Mini Review: Aquaman Restores Hope for the DC Universe (Spoiler Free)

 

 

 

Aquaman is an Imax-worthy blast and a refreshing win for DC!

The DC Extended Universe may be onto something. With the advanced screenings so far Aquaman has surpassed expectations and is receiving predominantly positive feedback from critics. So far at the Box Office: ‘Aquaman’ Tops $200M In China And Nears $300M Worldwide– Forbes. The fantasy/action-adventure is officially releasing this Friday December 21, 2018 (USA).

Warner Bros and Director James Wan take on the solo origin story of the DC superhero Aquaman. Jason Momoa reprises his role as the (half-breed) half- human and half-Atlantean Arthur Curry, heir to the underwater Kingdom of Atlantis on his journey to unite the seven underwater kingdoms. With the DC Universes not- so- great track record for live-action movies it’s hard to go in with high expectations, but like Wonder Woman Aquaman might actually be a move in the right direction for the DCEU.

This isn’t just a super-hero flick but a beautiful sci- fi fantasy-world featuring astonishing underwater kingdoms, stunning creatures and climatic underwater battle scenes. I first went into Aquaman with the notion that it would fall flat, but wow! did it take me by surprise. I left the theater absolutely shocked and amused, even considering seeing it a second time! Overall Aquaman isn’t nearly as great as WW however, it is a movie that fans of comic books and super-hero movies can most definitely enjoy.

The film is super exciting from start to finish. With a heartfelt intro. of his origin we meet his parents Atlanna and Tom, played effortlessly by the super talented Nicole Kidman and Temuera Morrison.

 

 

They do a great job depicting the forbidden romance and the unraveling moments that tear Queen Atlanna and her family apart. We get a glimpse of Arthur’s childhood and him first realizing that he’s different from all the other children.

 

Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is goofy, loveable, and yet still a major badass. We first saw Momoa introduced as the underwater superhero in the Justice League movie where he was a fun playful arrogant Arthur Curry. We still get this version in his solo attempt with a little more humanizing approach. Through his interactions and relationship with his father we see his human sentiment and love for his family.

We witness his struggle in realizing his true potential, and what he is destined to become.

Amber Heard does a pretty good job portraying Arthur’s love interest Mera. Aside from her really bad wig, I paid way more attention to her performance and surprisingly good fight scenes. She definitely pulls it off. I actually like the playful back and forth banter between these two and the constant saving each other’s ass. They definitely showed chemistry throughout their quest together aside from the tolerable pacing and mediocre jokes.

 

Willem Dafoe plays Vulko, King Orms trusted advisor.

Without giving anything away
his role is pretty important in the balance of Atlantis and Dafoe delivers as always.

 

 

 

 

Patrick Wilson skillfully played Aquaman’s villainous half-brother King Orm aka Oceanmaster. His character featured tons of overly cheesy lines but he masterfully delivered on the battle front. I really enjoyed seeing the trident-on-trident rivalry between these warring brothers. 

Black Manta perfectly cast and played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II killed this role, but personally I think this character should’ve been saved as a major player and not a side villain.

I really enjoyed the cast and overall direction they went with this movie. The extremely likable cast featured great chemistry and character development. A strong dynamic of fully developed characters along with a simple but well-structured plot makes this a solid movie. The movie is a  little campy but fun (Hey Marvel does it) and it wasn’t over the top, it still worked. I think it made the cast more likable. The timing wasn’t completely perfect and may even have been a little delayed for some of the jokes but it didn’t necessarily bother me.

The amazing Kingdom of Atlantis and the seven underwater kingdoms were jaw dropping. The visuals throughout the entire movie were breathtakingly stunning. The CGI was MUCH BETTER and a tremendous improvement from that of the Justice League movie. I also think that they did a fantastic job with the cinematography and choreography. The fight sequences felt like the hit DC fighting video game, Injustice: Gods Among Us. It was amazing seeing all the underwater worlds and creatures brought together for this epic battle. Each world featured in-depth species and different technological advances all done beautifully and original. Definitely Imax worthy!

 

Final Rating

7.5 out of 10

Overall Aquaman is visually stunning and a super good time!  I think this a big step for the DC universe and can only hope for more good things to come.  

The film is officially in theaters this Friday December 21, 2018 (USA)