AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 10 Mar 2019, 14:07

PATRICK WILSON THEORIZES ON WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT HOLD FOR ORM IN AQUAMAN 2
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/aquaman-2 ... mike-avila

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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 11 Mar 2019, 12:04

Aquaman 2: 5 Characters We Want To See Return (And 4 We Don't)
https://www.cbr.com/aquaman-2-returning ... ters-want/
WANT: KING NEREUS

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Much to the surprise of everyone, we seem to be in a bit of a renaissance for Dolph Lundgren’s career. The '80s movie icon made a comeback with a stellar performance in Creed II, which he followed up by appearing in Aquaman as Mera’s father King Nereus.

It was an absolute joy to see Lundgren in this big-budget superhero movie, riding a seahorse. Though the role wasn’t too big, he was a welcome presence every time he appeared. Given his relationship with Mera, it’s entirely likely he could appear again.
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 15 Mar 2019, 11:25





'Aquaman': Let's take a deep dive into that high-octane submarine fight (exclusive)
https://news.yahoo.com/aquaman-lets-tak ... 48932.html

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Aquaman: "Creating Undersea Creatures" Exclusive Featurette
https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/13/a ... featurette

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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 16 Mar 2019, 12:37

Blu-ray Review
https://www.avnirvana.com/threads/aquam ... post-34569
Video: 4.5 stars
Aquaman is truly stunning on Blu-ray, and near perfect in many ways. The movie is razor sharp, shot with Arri Alexa cameras at 3.4K, and then transferred to a gorgeous looking 2K master. The film just dazzles with color once it gets to the under water realm of Atlantis, and by dazzles I mean DAZZLES with color. The entire world is lit up with neon blues, reds, purples, greens and varying shades of gold and blue. The light pale blue of the Atlantean ships contrasts with the deep red of the battle guard, and the insanely lit up city just leaves you feeling like you’re in the middle of a light show. On the other hand, there is sooooooooooo much brightly lit CGI that I felt like we were almost watching an animated movie. Unfortunately this can be seen as a bad thing, as the CGI is so overbearing that the budget just couldn’t keep up. The CGI de-aging process for everyone just looked waxy and weak, and the underwater characters looked rubbery and soooooooo processed it almost looked like things weren’t live action. That being said, that’s not a transfer problem as much as it is an issue with how the movie was filmed, and there is sooooooo much fantastic imagery to look at that you can sort of forvie those faux pas. The blacks are deep and inky, but there is some color banding underwater that is typical for said underwater shots. It’s a great looking discs, and details are stunning across the board, but it’s kept from greatness due to the disconcerting CGI and some softness that occurs as a result.



Audio: 5 stars

Even if you have criticisms of the film itself, or the overuse of CGI for the visuals, there’s really no room for criticism on Warner’s Dolby Atmos track. This is one powerhouse of a track, and pure ear candy from beginning to end. The track smashes you in the face with the opening submarine battle, and sets the stage for the rest of the action packed film with an incredible LFE assault that just doesn’t let up. When I mean it doesn’t let up, I meant it DOESN’T let up! The bass is constant and powerful, pulsating in the background from the rousing score, to delivering wave after wave of low end during the copious battles. Tridents smashing together carry the weight of the seas behind it, and the thundering roar of the giant sea monster at the end will give you chills. Surround activity is insane, with overheads and back channels used with incredible frequency. The underwater universe allows for a full 360 degree sonic layer that just encompasses the listener. The wooshing of the water around you shifts and changes at will during the ring of fire battle, going to the sides, above, behind at the drop of a hat. Vocals are always clean and clear, and the dynamic range is absolutely massive. Once moment Aquaman is growling at Mera, and the next energy blasts are coming from all directions. It’s a stunning track that made me grin from ear to ear.

I must warn you though, Warner has once again put a 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix on the discs as well, which means they naturally default to that track instead of the Atmos one. So if you want to hear the Atmos mix (or at least the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD core track), then you have to go into the menu and manually select it. I had hoped that with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald forgoing that annoyance that Warner was changing its ways, but it looks like they’re back to their old patterns with Aquaman.



Extras: 3.5 stars

• Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman
• Becoming Aquaman
• James Wan: World Builder
• Aqua Tech
• Atlantis Warfare
• The Dark Depths of Black Manta
• Heroines of Atlantis
• Villaneous Training
• Kingdoms of the Seven Seas
• Creating Undersea Creatures
• A Match Made in Atlantis
• Scene Study Breakdowns
• Exclusive Sneak Peek of Shazam!



Final Score: 4 stars

As I said above, Aquaman is not as awe inspiring as Wonder Woman, but it is a genuinely fun movie that actually adds a spark to an otherwise bleak and depressing series of DCEU films. I an only hope this is a trend going forward, as many fans were rather worn out with Zack Snyders obsession with being dark and edgy. With Shazam! looking to be as comical as it is, I think the series is defintely moving in the right direction in that regard. The Blu-ray looks great, sounds even better, and the extras are rather decent. As a huge critic of the DCEU, I have to give a solid thumbs up to Aquaman, as it was the first time since Wonder Woman that I genuinely had a good time in this universe. Good Watch.




