- Okay, friends.
For the next two minutes,
we're gonna watch professional screenwriter,
Tommy Cook breakdown act by act
why 2018's "Aquaman" is the greatest film ever made.
- [Announcer] What's up, guys, welcome to "Hot Take",
the show where we have smart people argue
about really absurd things.
Every week we give our defendant
a fresh hot take that they have to defend
against our prosecution.
- Just by throwing axes, has anybody done that?
- Order in the court.
- Okay.
(Michael shouting)
- [Announcer] Both teams compete for amazing prizes,
and there are a few curve balls along the way.
The defendant has a whole week to prepare their argument
while our prosecution comes in completely blind.
Can our defendant maintain their questionable hot take,
or will our prosecution poke holes in their defense?
- I just don't like when people lie to me
and they make things up.
- [Announcer] Let's find out on "Hot Take".
(upbeat music)
What's up guys, welcome to "Hot Take".
This is the show where we get really smart people
and make them argue about really dumb things.
We have a defendant, we give them a topic
and they have to convince our prosecution.
I'm Michael Burns, joined here today
by our prosecution consisting of Reilly Anspaugh,
Greg Edwards and Helen Floersh.
Now, they're not just competing for pride,
although pride's wonderful.
They're competing for a real prize and that prize is this.
It's a hazmat suit.
It includes a place for an oxygen tank down here
so whenever we have the next global pandemic,
you and your family, if they're small,
will be safe inside of this.
So the stakes are high today
and the stakes are even higher today
because we have Mr. Tommy Cook who's our defendant.
Tommy, I'm both excited and afraid
to see what you're gonna try
to convince the prosecution of today.
So what's it gonna be?
- I mean, do we even have to do this?
Shouldn't you just giving me the hazmat suit now?
We can like skip 20 minutes.
(prosecution chattering)
- Okay, that's-
- I already got some questions now.
(all chattering)
- I just recommend, you know we don't wanna
get them riled up.
So Tommy, what's it gonna be?
- Well, today I'm defending the greatest film ever made.
And I'm speaking of course,
unquestionably about the 2018 James Wan,
Jason Momoa classic "Aquaman".
(soft music) A classic.
- Fantastic, so we know the deal.
He's gonna be trying to convince us
that this is the best movie ever made.
You are gonna be trying
to show that this argument makes no sense.
You have two questions each, you have a Power-up each.
Well, let's get started.
Who has the first question for Tommy today?
- I got one, how is "Aquaman" the best movie made
when it's not even the highest grossing
movie ever made?
- I think it's unfair to qualify quality
by financial growth.
Many people would argue the "Godfather", "Goodfellas",
all these movies are the greatest films of all time.
None of them even come close to financially feasible
or financially viable films.
"Aquaman" has made 10 times more
than those movies all combined.
So if you're gonna argue on behalf of financial viability,
I don't understand even where to begin.
- Okay, this is a classic disagreement in terms.
Tommy does not think financial viability is at play here
and I think he might have a point, I don't know.
- So, you know you brought up films like the "Godfather",
"Goodfellas", films that are considered some
of the greatest movies of all time
have deeper themes that are universal,
that stand the test of time.
Could you kind of elaborate
on some of those deeper universal time-honored themes
in "Aquaman"?
- To be clear once again, I'm impartial here,
but Reilley, that was a really good question.
- Thank you so much. - That was great.
- Thank you so much.
I really appreciate your impartiality.
- Certainly, I think the movie is about-
- Tommy, again, we have a timer.
(prosecutors laughing)
Great, the floor is yours, Tommy.
- I had my timer.
Again, I would argue that this movie is
about the most important existential crisis happening today
in our lives, global warming.
The film is about the land versus the sea,
and the sea rising up against the land
because they are polluting the earth.
This is a timeless film
arguing for the most prescient obstacles facing us today.
Much more so than "Goodfellas" or about the mob,
or anything like that.
So take that away.
(crickets chirping)
- That's great.
I mean, "Goodfellas" did teach me how to slice garlic.
- Yeah, they teach you how to save the world?
- Never flush the cocaine,
but it did not teach me how to save the world.
Now, Helen, I know you decently,
people out there know you.
You know about science, you care about this sort of stuff.
- Listen, I didn't see "Aquaman".
Because I just anticipated that it was so bad
that I didn't wanna waste my time.
And so I guess I just wanna understand you, Tommy,
as a writer, what do you feel like?
How does "Aquaman"...
Let's just use "Citizen Kane".
Explain to me specifically how "Aquaman"
stands up to "Citizen Kane" and still comes out on top.
- Well, I think that Helen's,
hatred towards "Aquaman" without even seeing it
is the proof in the pudding right there,
where you have a film like "Citizen Kane" made
by one of what was already considered
to be the greatest upcoming young director of our times
in Orson Welles.
Then you have "Aquaman",
a movie nobody takes seriously,
a character in the DC Universe that everyone made fun of.
The expectations were so low for a movie like "Aquaman"
versus "Citizen Kane" which are sky high.
