Aquaman (Review)

Aquaman Makes Quite a Splash with His First Film.

Jason Momoa was easily one of the best parts of the Justice League movie and ever since his big screen debut as the underwater hero I’ve eagerly anticipated getting to see him reprise the role of Aquaman. Fast forward a little over a year and Momoa is back and better than ever. Aquaman is a swashbuckling adventure film that sees the comic character that everyone loved to make fun of prove that he has what it takes to run with the big dogs. While so many other DCEU movies have been criticized for being dark and depressing, Aquaman is far cry from that with dazzling special effects and a lead who is too busy whooping it up to bother with brooding.

While Momoa might be the star of the film, the real hero of Aquaman is director James Wan who made seemed like an impossible movie. If you saw Justice Leauge than you know that Aquaman does most of his work underwater, which presents a bit of a problem considering how awkward most underwater movie scenes tend to be because let’s face it, humans are not the most elegant aquatic animals out there. However, Wan manages to create an entire underwater world from scratch that rivals Wakanda itself from Black Panther. Atlantis makes one hell of an impression with its big screen debut. It’s a kingdom hidden under the ocean and takes a great deal of inspiration from the aquatic life around it. That means plenty of bio-luminescent elements with tons of sea creatures inspiring the designs of the world Aquaman is desperately trying to save from itself. I dare say that this might be one of the most visually stunning films of the entire year.

Of course, looking pretty doesn’t mean a movie is any good (just take a look at the recent disaster, Mortal Engines). That’s where Momoa steps in. His take on the classic DC superhero is a rowdy tough guy who is more at home grabbing a beer or 12 in a dive bar than he is ruling an underwater kingdom, at least that’s his character when Aquaman first starts. While Momoa might be the central pillar of the film he’s joined by an impressive ensemble of capable actors including the likes of Willam Dafoe, Nichole Kidman, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. However, it’s Amber Herd and longtime Wan collaborator Patrick Wilson who land the jucier roles in the film. Herd is Mera, a princess of Atlantis who reluctantly turns to Momoa’s Arthur Curry for help when Wilson’s King Orm decides to wage war on the surface world. Herd and Momoa are the definition of an odd couple and the two prove perfectly cast to play out what is usually a stale movie cliche. However, the most interesting casting choice was to include Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Mera’s father and ruler of one of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Though he’s not quite as good as he was in Creed II he is pretty damn convincing as a warrior king on the big screen.

Aquaman is a full-blown adventure film, which is something that we don’t usually get from superhero movies. Most usually have a good guy and a bad guy that are simply turned loose on each other with a few plot devices tossed in to keep things interesting. While Momoa and Wilson are definitely set on a collision course from the beginning, the film veers away from the traditional game of chicken that heroes and villains play and instead sends Momoa off on a globe-trotting adventure to find an ancient relic to save the world. The end result isn’t exactly Indiana Jones, but it’s a perfect way for the film to really dive into this unseen world that Aquaman is sworn to protect. There are evil pursuers, ancient ruins, and even a terrifying creature or two from the deep that all come together to give Aquaman a very different feeling from most the superhero movies we’ve gotten in recent years.

While I did enjoy Aquaman quite a bit, it wasn’t perfect. Like so many superhero movies it ups the ante by having two classic villains for the hero to face. Front and center is Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, who gets plenty of screen time as the expense of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manata. Manta is one of the great comic book villains in the DC universe, but he’s so watered down in Aquaman that it’s hard to really take him seriously. What should have been a truly menacing character instead comes off as wannabe pirate who is easily outmatched by Aquaman. Mera and Arthur’s relationship is similarly glossed over as they find themselves tossed together for a last minute kiss before the epic final battle. There’s so much going on that it feels like they simply end up together because, well, they have to.

Don’t get me wrong, Aquaman is still an incredible film. It’s awe-inspiring and good old fashioned fun. However, it felt as though it would have been a better Aquaman II instead. Taking more time to establish the characters and lead up the insane world that is Atlantis would have allowed movie-goers a chance to appreciate it all the more. Still, it’s a film that will please fans of the character and those that complained ad nauseam about the other DCU movies. It might not be the best superhero movie of 2018, but in a year of damn good comic book movies, it fits. It feels right at home alongside everything Marvel has thrown at us and that’s a good sign when it comes to DC movies. I definitely enjoyed Aquaman and I can’t wait to see Momoa in the role again.