4K Blu-ray Review
https://www.avnirvana.com/threads/aquam ... view.4281/
4K Video: 4.5 stars
[​IMG] The step up from 1080p Blu-ray to 4K UHD is typical of a 2K mastered source. That means that there are some very noticeable upticks in clarity and detail, but the biggest boost comes from the use of HDR and Dolby Vision with the vivid colors. The backgrounds and CGI battle armor seem to show the most upgrade in terms of clarity, with more defined lines on the characters, as well as little details like individual fish scales showing up better. The softness of the CGI is more apparent in the 4K UHD presentation due to the increased clarity, but the colors are just sooooooooo much better here. The use of HDR and DV really makes those primary colors just pop off the screen, and are so deeply saturated that I was literally almost drooling at the screen. Blacks are deep and inky, and that banding that I noticed in the Blu-ray release seems to have been negated with the higher resolution and HDR level blacks. It’s a great looking 4K UHD disc, and while it’s not a perfect one, makes a rather solid step forward over the already impressive Blu-ray disc.



Audio: 5 stars
Even if you have criticisms of the film itself, or the overuse of CGI for the visuals, there’s really no room for criticism on Warner’s Dolby Atmos track. This is one powerhouse of a track, and pure ear candy from beginning to end. The track smashes you in the face with the opening submarine battle, and sets the stage for the rest of the action packed film with an incredible LFE assault that just doesn’t let up. When I mean it doesn’t let up, I meant it DOESN’T let up! The bass is constant and powerful, pulsating in the background from the rousing score, to delivering wave after wave of low end during the copious battles. Tridents smashing together carry the weight of the seas behind it, and the thundering roar of the giant sea monster at the end will give you chills. Surround activity is insane, with overheads and back channels used with incredible frequency. The underwater universe allows for a full 360 degree sonic layer that just encompasses the listener. The wooshing of the water around you shifts and changes at will during the ring of fire battle, going to the sides, above, behind at the drop of a hat. Vocals are always clean and clear, and the dynamic range is absolutely massive. Once moment Aquaman is growling at Mera, and the next energy blasts are coming from all directions. It’s a stunning track that made me grin from ear to ear.

I must warn you though, Warner has once again put a 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix on the discs as well, which means they naturally default to that track instead of the Atmos one. So if you want to hear the Atmos mix (or at least the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD core track), then you have to go into the menu and manually select it. I had hoped that with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald forgoing that annoyance that Warner was changing its ways, but it looks like they’re back to their old patterns with Aquaman.
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 16 Mar 2019, 18:04

Another review of the 4K release
https://www.homecinemachoice.com/conten ... ray-review
Aquaman Ultra HD Blu-ray picture quality
Even at this stage it’s easy to peg Aquaman’s 4K HDR Blu-ray release as a potential disc of the year. Warner’s platter (which includes a Dolby Vision encode in addition to HDR10) is destined to become a demo favourite.

The wide colour gamut and HDR grade combine to create an image that is – and this isn’t an exaggeration – astonishing. This is particularly true of the myriad sequences that take place in Aquaman’s aquatic environments, where bioluminescent creatures positively glow with radiant blues and the regal costumes of the Atlanteans are richly hued. Golds, greens, purples and reds (such as Mera’s hair) are oh-so vibrant, while bright highlights from searchlights and fireballs are pushed to extremes. This is drink-it-all-in-stuff and worth the entry price alone.

The surface world scenes are less psychedelic (and more naturalistic) but no less proficient. External shots during the Sicily chase/fight showcase gorgeous blue skies and solid whites, while darker scenes (such as the sub-Saharan expedition or those beyond the Trench) retain colour punch and shadow detail. Even tricky dim-lit underwater scenes don’t descend into murk.

There’s a strong contrast across the board, ensuring an image with a wonderful sense of depth. Consider Chapter 4's meeting between Mera and Aquaman outside the harbour bar. Here, the HDR grade picks up the reflected moonlight on the jeep and the water's surface, and the neon bar signs glow strongly, yet the rest of the image is varying shades of dark without crush, the sky a deep black.

Clarity is good, albeit with some softening from CG backgrounds, particularly the sunset lighthouse scenes. The IMDB reports Aquaman was captured at 3.4K for a 2K DI, but this supposed upscale doesn’t stop fine details – grains of sand, the lashing rain during the film’s climax, strands of wavy hair – from being easily discernible. It’s not the sharpest 4K image you’ll ever see though.

A word on framing. The film kicks off using a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, but Warner’s 4K Blu-ray switches to 1.78:1 at times to mirror Aquaman’s theatrical IMAX DMR presentation. We say ‘at times’ – in truth the film employs the full-frame for its majority. The first 32 minutes (approx) are at 2.40:1, while the rest (apart from a 15-minute scene around the 90-minute mark) are at 1.78:1. And the large-frame scenes pack a little more pixel detail.

Picture rating: 4.5/5



Aquaman Ultra HD Blu-ray audio quality:
As with Aquaman himself, this film’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack is a big, brash bruiser, one that loves nothing more than cutting loose and barrelling around from scrap to scrap with barely a pause for breath. This is most definitely not a complaint, because the result is an astonishingly dynamic and expansive aural experience that fully immerses you in the world James Wan creates.

