The Fishing Hole: Aquaman, Spidey, and Justice League

Welcome to the Fishing Hole, the?ScreenFish Staff’s daily roundup of late breaking cinema/TV/pop culture news.? Here’s what we’re talking about today . . .

Arnaldo R.: Soooo, I know we don’t put much stock in Rotten Tomatoes, but Bumblebee is 94%, Aquabro 68%, Poppins 77%.

Steve N.:?I?m shocked that Poppins is so low considering the Top 10 lists it?s on.

Chris U.: Film criticism is about to take a turn. The disconnect between writer/audience is growing deeper with every release. Critics had us prepped for a horrifying experience w/Venom. $200 million U.S. So go figure.

Jacob S.: Venom was terrible. Just because people went to see it doesn’t mean it was any good. The critics were right.

Chris: Will Sony believe you? Or that $200 million they?re still counting? THAT’s the point.
(PS – Venom was GREAT!)

Arnaldo: I have not seen Venom…so can’t say on film itself.

Jacob: IMO it was so bad I couldn’t finish it. So, for perspective, what made it great for you? I reserve great for … much more than what I saw, so I’m curious.

Alan S: So are we really influencers?

Arnaldo: As for Sony, it depends what they internally thought it would make vs what it made.

Chris: We used to be [influencers]. Millennials are making up their own minds about such things.

Arnaldo: It’s kind of the Justice League viewpoint….did it make money…yes. should it based on characters and genre made more….also yes.

Jacob: Based on the amount of money that publicists are paying for even small options like us to go to film, talk to talent, and get review copy, the studios still think we are.

Chris: Justice League made over $200 million too.

Jacob: So will Aquaman.

Chris: But it’s recognized as a major disappointment when you consider the comps.

Arnaldo: But it should have way more is my point. And it made less than the studio hoped it would.

Jacob: I’m going to go see it, regardless of what critics say, and even though I think it looks terrible.

Chris: This was DC’s answer to Avengers. And in that regard, they took a FAT L

Jacob: But Venom – to this fanboy – couldn’t compete even though I like Hardy, because that was a story devoid of Spiderman … which is dumb.

Arnaldo: There aren’t that many villains that can carry a standalone film without their rival. Again, I haven’t seen Venom so just speaking hot air. LOL Once Venom is available to rent on Amazon I’ll watch it

Jacob: I’m reading Miles Morales comics because Spiderverse was so good. If I had gone from the movie to the comic and Morales was a white rich woman, I would’ve been frustrated.

Chris: Jacob just explained it.

Jacob: Works the same way being a fan of the comic and going to see a film that doesn’t actually carry its water.

Arnaldo: I’ve been a fan of Miles since he was released

Jacob: Sure, Harry Potter movies made a lot of money – but they’re not as good as the books

Chris: The stuff we are fans of we judge more harshly

Jacob: I had gotten to the point where I was over Spidey. Needed a new twist. Miles does that.

Arnaldo: (agrees)

Chris: About Aquadude

Jacob: Given that I follow sci-fi, comics, crime fiction, thriller fiction, tv, etc., everything that doesn’t measure up gets blasted. ?

Chris: He doesn?t come with high fanboy pressure to nail it

Arnaldo: I have plans to see Spidey, and an idea of an article after I see it, but I have to see it first or my article doesn’t work.

Jacob: The world didn’t need another white action figure, so I get Momoa. But they’re going to have to nail it or the underwater stuff is going to look like it was shot by us with a GoPro.

Chris: I think it’ll be fine.

Jacob: At this point, DC can’t settle for “fine”

Chris: They already have. Aquaman and WW is all they?re rolling with

Arnaldo: Aquaman has fanboys believe it or not

Chris: Supes is getting course corrected

Arnaldo: Aquabro I’m not sure of

Chris: Batty is getting course corrected. Justice League 2 is off the table for now

Jacob: I own a fair share of Aquaman comics

Arnaldo: They have to blow the Fanboys away for him to accepted, which is sad

Chris: They’re folded on the current JL path

Jacob: I was a swimmer through college… appreciate the swimming aspect

Chris: Back on their ?see what sticks? hustle . . . Gal and Momoa are the only things sticking

Jacob: Momoa has carried a bunch of stuff Chris will never see . . . so they’re willing to take a risk.