And yet a movie like "Aquaman" changed the discourse
around "Aquaman".
"Citizen Kane" didn't change the discourse
around Orson Welles.
He was thought to be a genius beforehand,
he was thought to be a genius afterwards.
"Aquaman" was considered a joke before this film.
And then after this film
no one is calling "Aquaman" a joke anymore.
He's not, he's Jason Momoa, baby.
- Actually, I'd like to use a Power-up.
- Oh, boy, okay.
So Helen chose to use a Power-up.
What happens during a Power-up,
is they, our prosecution get to make him, Tommy,
our defendant, talk about something for two minutes straight
without stopping.
Helen, what's he talking about?
- Well, I still would like a breakdown,
act by act of "Citizen Kane" versus "Aquaman",
and I'd like to understand how again,
still you can say that this film can top that.
I'm not convinced.
- Okay, friends, for the next two minutes,
we are gonna watch professional screenwriter,
Tommy Cook, breakdown act by act why 2018's "Aquaman"
is the greatest film ever made.
- I think when we look
at what makes the greatest movie ever made,
we need to look at impact.
What is the impact of this movie?
"Aquaman" comes out,
it is a movie that nobody takes seriously
and it grosses over 400...
It goes over $1 billion worldwide.
It reaches a mass audience
of people that "Citizen Kane" has not reached.
I think if you ask the common man on the street,
they have seen "Citizen Kane",
they will tell you they have not.
Now "Aquaman" is a movie about the need for,
to go beyond partisanship and to come together
in order to face a global climate change.
This global climate crisis.
This is what the entire movie is about.
It is about land and sea uniting in the face of this,
getting over their sides, getting overall partisanship,
coming together via "Aquaman".
This is a movie that was seen
by over a billion people worldwide
and it reaches them.
People come into this movie thinking, whatever,
I'm just gonna get a dumb movie about some superhero who's
with a trident, looking for some lost trident or whatever.
And what they get out of it
is this hidden gem in this hidden message
that can touch them deeply.
This is a movie that can change the narrative
and save our world.
And there's no other film that can do that.
"Citizen Kane", "Rosebud",
that's not going to change the world.
It's not gonna move the needle forward.
"Aquaman" has propensity to reach a mass audience,
a global audience,
and convince them, the common room,
that they can make a difference themselves,
that they can save the world.
I mean, that's the case.
- I'm inspired, but I need a little bit more.
I need a little bit more.
- Well (laughs).
- Just a little bit, just a smidgen more.
- How much more, how many more seconds?
"Citizen Kane", "Goodfellas" has...
Any of these Martin Scorsese movies,
any of these Christopher Nolan movies, have they ever done-
- (clapping hands) Okay, time out.
He did it, he did it.
He did.
Tommy, (indistinct) lap, whatever you need to do.
How are we feeling, Greg, I'll start with you.
How are you feeling this is going this far?
You know, if this was...
- I mean, I think it's going great.
Tommy's passion is coming through like a football coach.
But he's struggling over there.
He's losing, he's falling down, he's sledding.
Look at his body language, but I think we got this.
- And again, I ask Greg, have you seen the movie "Aquaman"?
- Why would I see "Aquaman" (laughs)?
- Okay, that says a lot.
Well, I'll start with this.
Reilley, have you seen the movie "Aquaman"?
- No, I have not seen the film in question.
- Okay, based on what has happened thus far today,
are you thinking that A,
it's a movie you wanna see immediately,
and B, that it could be an all time classic?
- That's an incredible question
and that kind of relates to what I was gonna say,
in that, listen, if I knew anything
about this act breakdown of "Aquaman", act by act,
we didn't hear anything about any single act of "Aquaman".
And that question, I would love to see it
if I knew a little bit about what happens
and we didn't get any of that.
- Do you think that...
Don't listen to this one,
do you think he should've known a little more?
I kind of have sympathy 'cause act by act, that's hard.
But should he have brought a little bit more of that?
- That's hard,
but I would love at least a little bit like,
this is what happens and "Aquaman" does XYZ.
- Well, I definitely don't wanna see "Aquaman"
and I'm not convinced that Tommy really wants
to watch "Aquaman" either.
Not believe him a little bit.
- Wow, okay.
So I'll not be inviting you all over for "Aquaman" night.
I had snacks made.
Tommy, you know, you guys aren't here anymore.
How are you doing, bud?
How are you feeling?
'Cause something that the prosecution noted,
they did say some things that could be argued were hurtful,
but they also reflected on your passion,
sort of the way in which you seem to believe this
and that means something.
And I felt that, I think everyone watching is feeling that.
So how do you think you're doing?
- I'm doing great.
I mean, these (indistinct) haven't even seen the movie.
So I mean...
- Okay.
So remember we have one Power-up remaining.
I'm not gonna say who has it.
I think we have two questions left from our prosecution.
Great, who wants to get us going, Greg?
- You say that "Aquaman" is the greatest movie of all time
and you keep giving us comps
like "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas",
which was made by Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola
with leads like Al Pachino and Ray Liotta.