Right from the off with the storm that opens the film, cracks of thunder rolling above let you know the sound designers haven’t been shy about using the Atmos track’s height layer. So it’s no real surprise to find further effects constantly thrown up there; be it the pirate’s submersible moving from the back to the front of the soundstage above your head at the very start of Chapter 2, or the sound of Mera’s footsteps darting across rooftops as the Atlantean soldier Murk gives chase inside the building and tries to locate her from below, in Chapter 9.

More impressive still is how naturally the mix incorporates the height layer into rest of the soundfield. There’s never a sense of dislocation, with sound effects movingly fluidly across the entire Atmos bubble – this is particularly evident whenever Aquaman goes zooming around underwater. This aspect is aided by the clarity and precision of the overall mix, which allows you to trace the bullets being fired, plus the ejection and fall of individual cartridges, when Aquaman tackles the pirates on the sub in Chapter 2.

The most impactful part of the soundtrack, however, is its prodigious levels of bass. Every action scene is underpinned by weighty and powerful low-end frequencies. A forceful as all of this is, it’s also remarkably well integrated within the mix, hitting home with real speed and precision (although some of the underwater LFE effects can seem a little ‘looser’, closer examination reveals it’s because of reverb added to enhance the underwater effect). And just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any more impressive, Aquaman’s arrival in the final battle with his new friend (Chapter 12) plumbs new depths of bass that threatens to rattle your windows out of their frames at any moment.

A quick comparison with the Wakanda battle from Avengers: Infinity War immediately afterwards served to hammer home just how depressingly anaemic and underpowered Disney’s home entertainment mixes are by comparison to what Warner Bros. has delivered with Aquaman’s Dolby Atmos track. But lest Warner gets too big-headed, it does deserve a slap on the wrist for persisting with the inclusion of a completely redundant DTS-HD MA 5.1 track alongside the Atmos/TrueHD mix on its 4K and Blu-ray platters, and (even worse) making it the default option.

Audio rating: 5/5



Aquaman Ultra HD Blu-ray extras:
Director James Wan has not recorded an audio commentary for any of his films since Saw (the nearest he has come since then being Fast & Furious 7’s Talking Fast feature), so it’s not surprising to discover that Aquaman doesn’t sport a chat-track either. Instead, the Full HD Blu-ray (the 4K platter is as barebones as they come) has a collection of featurettes focusing on different aspects of the production.

Becoming Aquaman (13 minutes) focuses on the casting of Jason Momoa, from his early thoughts on the role, through early rehearsals with the swimming rig, the shoot itself and even a surprise birthday celebration. Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman (19 minutes) offers a broader, chronological look at the making of the movie, taking in pre-production, the use of rigs to simulate movement underwater (and how time consuming it was), shooting bluescreen, set design and creating Aquaman’s armour.

James Wan: World Builder (8 minutes) looks at both the director’s hands-on approach to designing the film’s undersea realms and the massive amount of visual effects used to create them (as one VFX bod points out, there are over 500 shots in the film where they had to add digital hair to the cast to recreate its movement underwater).

The Dark Depths of Black Manta (7 minutes) sees actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II discussing his character’s comic book origins, motivations and tech/weaponry. Heroines of Atlantis (6 minutes) finds Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discussing their characters and what attracted them to the roles. Meanwhile, Villainous Training (6 minutes) sees Patrick Wilson bulking himself up to play opposite Jason Momoa, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II going through fight training. A Match Made in Atlantis (3 minutes) sits down with Momoa and Heard to discuss how much they enjoyed working together. It’s also peppered with outtakes of the pair goofing around on-set.

Atlantis Warfare (5 minutes) shines a light on the design of the Atlantean weaponry – both physical props and digital visual effects.

‘How do you get past the joke of Aquaman riding a seahorse? What James wanted to do was embrace it… Let’s make them cool and make them awesome,’ says screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick in Creating Undersea Creatures (7 minutes), a look at how the film’s digital bestiary of fantastical undersea critters was brought to life. Aqua-Tech (6 minutes) then shines its light on some of the technologies used to create the movie, including pre-viz and ‘virtual production’, VR set design, and the use of lighting walls in conjunction with gimbal platforms and swimming rigs.

Scene Study Breakdowns contains three short (3-4 min) behind-the-scenes vignettes, each dealing with a specific scene. Submarine Attack centres on Aquaman’s opening fight scene, Showdown in Sicily is primarily concerned with staging the scene where the Atlantean warrior Murk crashes through a building, while The Trench is all about James Wan bringing some of his trademark horror into the film.

Rounding things off are Kingdoms of the Seven Seas (7 minutes), with Dolph Lundgren acting as your guide to the six kingdoms of Atlantis seen in the film and teasing one more for the inevitable sequel; plus Shazam! Sneak Peek (3 minutes), a short scene from DC’s next superhero blockbuster.

Overall, there's plenty here for Aqua-fans to enjoy, even if some of it is a little brief.

