Aquaman Movie Review

James Wan. Who knew that a guy so good at directing horror films, can direct a movie about a comic book character who usually is the butt of the jokes, and change him into an interesting character worthy of his own standalone movie.

Aquaman is a movie that everyone had high hopes on, after the disappointment that was Justice League. This movie became the sole deciding factor as to the future of the DC cinematic universe. Does it live up to the expectations? Without further ado, let's dive into the review!

Source: https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/07/16/home-is-calling-in-official-aquaman-poster

To start with, the movie was a visual masterpiece. The CGI in this movie was very well done. The underwater city of Atlantis was brought out in all its glory. The structures, the underwater creatures, the locations were colorful, vibrant and eye-pleasing. It’s an underwater fantasy world as diverse and spectacular as you could hope for, and it’s one that keeps on giving, with real and imagined creatures, unexpected locales, and a wild sense of creativity. One must truly appreciate Wan's vision for this movie.

Jason Momoa was the perfect choice for Arthur Curry / Aquaman. He has the physique, the charisma, and he brings full energy and zeal to his character. Amber Heard as Mera, the princess who possesses hydrokinetic powers, also played her part very well. Alongside Arthur, she stands out as a solid character with interesting powers. The adventures that she and Arthur go on were entertaining. Supporting cast members Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, and Patrick Wilson did their part justice.

Another major plus point is the action sequences. They were gripping, intense, and 'breath'taking. The opening action sequence, the chase scene with Black Manta at Sicily, Arthur vs Orm fight underwater are some of many, worth mentioning. The wide angle shots, the camera panning in and out during the fight sequences really kept me engaged and thrilled throughout all the action sequences in this movie. Special mention goes to the trench sequence. What a scene, man! What a scene...

However, the movie is not without its faults. One of the most frustrating things about it was the clichéd story. You have the arrogant brother who rules the kingdom, the hero who is the one true king and must save the kingdom, the minister who advises the king, but actually sides with the hero and so on. Villains such as Black Manta were very underdeveloped. He seemed like a filler, to the main conflict between Arthur and his brother Orm. Speaking of Orm, whenever he speaks about becoming the Ocean Master or when he says he will take the war to the surface, you never really feel the gravitas of the situation. It just becomes a "bad guy simply shouting he will end the world" kind of a thing, which turned out to be a bummer.

Another thing this movie could have improved is the screenplay. The 1st half made me feel bored at times due to a faulty screenplay, but the 2nd half had no such problems. Arthur Curry's backstory could have either been removed completely or explored more. The movie inserts scenes of flashbacks randomly in between, leading to the feeling of them being placed improperly. The plot about the 7 kingdoms of Atlantis and the conflicts between some of them could have also been shown more. It was simply glossed over. In fact, there seemed to be a lot of backstories which the movie tried to cover within a limited time. I wanted to know more about these kingdoms and their inhabitants, but sadly, couldn't. Also, the humor didn't seem to hit the mark for me. Some jokes landed, but most of them didn't.

Despite some of its flaws, Aquaman still is a visually delightful movie. It's goofy and silly at times, but that's part of the fun. Despite the slightly flawed screenplay, it is still a thoroughly enjoyable movie. It is a fresh breath of air for DC and is definitely worth watching in IMAX. There still seems to be some hope for the DC cinematic universe after all.

My rating would be 7/10.

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