‘Aquaman’ Final Trailer Gives Us a Taste of the Two Hours and Twenty Three Minutes to Come (VIDEO)

Any and all enthusiasm I had for the Aquaman movie—which couldn't have been much to begin with, if we're being honest with one another—dissipated the minute I learned the film's running time was 143 minutes. This "final trailer" for the December release shows off plenty of stuff we've already seen with a dash of stuff we haven't, keeping the cock teasing going strong into the final promotional push.

I have a two hour and twenty minute rule that's never steered me wrong, or at least only once or twice. If I'm on the fence about a film and I discover it's longer than two hours and twenty minutes, I don't see it. This rule came about because of 2004's 160 minute epic Troy, which I went to see—despite my better judgment—because I said, "There's no way Brian Cox, Peter O'Toole, and Brendan Gleeson all signed on for a total turkey." The rule was then invented, implemented, and I've never looked back.

Look, maybe they have a stellar movie on their hands and they don't want to show too much of it off. It's entirely possible, James Wan has worked bigger miracles than making a guy who talks to fish cinematic. However, there's little chance this ends up being good enough to continue as a franchise. Unless this thing makes 3 times its budget back—Wonder Woman did, Justice League did not—it's not going to be worth it to Warner Brothers to keep cranking out Aquaman movies.

I guess if there's any justifiable reason to see Aquaman on December 21, it's because it'll be your last chance—for at least a decade—to see the character in live action form.