Extras rating: 4/5


We say:
Fabulous wide colour HDR images, Atmos soundmix and array of extras make Aquaman quite the catch on 4K Blu-ray. And the film is heaps of fun.
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 18 Mar 2019, 20:07

4K UHD Blu-ray Review
http://whysoblu.com/aquaman-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review/
Video

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Warner Bros’ Aquaman.

Encoding: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
Dolby Vision: Yes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 & 1.78:1

Clarity/Detail: Despite the image here being a 2K DI I found this 4K presentation to be the best one yet of 2019. I couldn’t wait to tell all my friends about it. Even better the IMAX sequences are jaw dropping wow factors throughout. I’m pleased to report too that the majority of the film is in IMAX aspect ration and when it switches back to letterbox you severely feel it. However, that still doesn’t detract from how finely chiseled this 4K disc image is. I just wanted to cry when we washed up on shore with Aquaman and Mera and they met up with a long lost character near film’s end. The image was so impeccable and incredible that I dared to compare it to last year’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Every imperfection and perfection on an actor was clearly visible from pores and moles to acne and stubble. However, it’s the textures throughout that are paramount here. I’m talking about you wardrobe, you leather couch, rocks, sand and so much more. I suppose some of the VFX in backgrounds is a bit soft, but if you take the time to notice that, then you’re not watching the movie itself with much attention. Just enjoy the amaze balls visuals of this one. That’s an order!

Depth: Depth in the overall image is in abundance here whether you’re in a tightly constrained submarine or enjoying the breathtaking landscapes, cliffs, bodies of water, etc. Even the VFX environments are rich with immersion to make you feel like you’re actually in the middle of the action here and not just watching a flat palette.

Black Levels: The black levels are all natural and dark looking throughout. I’ll tell you what looks amazing though are the nighttime sequences thanks in part to the exceptional HDR infused throughout.

Color Reproduction: I used this phrase up above before, but I can’t help using it again. The colors throughout here is amaze balls, perfection at its finest.

Flesh Tones: The skin tones all look natural, pleasing and authentic throughout, especially those of Amber Heard (I’m just sayin’).

Noise/Artifacts: I have zero complaints here so I’m moving along to the equally exceptional coverage of the audio surround track.


Audio

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Warner Bros’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Aquaman. I do want you to know that both the 4K UHD Disc and Blu-ray one comes armed with a Dolby Atmos surround track. Just an FYI as I mentioned in previous Warner Bros. 4K releases you must select the Dolby Atmos track from the main menu. It originally defaults to a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix.

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 DTS_HD Master Audio, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, French (Quebec) Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish (Castilian & Latin) Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Dynamics: The dynamics thrill you to no end here. From the bombastic underwater battles to the heartfelt love story and budding romance of it all absolutely nothing gets lost in the shuffle here. That goes for every spoken word to every water infused laser blast or gauntlet punch. There’s a sense of depth and priority to everything that goes down here. If I had only one minor complaint, it would be the following. When it comes to the “Africa” soundtrack moment for some reason it sounds a bit low in the mix compared to what I remember in the theater. Besides that everything is spot on with the utmost of directionality, oomph and immersion.

Height: Since this is all about immersion underwater that’s probably all I need to say about the use of Atmos here, but I’ll embellish more. Other moments include gunshots above, score, explosions, seagulls, Aquaman hitting the submarine from underneath and one of my favorites, hearing Mera run overhead on the rooftop while the juggernaut guard runs below her during the rooftop chase sequence.

Low Frequency Extension: Let the bass go boom! And it does here. Wind, score, the hefty weight of water, action sequences, pounding glass, gunshots, explosions and so much more give your subwoofer channel(s) a heavyweight workout throughout here. There’s a lot of action sequences and wartime moments so I’m pretty sure you know what kind of extra oomph to expect from a Warner Bros. DCEU Dolby Atmos surround track.

Surround Sound Presentation: Equally impressive is the immersion throughout here thanks to the surrounds and rears feeding you endless lightning bolts, storms, score, voices, blasts, underwater moments and so much more.
Dialogue Reproduction: The dialogue levels are all clear and intelligible throughout. Most noteworthy is Jason’s loud narration over the film’s tender, bookend opening and ending sequences.


Extras

This 4K Ultra HD disc release of Aquaman includes the theatrical version of the movie in 4K on the UHD disc, as well as in 1080p HD on the included Blu-ray. I’m sorry to say folks but there’s no audio commentary and all of the supplemental materials are only found on the Blu-ray Disc or digitally. However, that’s okay because the content of the extras is amazing to intake. The inspiration of James Wan’s filmmaking here is infectious while watching all of these. There’s actually quite an abundant of material to get through here. In addition you’ll also find the Digital Copy code good for the film in Movies Anywhere. So without further ado lets take a closer look at the extras housed on the Blu-ray Disc. Thankfully they all have a somewhat hearty run time and not just under 5 minute long EPKs we’re all so used to. Enjoy!

Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman (HD, 19:28) – This extra is all about how James Wan brought the unbelievable world of Aquaman to life here complete with cast and crew thoughts and whatnot. His mission was to make the laughable hero one that was cool. It all started off with showing people what Aquaman’s seahorse would look like and then from there the sky was the limit. This extra though is so much more as we walk through the many incredible physical sets created, the shooting days and even the premiere of the film. It was very inspiring and amazing to witness all of this. It makes you appreciate the film so much more.

Becoming Aquaman (HD, 13:04) – This one is all about Jason Momoa becoming the King of the Seven Seas complete with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews throughout here. There’s even a big James Wan hug to be found here. What’s fascinating about this extra is I feel closer to Jason after watching it and discovering how big of a family guy he really is. I feel like underneath the energy he’s really a kind soul. They even throw a birthday celebration surprise for him on set.

James Wan: World Builder (HD, 7:43) – This one goes even deeper into the world Wan created here complete with challenges of both performances and visual effects. You can tell this was truly a labor of love for James Wan as he got to create this world from scratch. This one also touches upon how they made the hair flow underwater. Brilliant stuff!

Aqua-Tech (HD, 5:43) – The innovation and technology on display throughout this movie is simply amazing and this extra goes deeper into the filmmaking tools James Wan used to push the boundaries and tell the tale no one thought possible. He obviously did not settle for second best as shown and told here.

Atlantis Warfare (HD, 4:40) – This one is all about the breathtaking VFX and stunts utilized to create the epic all out war finale. James Wan kind of calls it a space fight under water. The property master comments how amazing it was creating something that has never been done before and the physics involved.

The Dark Depths of Black Manta (HD, 6:39) – This one explores the big screen debut of one of Aquaman’s greatest foes, Black Manta. Obviously Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has something to say here coupled with comic book history on the villain. He also says we haven’t seen the last of Black Manta onscreen. Yahya shows us in detail here every aspect of the upgraded suit he dons in the film.

Heroines of Atlantis (HD, 5:32) – This one is obviously all about the women of the film as Kidman and Heard discuss the making of the film. How can you not love these two? Rhetorical question! It was interesting to learn James Wan always wanted Kidman in this role he chose and all the original concept art was of her face before she was even hired on. That’s ballsy!

Villaneous Training (HD, 6:22) – The villains of the show, Orm (Wilson) and Abdul-Marteen II (Black Manta), gives us a first-hand look at what it’s like to square off against Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. It was funny to learn how both gentlemen instantly wanted to bulk up and workout to compare with Jason’s physique.

Kingdoms of the Seven Seas (HD, 6:59) – Dolph Lundgren shows us around here and hosts this tour of Atlantis following the destruction of the above ground kingdom and the aftermath…the seven distinct undersea regions. It’s a nice quick recap and I love what Wan did with the creatures of The Trench. I think the highlight here is seeing Xebel since its not shown in the film.

Creating Undersea Creatures (HD, 7:15) – This one is all about the artists who created the memorable and diverse creatures of the deep in Aquaman. This extra covers not only the creatures from the Seven Kingdoms, but also the ones they ride too. The best point made was how Wan embraced the joke of Aquaman riding a seahorse in comics and didn’t shy away from making it cool onscreen.

A Match Made in Atlantis (HD, 3:12) – The lucky Momoa and his red hot Heard sound off on their chemistry both onscreen and offscreen complete with behind-the-scenes footage and bloopers. I love how Jason calls it a Han Solo and Leia kind of relationship. Nice!

Scene Study Breakdowns (HD) – This extra features three equally exciting key scenes: Submarine Attack (2:45), Showdown in Sicily (3:52) and The Trench (3:35) with an option to Play All too. All I can say is wow! James really knocked it out of the park here and I can’t wait for The Trench movie too.

Exclusive Sneak Peek of Shazam! (HD, 3:27) – Here we have duh a three minute sneak preview of Shazam, the upcoming live action feature film starring Zachary Levi as the DC Super Hero. The film will be released in theaters next month on April 5th. Can’t wait!
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby bomaz on 19 Mar 2019, 21:49


Nice nod to Dolph
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 22 Mar 2019, 13:14

Blu-ray.com review with screenshots

4K BLU-RAY
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Aquaman- ... 11/#Review

Image
Video Quality 4K 5.0 of 5 1080p 4.5 of 5

Although Aquaman wasn't filmed in 4K, that doesn't make Warner Bros.' 2160p transfer any less impressive. This is a top-quality effort that stands will the genre's most visually ambitious productions to date: image detail and textures are especially crisp, black levels are rock solid with no noticeable crush, and background depth almost approaches that of a 3D presentation at times. It almost goes without saying the the benefits of HDR breathe even more life into the film's striking color palette, which is undoubtedly the star of this 4K presentation. Aquaman's wide range of locales have their own district appearance: murky underwater depths, warm and inviting interiors at the home of Arthur's father, sun-soaked Sicily and the Sahara Desert, the dark and foreboding Trench, otherworldly Atlantis, and more; these all pop in different ways, while the latter is almost hypnotic in its overall atmosphere. Foreground colors fare exceptionally well too, from the fluorescent red of Mera's hair to the yellow-gold of Aquaman's "official" gear and, of course, an endless sea of blues, both underwater and above-ground. Given the relatively bland palette of most superhero films this decade, it's nice to count Aquaman among those who aren't afraid to flaunt some real color.
In further contrast, the IMAX-framed sequences, which are sporadic early on but dominate the second half, seem to favor a smoother overall appearance and showcase a similarly high amount of depth and clarity. The more expansive compositions give these moments a wide-open atmosphere that, despite their almost random and occasionally jarring contrast when they arrive, feel more comfortable once they've settled in. As a whole, this is a near reference-level effort that accurately preserves the film's ambitious and, at times, overwhelming visuals.

