelet and several different gyoza.

We also see Luther in later chapters, still saying the same old thing that earth doesn’t need Superman.

The last chapter that I read I did feel pity for the man of steel, that Superman does put his life and safety on the line for earth and we got people like Luther complaining about him. But during the chapter I gushed at Superman after reading article that Lois was forced to write about Luther still voicing his opinions and about earth not needing Superman. Superman is naturally hurt by this goes to place to eat his feelings. Introvert ramen bar!!!!!!! At the end of the chapter I was rolling on the floor, I was laughing.

This series is definitely filling that void that Delicious in Dungeon is going to leave me.

[pricelessreviews]

[darkshrimpemotions]

Spoilery Aquaman 2 Review

Aquaman 2 was fun. A little clunky and cheesy at times, but tbh I found that kinda refreshing? It was so goofy and earnest in a way that didn't undercut the stakes or the tough moments and didn't feel nearly as formulaic as a lot of the superhero genre has gotten.

Like...I love a pithy one-liner as much as the next person, but does anyone else ever feel like big blockbusters in general have gotten SO polished that they've basically become scripts full of quotable moments? Does it ring a little hollow for anyone else, or is that just a me thing?

Anyway, the point is Aquaman 2 was kinda refreshing in that regard. There are moments where another film would've put the hero saying something funny and cool, but this movie just allows the character an emotional reaction that feels more honest. Because let's be real, even a goofy fucker like Jason's take on Arthur isn't going to be thinking up cool things to say when his family is in danger. He's going to be scared and angry!

I also thought some of the visual worldbuilding and background gags were just great, so fun. The film was definitely calling back to an earlier era of sci-fi and fantasy films, but in a way that felt self-aware without being too wink-wink, nudge-nudge. The use of CGI was a little heavy-handed in places, but that's hardly unique to this movie or particularly surprising in a film that takes place at least 1/3rd under water.

It was super obvious at first that Mera's role had been severely cut down compared to the first film, in a way that flirted dangerously with simply sidelining the woman into housewifery as soon as she has a child. But there were a few scenes that did the job of showing that Mera is still a queen and a warrior, and in the end it felt more like this was simply the story of Orm and Arthur while the first film was the story of Mera and Arthur.

That being said, Orm and Arthur's interactions were fucking delightful, beginning to end. Best part of the film, hands down. There was some great physical comedy, which I was surprised to see Patrick do just as well as Jason. There was also a really organic build from hate to grudging respect to understanding to love running through the film. The place they ended up felt earned, even in a film absolutely packed with plot and action and character journeys. It held the whole film together.

James Wan's horror background really got its moments to shine in this film, too, just as it did in the first one with that fucking trench scene. He really is a master at juggling tone and genre. I can't wait to see what he does next.

By far the clunkiest part of the film was the Black Manta/Necrus thing and whole environmentalism angle. Which is fine, actually. It feels like a little nudge toward the source material. And I think at any other time it would have fallen much flatter, but with the climate crisis constantly in the back of the mind the way it is now, the clunkiness got a boost just by how terrifyingly relatable and real the stakes were. The speech at the end felt earned, too, even with how clunky the plot was at times.

It was just a fun, solid superhero film! I'm sad we don't get a full Aquaman trilogy, but it was definitely a high note for Jason's time as Aquaman to end on. I can see myself watching this movie over and over.

[ankle-beez]

[skiplo-wave]

Saw Aquaman 2 today

Maybe it’s superhero fatigue but god damn this movie was boring. This is last movie of DCEU and you can tell everyone was ready be done with this shit.

To get obvious out the way. Yes Amber scenes were cut and it’s super noticeable. Basically her and Arthur have a son now and 90% of time Arthur is with the kid with zero scenes of Mera expect via flashback. Other scenes if Mera she’s just 🧍‍♂️ Amber acting with what little scenes she has are not good. I kid you not there’s a discussion scene and half of Mera only looking at Arthur. And then quick looking back and forth as if she doesn’t know what to do or emote. Mind you this a scene where their child just got kidnapped.

