Aquaman: Movie Review

"Aquaman" is another hit for DC. While it may not be on par to "Wonder Woman", the film is a hyper-entertaining film. While the bombastic CGI was a little bit too much for our tastes, "Aquaman" is another key step in the right direction for the stumbling DC Extended Universe.

One year after the events of "Justice League", Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) finds himself in a crossroad when his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), the current ruler of Atlantis, seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms by any means necessary and then declare war on the surface world. The only way to defeat Orm is to find the long-lost Trident of Atlan and become a King himself. Arthur is reluctant but he must do his best to become the man and Atlantean that he isn't - not only will his brother bring much death and destruction in the seas but it could also mean the end of humanity itself.

Looking back, "Aquaman" could have easily been a huge mess. The film, at times, felt over-bearing with all its side plots and all the CGI-bombardment most have come to expect from a blockbuster superhero film. But the film masterfully pulled it off and we found ourselves highly-entertained and loving the character of Aquaman more than ever. The easy answer is that the screenplay had a lot of heart. Unlike most of its DCEU predecessors, we could easily relate to Arthur Curry's suffering and struggles as a half-Human, half-Atlantean hybrid. His origin story, which was fully revealed here, struck a chord that is more human than superhero and even with its fantastical elements, never felt ridiculous. Another thing that stood out was that the film played with all kinds of emotions. Gone are the dark, greyish monotone vibe of DCEU films. This is one vibrant film that not only features the depths of the seven seas but also awesome real-world locales in the surface world. Of course, the central piece in the puzzle was Jason Momoa as the laid-back, cool, confident, yet vicious Arthur Curry. He is literally the one key piece that made the film work. Some may say that the film is formulaic and that there's nothing new to see. On some extent, that's definitely true. But there's no denying that "Aquaman" was one helluva ride and one that had us smiling from cheek to cheek from the first second to last.

Rating: 4 and a half reels




Why you should watch it:
- Jason Momoa was the central piece that made "Aquaman" work
- relatable origin story with a heart

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the screenplay was superhero formulaic
- the CGI was a little bit too much at times