For those who haven't yet upgraded to 4K but want this combo pack for "future-proofing" purposes, the Blu-ray disc is excellent in its own right and, aside from format limitations and the lack of HDR, offers a perfectly acceptable viewing alternative. Please read my separate Blu-ray review for an evaluation of its video presentation.


Audio Quality 5.0 of 5

Equally impressive is Aquaman's Dolby Atmos track, which automatically unfolds to TrueHD 7.1 if your receiver or soundbar doesn't support the format. As expected, this is an incredibly dynamic and, at times, aggressive track that features a great deal of atmospheric effects and channel separation. The most obvious highlight is just about anything underwater, as the rear channels are used to great effect and create a convincing level of immersion. There's also a large amount of space and direction during action scenes, particularly the chaotic climax and an earlier fight between Arthur and his half-brother in a vast, crowded underwater arena. Low frequencies are outstanding and extremely deep -- literally and figuratively -- which adds some weight to the punchy explosions and gunfire, as well as the more sustained lower frequencies during several music cues. Speaking of which, the soundtrack and score also get priority treatment when they kick in, whether designed to amplify aggressive moments or blend in more subtly to the background. Dialogue remains clean and crisp throughout with no obvious sync issues. Overall, this is a top-tier effort that fans will adore. Just remember that Warner Bros.' Blu-ray forces you to choose this Atmos track manually; the default is a decent-sounding DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix. Why they continue to author discs this way (and thirteen years into the format's lifespan, no less!) is mind-boggling...so the sooner they catch up, the better.

Optional subtitles are included in English -- standard and SDH, as well as several other languages -- during the main feature, with occasional burnt-in subtitles for Maori translation. The former are perfectly legible and, due to the shifting aspect ratio, partially sit outside of the 2.40:1 frame during those scenes.


Special Features and Extras 3.0 of 5

Warner Bros. supplies a solid cross-section of extras, adding up to just over 100 minutes total. While there's nothing especially earth-shattering here in terms of content or presentation, fans should enjoy digging through everything. This series of short to mid-length featurettes includes comments from key cast and crew members including director James Wan; actors Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, and Nicole Kidman; screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; and several others. All extras are contained on the Blu-ray disc.

Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman (19 minutes, 1080p), despite its title, swims closer to the shallow end. Nonetheless, it offers a quick and entertaining run-through of the production process from start to finish including the initial development, building the sets, costume design, CGI, and more. As expected, we also get a few brief comments from the cast and crew, most of which sound more like promotional pull-quotes.

Becoming Aquaman (13 minutes, 1080p) catches up with star Jason Momoa, who talks about his portrayal of the title character, his physical training for the role, and several other experiences (and clips) from the set.

James Wan: World Builder (8 minutes, 1080p) sounds like one of those back-patting featurettes that play out more like a resume puff piece, and it pretty much is. Still, there's some interesting on-set clips and comments about his directing style that fans should enjoy.

Aqua Tech (6 minutes, 1080p) is the first of a few visual-minded featurettes; in this case, we look at a few lighting rigs, set design, and pre-visualization. It's good stuff, and should have been at least twice as long.

Atlantis Warfare (5 minutes, 1080p) is a like-minded piece that looks as the gadgets and weapons designed for the film, both practical and CGI, while the latter also includes a look at concept art and visual development.

The Dark Depths of Black Manta (7 minutes, 1080p) - This short interview with actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II provides his own thoughts on the character including his background, arsenal of weapons, and character development, along with obligatory highlight scenes from the film.

Heroines of Atlantis (6 minutes, 1080p) likewise sits down with Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discussing their characters Mera and Atlanna. It doesn't go into quite as much detail as the previous piece but is worth a once-over.

Villainous Training (6 minutes, 1080p) turns its attention towards Patrick Wilson (Orm), who talks about the roles physical challenges and playing the hero's evil half-brother.

Kingdoms of the Seven Seas (7 minutes, 1080p) is hosted by Dolph Lundgren (Nereus), who provides a quick tour of the six kingdoms featured in the film...as well as a seventh, since we all know a sequel is coming.

Creating Undersea Creatures (7 minutes, 1080p) - A fairly standard VFX featurette that mostly focuses on the unique animals seen in around the film's six kingdoms. Plenty of concept art and development clips are seen, though it's more of a showcase than a detailed technical rundown of how everything was completed.

A Match Made in Atlantis (3 minutes, 1080p) is the last of the actor interviews, as Jason Momoa and Amber Heard talk about the fun they had on set and share some outtake footage shot during production.