Can you give us any background
of the director of "Aquaman" and Jason Momoa?
What films has he made in the past
that would make him be the leading man
for the greatest movie of all time?
- Just to clarify, Greg,
is your question were are the Italians in "Aquaman"?
- Basically, yes.
- Well, this is another elitist question,
saying that Martin Scorsese is somehow a better filmmaker
than James Wan.
James Wan redefined the horror film landscape with "Saw",
a movie that ushered in tortured porn,
really just defined 2000 era's horror.
So that's that.
Jason Momoa is the pinnacle of action stardom,
a guy who combined the charisma of The Rock
with sort of the sexuality of a Schwarzenegger,
of a peak '80s Schwarzenegger.
He combines that in a desexualized action hero time.
He's the only guy who consistently takes off his shirt
and makes out with chicks.
He's like godsend, that's all.
- So I just wanna be clear here for everyone.
He is a desexualized, sexualized, '80s Schwarzenegger
who makes out with chicks.
(beeping music)
- That's how he does it.
He is the balance between all the sides.
- Okay.
- He has the charisma and the de sexuality of a Rock,
and the sexuality of a Schwarzenegger combined together.
- He didn't answer the question.
- (laughs) What did Jason Momoa do?
- He makes out with chicks.
- Makes out with chicks, dude.
(prosecutors laughing) (crosstalk)
I'll keep going, I'll keep going.
I'll answer your question.
Jason Momoa has used his "Aquaman" fame
to spur environmentalism.
He has spoken at the UN.
He has created his own sustainable lifestyle brand.
He has raised money off "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
for $35,000 in 10 seconds just by throwing axes.
Has anybody done that, Greg?
- Order in the court.
- Okay.
What I wanna do right now,
what I wanna do right now is everyone take a breath?
Imagine you are an aqua person.
You're about to go under, let's get one big breath.
- What action star has saved the world like Jason Momoa?
- Take the breath, Tommy.
- Before you get to the end, we have a final question.
Reilley seems ready to go, what do you got for us?
- Well, were there reviews?
- I'm not gonna answer that
'cause I'm gonna use my Power-up.
(all shouting)
(prosecutors laughing)
- Stop, stay there, stay there (indistinct).
But a Power-up for the defendant
is a negate to give a PowerPoint presentation
making their point.
Tommy's gonna do that right now.
The floor is yours, sir.
- Do you know what, I don't even need.
Just go to the last PowerPoint,
'cause I don't need any of the others.
Look at these graphs, in these graphs,
we see that the environmentalism was trending downwards
from 2018 to 2019 in both these graphs
and yet there's an uptick from 2019 to 2020.
What date was "Aquaman" released, the end of 2018.
I rest my case.
- Wow.
(upbeat music)
- I mean, there's data.
Do we not feel like the chart did?
But now we have to decide who won today.
Now on one side we have Tommy Cook,
professional screenwriter who took the bold step
of arguing that "Aquaman",
a movie that no one else in this room has seen
is the greatest movie of all time.
We've got comparisons to names like Welles, Scorsese,
desexualized Schwarzenegger.
(Greg laughing)
And he brought passion, he brought data,
and most importantly, what I think Tommy did today
is made it about more than the movies, right?
Because when we leave the theater, where are we?
The real world.
What's the real world like, it's getting hot foams.
On the other hand, I've seen three people.
One of whom is currently just drawing circles,
ladies and gentleman, she's just drawing circles.
I looked over, it's not notes.
There's three circles inside of a bigger circle.
We have three people that asked, I think honest questions.
I don't think we bullied Tommy today.
I think we inquired and we inquired 'cause we care.
And what I sense from this side,
that is people that love cinema.
People that go outside and they think, not for me.
I wanna go inside of a cold dark room
and sit with a bunch of strangers
and eat popcorn that has way more saturated fat
than I ever realized.
(exhales loudly) And that's why it's very,
very, very hard for me to do this.
But Tommy, I haven't seen the movie so I have no idea.
So they're gonna win this one.
(prosecutors laughing)
If I would've gotten notes to see it before,
so here is a suit, the hazmat suit which you're gonna need,
because if you don't believe in the themes of "Aquaman",
our climate's gonna be continually destroyed
and we're all gonna be wearing these soon enough
so here you go.
(Greg laughing)
- Thank you, this was hard one, thank you,
also for "Aquaman".
(playful music)
- Whoa, okay.
Once again, thank you so much to Helen Floersh
and her potty mouth,
to Greg Edwards and his good note taking
on a digital device,
to Reilly Anspaugh and her curious,
inquisitive inquiries.
And thank you so much to Tommy Cook
for doing something great.
- Come on-
- I wanna file an appeal again.
I wanna file an appeal again.
(all chattering) - Yeah.
- (indistinct) He thinks it's a real court,
there's no appeals system, there's no appeals system.
But this has been the "Hot Take",
from Michael Burns and all my friends,
we'll see you next time.
(upbeat music)