Aquaman (2018)
Warner Bros.
Directed by: James Wan
Written by: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
The next entry in the DC Cinematic Universe hits theaters this weekend and “hit” is exactly the word I’d use to describe ‘Aquaman‘. We’ve already seen Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in 2017’s ‘Justice League‘ but now he is on his own in an epic film that serves as both a solo adventure and an origin story. For a character that has always been treated as sort of a throwaway member of the DC stable, this movie does an excellent job of painting Aquaman as a major player in the the DCEU pantheon while detailing the incredible history of this superhero who first appeared in comics nearly 60 years ago! Caught between the human world in which he was raised but also feeling the call of his Atlantean heritage, Aquaman is sought out by Princess Mera (Amber Heard) to help stop a war led by Aquaman’s half-brother, King Orm (played by Patrick Wilson) who plans to unite the remaining kingdoms of Atlantis, wipe out the surface world and declare himself Ocean Master. In order to stop him, Arthur must embrace his heritage and seek out the lost Trident of Atlan in order defeat Orm and prove himself worthy of leading his people.
The story itself is fairly predictable, but the stylized journey on which we are taken is worth every second. While Ocean Master is the main adversary, a better known DC Comics baddie also appears – Black Manta (superbly played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and I wish we could have gotten to see even more of him!! However, the entire cast is brilliant and director James Wan ensures that the pacing of the movie stays consistently strong, which it needed to considering the lengthy 2hr, 22min run time. The visuals are stunning and seeing it in 3D only enhanced the experience. In fact, I’d say that it is easily the most visually captivating and beautiful of any of the DC films to date! With ‘Wonder Woman‘ having done so well for Warner Bros and now with ‘Aquaman’ already making such a splash at the world wide box office, I’m sure that the tsunami of hits will just keep coming for the DCEU at this point! On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say that ‘Aquaman’ crests at an 8.5. Make sure to get out and see it in 3D or IMAX where available as this is one movie that you deserve to have flood your senses at maximum levels!!