Scene Study Breakdowns (11 minutes total, 1080p) includes "Submarine Attack", "Showdown in Sicily", and "The Trench", and goes into slightly more detail about these three key scenes from the main feature.

"Shazam!" Sneak Peek (3 minutes, 1080p) - A scene from the upcoming DC film opening April 5th.




Standard Blu-ray

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Video Quality 4.5 of 5

Presented in a mixed aspect ratio of 2.40:1 with IMAX-formatted scenes framed at 1.78:1, Aquaman looks as good as you'd expect for a recent effects-heavy blockbuster. Not surprisingly, the wide range of locales during this film have their own district appearance: murky underwater depths, warm and inviting interiors at the home of Arthur's father, sun-soaked Sicily and the Sahara Desert, the dark and foreboding Trench, otherworldly Atlantis -- just to name a few -- and they all appear to be represented accurately on Warner Bros.' 1080p transfer. This gives Aquaman a much more varied and visually interesting appearance compared to most modern superhero movies and, while it still relies on the occasional grim-and-gritty palette so common these days (not to mention an abundance of teal and orange), the stray splashes of vivid color are pretty refreshing. Primaries fare extremely well here, from the fluorescent red of Mera's hair to the yellow-gold of Aquaman's "official" gear and, of course, an endless sea of blues, both underwater and above-ground. Black levels are also typically rich, with the disclaimer that most underwater sequences are designed to rarely extend beyond a deep grey. Likewise, fine details and texture are impressive: from fish scales to skin pores, the film's razor-sharp appearance also tends to feel a bit softer by design when we're under the ocean.

In further contrast, the IMAX-framed sequences, which are sporadic early on but dominate the second half, seem to favor a smoother overall appearance and showcase a tremendous amount of depth and clarity. The more expansive compositions give these moments a wide-open atmosphere that, despite their almost random and occasionally jarring contrast when they arrive, feel more comfortable once they've settled in. As a whole, this is clearly an outstanding effort that accurately preserves the film's ambitious and, at times, overwhelming visuals.


Audio Quality 5.0 of 5

Even better is Aquaman's Dolby Atmos track, which automatically unfolds to TrueHD 7.1 if your receiver or soundbar doesn't support the format. As expected, this is an incredibly dynamic and, at times, aggressive track that features a great deal of atmospheric effects and channel separation. The most obvious highlight is just about anything underwater, as the rear channels are used to great effect and create a convincing level of immersion. There's also a large amount of space and direction during action scenes, particularly the chaotic climax and an earlier fight between Arthur and his half-brother in a vast, crowded underwater arena. Low frequencies are outstanding and extremely deep -- literally and figuratively -- which adds some weight to the punchy explosions and gunfire, as well as the more sustained lower frequencies during several music cues. Speaking of which, the soundtrack and score also get priority treatment when they kick in, whether designed to amplify aggressive moments or blend in more subtly to the background. Dialogue remains clean and crisp throughout with no obvious sync issues. Overall, this is a top-tier effort that fans will adore. Just remember that Warner Bros.' Blu-ray forces you to choose this Atmos track manually; the default is a decent-sounding DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix. Why they continue to author discs this way (and thirteen years into the format's lifespan, no less!) is mind-boggling...so the sooner they catch up, the better.

Optional subtitles are included in English -- standard and SDH, as well as several other languages -- during the main feature, with occasional burnt-in subtitles for Maori translation (seen on one of the extra screenshots). The former are perfectly legible and, due to the shifting aspect ratio, partially sit outside of the 2.40:1 frame during those scenes.


Special Features and Extras 3.0 of 5
(See above)
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 25 Mar 2019, 18:50

Blu-ray review from Batman-On-Film.com
https://batman-on-film.com/7230/aquaman ... ett-ramey/
Since I’m sure that most of the folks reading this review via BOF, have already seen AQUAMAN on the big screen, I’m not going to spend much time re-reviewing the movie in this article.

I will say that it’s a movie that grew on me upon subsequent viewings; I went from “it’s OK” to “it’s pretty darn good.” If you would like to read my original review, CLICK HERE. (Keep in mind that I wrote this review after viewing it for the first time at a press screening and as I said, my opinion of it changed more positively the more I watched it.)

Also, I don’t have a lot of offer in terms of the technical details of how good it looked and sounded. Here’s what I got: It looked and sounded really good to me viewing it on my TV.

So from this point out, I’m going to focus on the disc’s “Special Features” as I know that’s what most of you care the most about. Here goes…

Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman (19:28) – The focus here is how director James Wan brought Aquaman and his world to life, as well as turning the character once considered a joke into a cool badass. Probably my favorite of the special features.

Becoming Aquaman (13:04) – Basically the story of how Jason Momoa became Aquaman.

James Wan: World Builder (7:43) – Mainly about all the tools Wan used to bring Atlantis to life, as well as the challenges.

Aqua-Tech (5:43) – More about the technology and filmmaking innovation used in the film.

Atlantis Warfare (4:40) – This one is about the special effects and stunts utilized to create the big battle in the film’s finale, which Wan calls a “space fight underwater.”

