If you’ve been to a movie theater at any point in the last two months, you’ve probably seen (and seen and seen) the trailer for A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut starring himself and Lady Gaga. The film doesn’t come out until October 5, but ahead of its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival later this week, the website Talkhouse.net accidentally published a review before the embargo was lifted. The article has since been removed, but because nothing is ever truly deleted on the internet, you can still read how A Star Is Born is an “instant classic” that belongs among the “all-time greats,” with Cooper being favorably compared to Scorsese, Kubrick, and Hitchcock.
But A Star Is Born wasn’t the only highly-anticipated 2018 movie to recently screen for critics. The initial reactions to DC’s Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa as the titular water daddy, are here, and while no one is calling the James Wan-directed film the next Boogie Nights, the early word is mostly promising.
I hear it's good (not great) and that's all we can hope for in the end. I'll take it. pic.twitter.com/abrW3fEOgr
— Christopher Marc (@_ChristopherM) August 24, 2018
I heard it compared to THE DARK WORLD, actually..
— Christopher Marc (@_ChristopherM) August 24, 2018
#Aquaman is a phase 1 MCU film through and through, so if you liked those you’ll love it, if you didn’t you probably won’t get much enjoyment out of Aquaman pic.twitter.com/ydH7XT1GK4
— KC Walsh (@TheComixKid) August 24, 2018
It has nothing to do with charactization, Aquaman is a reluctant hero, and needs to save the world via a mcguffin, thats MCU 101
— KC Walsh (@TheComixKid) August 24, 2018
Guess which upcoming superhero movie test screened last night in the San Fernando Valley? Heard good things…. pic.twitter.com/3MMxcCHPaj
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) August 24, 2018
It’s worth mentioning that this was just a test screening, so a lot could change between now and when the movie is released. DC might feel conflicted about the comparison, but it’s probably a good thing that Aquaman is being favorably measured against the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 1 films (which include Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger). That’s already more promising than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, at least.
Aquaman, which also stars Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, and Patrick Wilson (and no one from the Justice League), opens on December 21.
See the new #Aquaman trailer now. In theaters December 21. pic.twitter.com/F6IKAsuey6
— Aquaman Movie (@aquamanmovie) July 21, 2018
(Via Slash Film)