You can tell Amber was suppose to have bigger part seeing Mera is a mom now but again it got cut. The movie would’ve been better off recasting her than just cutting scenes. Regardless how you feel about Amber as a person. The movie doesn’t bother making you care for Mera or acknowledge her existence. She’s there to remind you “ she’s Arthur wife and a mother who’s barely there.”

Because of lack of Mera. Caring about Arthur family doesn’t matter. Arthur and his brother felt like Walmart Thor and Loki.

Pacing and editing was ass. Deadass frame rate just slowed down couldn’t tell if that’s editing choice or movie idk but you notice. About last 30 minutes of movie the vfx effects turn into video game graphic. Love of god pay artists better and stop rushing them jfc

I love Jason and he looks like only one trying but even he couldn’t save this slow fart of a movie. DCEU failed from started and ended in sorry fashion. Much as Batman and Aquaman collaborated would’ve been cool it still couldn’t fix the movie ( yeah that was scrapped)

Here’s hoping James Gunn can get DC in right direction cause it desperately needs help. Assuming David doesn’t write it off -_-

4/10 rest in piss DCEU. Henry, Ben, Jason, Ray and Margot y’all all deserve better.

[filmbrainbmb]

New Projector review! Jason Momoa returns in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the unintentional and unceremonious "finale" to the current DC Cinematic Universe, and this sequel just barely keeps its head above water.

[james-stark-the-writer]

HIMBO CINEMA 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO!!!!!! James Wan somehow fucking did it, he made the second best movie the DCEU will ever have. judge me all you want, this is an orgasmic, borderline spiritual experience. not enough to say i'm OBSESSED, i need to be inside this movie. every other frame of this is fucking jaw-dropping, i think this might be the most beautiful looking movie i've seen in quite a while. at least the DCEU goes out on their second highest note yet. happy pride month to me bc i wanna fuck every man in this movie so bad, i am genuinely on my hands and knees.

My ★★★★★ review of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on Letterboxd

[batmannotes]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 4K Ultra HD Review

Jason Momoa reprises his role as the King of the Seven Seas in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which comes 5 years after the original film was released. Once again Aquaman’s most notable rogue, Black Manta, is back seeking revenge for his deceased father. This time, Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and sinister force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman makes an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of Atlantis. Setting aside their differences, they join forces to protect their kingdom and save the world from irreversible destruction. 

I must admit, even though I consider myself a superhero aficionado, it has been 5 years since the first solo Aquaman flick hit the theaters and remembering certain details regarding the movie were hazy for me at best. Fortunately, there are flashbacks to some of the pertinent moments from the first outing. As in the original movie, there is a healthy dose of action and adventure sprinkled with some hit and miss humor. I enjoyed the unlikely bond between the brothers, and it is hard to argue that Black Manta is one of the most iconic super villains to hit the silver screen in a comic book flick in recent memory. Unfortunately, Manta is paired with a far less interesting character named Dr. Shin (Randall Park) and a collection of henchmen and women with little to no depth in this underwater adventure.  

The visuals of this film are the real treat, and with the 4K format they really shine. The underwater computer-generated sequences are particularly aesthetically pleasing, but I really wish this movie stuck to scenes beneath the sea. There are tons of incredibly interesting creatures in the ocean that an Aquaman movie has yet to tap into. A number of times the movie gets caught trying to copy other films, particularly Star Wars, however, this movie lacks the interesting intertwining plot points and character development of the sci-fi classic. Even with the beautiful 4K eye candy most of its visuals project, there are the occasional, (Joss Whedon) Justice League-esque CGI that leaves you wondering, “where did that come from?”. I also did not care for Aquaman being out of his classic orange and green costume for most of the movie, as I felt that it robbed me of that superhero feel.