The Dark Depths of Black Manta (6:39) – The title makes it obvious what this one is about: Black Manta. Since I thought that was the weakest part of the movie, this one was pretty meh to me.

Heroines of Atlantis (5:32) – All about Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard.

Villainous Training (6:22) – Focuses on the 2 villains of the film — Orm/Ocean Master and Black Manta — and how they got in shape for the movie. Zzzzz…

Kingdoms of the Seven Seas (6:59) – Dolph Lundgren “hosts” this segment which is sort of a history lesson on the 7 underwater kingdoms.

Creating Undersea Creatures (7:15) – This one is all about the artists who created the creatures of the deep in Aquaman. Wan says he made it a point to have Aquaman ride a seahorse. This segment was pretty good.

A Match Made in Atlantis (3:12) – Momoa and Heard talk about the “chemistry” between Arthur and Mera. Zzzz…

Scene Study Breakdowns – Basically, a look at these key scenes from the film: “Submarine Attack” (2:45), “Showdown in Sicily” (3:52), and “The Trench” (3:35).

Exclusive Sneak Peek of SHAZAM! (3:27) – A look at the scene from SHAZAM! when the transformed-into-a-superhero Bill Batson turns to Freddy Freeman for superhero power help.

FYI: Unless it’s extremely hard to find, there is no commentary track from Wan or anyone else on the disc. I know many of you all like those, but there’s not one here.

There you have it. If you loved the film, I’d recommend that you add it to your collection. The extras are simply your basic ‘ol special features, so I wouldn’t suggest buying it simply for those. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 26 Mar 2019, 22:05

4K UHD REVIEW by The Digital Bits
http://thedigitalbits.com/item/aquaman-uhd
Aquaman was shot digitally in the ARRIRAW codec at 3.4K using Arri Alexa Mini and SXT cameras with Panavision Primo lenses. It was finished as a native 2K Digital Intermediate, upsampled for this release, and graded for high dynamic range in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The base aspect ratio is 2.39:1, but many scenes – nearly 90% of the film, in fact – were shot for IMAX exhibition. These open up to full 1.78:1 on Warner’s 4K UHD release to preserve that experience. In terms of image quality, the clarity is very good – not native 4K good, but the swirling water VFX reduces detail a bit by design anyway. Still, fine detail is nice and there’s a light film grain texture that’s quite pleasing. Blacks are deep and the highlights have a natural, eye-reactive quality that really lends itself to the look of surface waves, glistening scales, and glowing bioluminescence. The wider color gamut of HDR also greatly enhances the undersea environment, making the hues of sea creatures, backgrounds, and the ocean depths richer and far more nuanced. The 4K offers a strong improvement over the Blu-ray in this area.

Primary audio on the 4K is a terrific English Dolby Atmos mix (TrueHD 7.1 compatible). As with all Warner 4K titles, it’s not the default option, so you have to switch to it in the menu. The mix is lively and constantly active, with music by Rupert Gregson-Williams (composer of the Wonder Woman score), atmospheric cues, and discrete sound effects placed all around the soundstage. During the battle scenes, those various audio elements move, swirl, and encircle the listener, including via the overhead channels, creating a highly immersive experience that fits well with the film’s fantastical undersea visuals. Bass is muscular throughout and overall clarity is pleasing.

The good news for fans is that this actually a fairly comprehensive set of featurettes, with a number of fun insights from Momoa and Wan. There are nice looks behind-the-scenes at the production design, the stunts, the various supporting cast members and characters, and more. You even get what is essentially a week-by-week (if greatly condensed) look at the filming, from pre-production to release. Of course, you don’t get deleted scenes, nor an audio commentary, nor is a Blu-ray 3D version of the film available here. But what you do get is solid, and a step beyond the usual EPK filler material. One of the things that comes through most clearly in these extras is that Jason Momoa is a straight-up good dude.



The exclusive Target digibook (w lenticular cover of Aquaman/BlackManta) contains 64 pages of concept arts and excerpts from the making of book 8)

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Best Buy exclusive steelbook



Walmart exclusive w/ mini POP figure
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 29 Mar 2019, 17:47

AQUAMAN's domestic gross is getting close to reaching $335 million.

The worldwide total count is currently at $1,146,948,800 ($1,147 billion)! :roll: :shock:
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 30 Mar 2019, 23:18

Jox wrote:Kingdoms of the Seven Seas (6:59) – Dolph Lundgren “hosts” this segment which is sort of a history lesson on the 7 underwater kingdoms.

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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 03 Apr 2019, 11:02

Why Aquaman Couldn't Actually Film In Italy
https://www.cinemablend.com/news/246897 ... m-in-italy



Exclusive: How Aquaman drew on the success of The Conjuring
https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a2700 ... spiration/







Unused title card concepts

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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 07 Apr 2019, 20:26

MAD magazine "AWKWARD, MAN" parody
https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/exclus ... wkward-man

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German "Ultimate Collector’s Edition" with sculpt figure + Steelbook [3D + 2D]
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07M6LBGNJ
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Re: AQUAMAN (James Wan, 2018)

Postby Jox on 09 Apr 2019, 19:21

UK shop

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