Aquaman

Reviews from the Dark Side
Aquaman
Released 12/21/18

Has there ever been a more maligned superhero than the King of Atlantis?  Well, the DC Comics version at least.  I think Namor on the Marvel side has been fairly well respected through the years.  But, since the Superfriends cartoons decades prior, this character has been done no favors in whatever medium that has dared even utter his name.  From Big Bang Theory to Family Guy there's the general thought process that "Aquaman sucks!"  He's the smiley blonde water goof who talks to fish and rides giant seahorses.

On the comics end of things, DC has tried desperately, from little to no avail, to change perception of the character.  Even Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon made an attempt in last year's Justice League by casting Game of Thrones', Jason Momoa, in the role.  While the film itself failed at the box office, Mamoa, at least, was considered one of the few bright spots bringing the Atlantean to life on the big screen.  But, the question remained, could Momoa's sour attitude, loner Aquaman carry an entire film. Well he and director, James Wan, were going to find out along with the masses in 2018.  And, with DC Extended Universe on shaky ground, a win was needed.

And, a win is what Wan, Mamoa, and company delivered in a big way.  Even more so than in last year's Wonder Woman which I thought was good, but, overhyped a bit.  Aquaman is a noteworthy film in just about every way imaginable.

First, let me say as a staunch Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, I applaud DC/Warner Brothers for producing THE most visually stunning movie of the year.  There was thought put into every frame, every action sequence, every color scheme.  And, I know the visuals would be particularly tricky considering you're dealing with a character that spends so much time underwater.  What would that look like?  What should that look like?  The animals under the sea would be problematic.  You obviously can't make real sharks conform to what you need them to do on film.  But, how do you make something the audience knows is obviously CGI look as natural and realistic as possible?  After seeing the way Aquaman pulled this off, I'm even more angry about those rhinos in Black Panther.

Aquaman is a bit of an origin story, but, its nonlinear presentation here was a refreshing change to the usual origin retellings in this genre.  Rendering the character's beginnings in this way gave Wan a larger canvass to paint on for the main story without feeling cumbersome and rushed.  Other superhero tales can take lessons from this one.  Of course, it may have been a little bit easier to do this seeing that the character was already introduced in JL and he wasn't a complete stranger to the audience, but, it's still notable.

Speaking of story, there was nothing I found truly spectacular here, but, it was more than adequate in moving its plot along.  Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Momoa) continues his lone wolf crusade under the water against any aquatic wrongdoing.  He makes what is destined to be one of his principle enemies in the film's early stages, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen), a ruthless high seas pirate/mercenary/treasure hunter with a technological flair, and, a huge grudge after Arthur's intervention in his affairs.  Arthur becomes embroiled in a plot from the underwater kingdom of Atlantis to wage war on the surface world orchestrated by his half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson).  To defeat Orm, Arthur embarks on worldwide adventure to locate an immensely powerful trident that was wielded by the first ruler of Atlantis and to prove to all the underwater tribes he is the one true king.

It's a story of underwater sword and sorcery mixed with cutting-edge tech.  Think Asgard under the sea. But the combination of the two ideas didn't jar me nearly as much as it did/does in the Thor series.  And since I bring up Thor, I might as well do one other comparison.  There's actual chemistry between the lead and the love interest here.  Yes, it's a typical will-they-or-won't-they (you know they will), act like you don't like each other with insulting banter scenario that you find in many sitcoms.  But Arthur and Mera (Amber Heard) at least feel like they connect and SHOULD be together.  Credit to both actors for making this work as well as they did.

Wan also pulled something off masterfully that is often botched by directors in this genre.  He was able to give adequate screen time and believable motivation for multiple antagonists.  Both Black Manta and Orm had moments to shine.  The narrative never forced them to step on each other's toes.  But, I do worry about the possible sequels that will follow.  Aquaman doesn't have an extensive Rogues Gallery.  And, with the addition of the creatures from The Trench, we've already run the gamut of the hero's adversaries.  What will you do for an encore?

The one small complaint I have with Aquaman is that sometimes it tried a little too hard to impress and crammed more than was needed for a simple origin/single adventure story.  While the visuals were tremendous, it was almost sensory overload.  The story felt a little drawn out so it could impress you with even more CGI.  Granted this film didn't reach ridiculous levels like, say, any Transformers movie, but, I think it could have benefitted with 10-15 minutes placed on the chopping block.

In the end, I don't know what Aquaman will mean to the perception of the character or that of the DCEU.  But, Wan, Momoa, Heard, Wilson, Abdul-Mateen, Nicole Kidman (as Queen Atlanna), Willem Defoe (as Vulko), and the rest of the cast have given us a quality film in the genre.  Major credit should go to Wan for stepping out of his comfort zone as a horror director.  Hopefully, the masses' perception of this character can change a little bit.  Momoa strikes an impressive pose as a hero and there are a multitude of scenes that put his full power on display.

As stated earlier, Aquaman is the most visually stunning movie I've seen this year.  Does that make it the best?  We'll find out in my year end awards blog.  But, it's securely in the team photo.  One thing I think Warner Brothers should do is build toward a Flashpoint movie.  After the positive response from Wonder Woman and the general positivity to Aquaman, who doesn't want to see Gal Gadot's Amazon go one on one with Momoa's Atlantean king?  It probably won't happen, but, I can dream.  The DCEU may have temporarily stopped its bleeding.  I hope the healing continues.

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

**** stars

Ratings Legend

0*= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Worth a look.  Better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. I'm doing my happy dance!
5 *= Pure eye candy. I have seen the top of the mountain, and it is good

Released 5/25/18