VIDEO QUALITY 📽️ :  A 

The 2160p transfer looks glorious, even with the aforementioned lackluster CGI in a few limited sequences. This liquid beauty really carry the visual end of this film. 

AUDIO QUALITY 🔈 : A 

The Dolby Atmos English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) really is a treat for the listener at home. The dialogue is clear, and the action sequences are bombastic as you are immersed deep into the sea of this film. 

EXTRAS 📀 :  B 

Included with this single disc release is a Digital Copy and several video extras listed below: 

Finding the Lost Kingdom (21:22) - Jason Momoa, director James Wan, DC honcho Jim Lee, production design Bill Brzeski, and other key members of the cast and crew are your guides at this usually scenic behind-the-scenes featurette, which includes bits and pieces of on-set footage and others supportive clips. 

Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below (9:39) - A like-minded look at various locales on both sides of the surface that covers special effects, location shoots, and Aquaman lore by way of a few vintage comics. 

Atlantean Blood is Thicker than Water (4:17) - A short but sweet look at the history of Arthur and his half-brother Orm, again with some comics history and short interviews with Momoa and Patrick Wilson. 

It's a Manta World (10:08) - Another character-focused featurette, this short piece sits down with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and others to speak about David Kane, Black Manta, the power suit, and more. 

Necrus, the Lost Black City (5:51) - James Wan, producer Peter Safran, Bill Brzeski, and others chat briefly about the titular lost kingdom, its visual creation, and its history in the franchise. 

Escape from the Deserter World (8:05) - Another like-minded featurette about the location -- or in this case, sequence -- featured in the film, a handful of familiar faces share about its creation and execution while being supported by behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, rehearsals, costume and set design, and more. 

Brawling at Kingfish's Lair (4:07) - A quick look at one of the film's many visually overloaded action scenes and some of the goofier details and supporting characters featured in it. 

Oh, Topo! (2:12) - And speaking of goofy supporting characters, this short and light-hearted tribute acts as an appreciation and highlight reel for everyone's favorite comedy relief cephalopod. 

FINAL GRADE: C- 

The only real emotions drawn from this bloated outing are the reconciliation between two brothers and the love for their mother. Aquaman should have submerged deeper into the sea, instead of trying to mimic the tales of old from the land above. 

Order now from Amazon.

[gorogues]

Spoilers for Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #6!

Not tons to say about this, but things are happening and there isn't a lot of standing around talking: Lex has finally put his plan into operation and Batman is countering it with his own giant mech, and even the League of Assassins has sent their pet monster into play. Plus, Grodd uses King Kong and Supergirl to the Legion's advantage and Superman comes out of his coma to confront Godzilla (who is chained with Nth metal at the bottom of the ocean). So there's lots going on, even if the Rogues are basically Legion cannon fodder and not doing much; there probably isn't much for regular villains to do anyway in a melee with giant monsters, mechs, and warriors like Wonder Woman.

I like that Black Manta is still the smartest voice of reason in the Legion of Doom, and the only guy arguing (futilely) that the group is a collective. He's fighting a losing battle, but I appreciate the effort to keep things more egalitarian.

It's interesting that Grodd saw Kong as a god in the first issue but is quite happy to mind-control him now. Maybe that's just Grodd's malicious self-interest at work, or maybe he had second thoughts about Kong's divinity when he saw how benevolent he is towards humanity. Brian Buccellato has always written a particularly vicious Grodd, and he's in fine form here by personally crushing Guy Gardner to death and controlling others with super-strength to do the rest of his dirty work. This is definitely the ape who ripped off Axel's arm and put Roy's head on a pike, and though I think Johns' Grodd was scarier, you can't argue with this Grodd's results.

[stolligaseptember]

TOPO YOU'LL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS

[navek15]

Here’s the list of comics I plan on regularly reviewing from 2024 and into 2025 and beyond! Check out my channel, Navek, for more of that.