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Aquaman Review
Aquaman, directed by James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring, Furious 7) starring Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Braven) and Amber Heard (Paranoia, Machete Kills) is the 6th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The shortcomings of the DCEU have been well documented from coast to coast and heard loud and clear. Aquaman sets out to change that stigma by being among the better of the films in the series. The majority of the film takes place under water as you might expect, and the visuals did not disappoint. Barring a few short scenes from Justice League (2017), This is the first time we have been made privy to the wonders and beauty of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis on screen.
Check out The Aquaman Trailer
Aquaman is visually stunning and the action is some of the best we’ve seen in the DCEU. The origin story is well placed within the film. Unlike many films where the origin story is contained within them, Aquaman’s doesn’t take you away from the story and gives you relevant history between the characters which later payoff in the consequences of their actions. The role of Arthur Curry was tailor made for Jason Momoa the same way Tony Stark was tailor made for Robert Downey Jr. and Wolverine for Hugh Jackman. Time will tell if his longevity holds the same way theirs have. At times I wondered if Jason Momoa was playing Arthur Curry or if Arthur Curry was playing Jason Momoa and that is one of the many fun tidbits from the film. The humor at times seemed forced and some interactions between Amber Heard’s Mera and Arthur were awkward as it seemed the chemistry between them were being forced, but as the film went on, it evened out and became a charming and playful connection between them. Nicole Kidman, who plays Aquaman’s mother Atlanna was a surprise. You don’t tend to think action hero when you think Nicole Kidman but she held her own and has one of the most impressive action sequences in the film. (If you didn’t recognize that was Nicole Kidman kicking butt at first, you’re forgiven) While the original score for the movie fit well, the motion picture soundtrack seemed to fall flat in areas.
The pacing issues that have been present in most of the other DCEU films seems to have been cleaned up quite nicely in Aquaman and that is a step in the right direction for a film series that doesn’t seem to live up to the success of its Marvel counterpart. Aquaman gets a lot of things right a just a few things wrong in its effort to keep the DCEU afloat. It is a good watch in theaters and worth your time to see.