Chris: Jacob . . . You know they fired Cavil from Supes, right?

Jacob: Fine with me

Arnaldo: WB is throwing darts hoping to hit bullseye or at least get close.

Chris: I know Momoa, dude.

Jacob: I didn’t mind him as much as Affleck. I meant he has all those Netflix shows

Arnaldo: You don’t green light that many different joker movies if you had an actual clue

Jacob: Small screen < big screen

Chris: Case closed. Thanks, Arnaldo. Multiple Joker movies . . . Birds of Prey BEFORE Suicide Squad sequel . . . ?Throw it at the wall all over again?

Jacob: #noclue

Chris: Whatever sticks graduates to JL 2.0. Whatever doesn?t will get axed like Affleck and Cavil.

Arnaldo: I’m as tired of the Marvel comparison as the DC Fanboys are but…Marvel made a talking raccoon work. DC couldn’t make Batman and Superman work.

Chris: Because they planned for it 6 years before we saw it. Feige wouldn?t have done it if he wasn?t convinced it would work. Key word: PLANNING. What, again, IS the DC plan?

Arnaldo: Who knows. Same can be asked about Sony. Are they going to stick to Spidey villains without Spidey?

Chris: 1. Pray Aquaude eeks out $250 mil
2. Hope R-rated Birds Of Prey works
3. Keep Flash on hold while we wait for JK Rowling to finish the last 2 chapters of Fantastic Beasts
4. Hope they can eke out another $100 million or so off Shazam
Did I miss anything?

Jacob: If Venom had been R-rated, I might’ve bought in.

Chris: As far as Sony, I think they?re waiting for Endgame to play out first. If Disney doesn?t lock in Spidey for another team up, he?ll be a free agent to appear in their flicks.

Jacob: Most of the Netflix Marvel stuff is better than the DC feature

Chris: It was. Reshoots. Sony chickened out at the thought of an R rated movie connected to Spidey and ordered reshoots to tone Venom down. But everyone knows, including the lying director, that R was the original plan.

Jacob: Homecoming was darker than Venom.

Arnaldo: Sony knows what Marvel’s plans are for Spidey. They don’t sign that deal without being allowed to know some small details.

Chris: Hmmmmm

Arnaldo: AKA Marvel keeps him and Sony doesn’t

Chris: That’s breaking the law. Sony owns the rights which is why Venom is here. To keep the rights spinning. If Sony abandons Spideyverse movies for a certain period of time, rights roll back. That’s why we have the Silver and Black plan. The Mobius plan.

Arnaldo: You misunderstood. I’m not talking who owns the rights. I’m saying that Sony while still holding some/most of the rights basically conceded live action Spidey to Marvel.

Chris: Not the rights. I explained it years ago.

Arnaldo: They allow Marvel to use Spidey, aka they gave the keys to the car away while still holding the title. Sony is race car owner basically. Marvel is the driver. Sony has no plans to get behind the wheel as long as Marvel continues to kill it at the box office. Sony is happy to sit back and count the money.

Chris: So why make Venom, Mobius, Into The Spiderverse if they can just sit back and eat off of Marvel?

Arnaldo: Because they want their cake and eat it too, and Marvel has no plans with those characters.

Chris: All I’m saying . . . Don?t be shocked at Tom Holland cameos after Endgame.

Arnaldo: Yet his next Solo film is after Endgame…? If you mean in Morbius and Venom type of films….maybe but I highly doubt it. Feige isn’t going to let Sony control part of the MCU. Sony already set it up with Miles.

Chris: It’s coming.

Arnaldo: Different universes.

Chris: Miles is animated. This is live action. We will see how it all turns out. GO AQUADUDE!

Join the conversation!? Agree or disagree with our band of ScreenFishers?? Ready to challenge their POV?? Feel free to share in the comments!

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