In director James Wan’s latest, Jason Momoa is Aurthur, a.k.a Aquaman, a man who reluctantly begins a journey to take his rightful place as heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis and become a hero to the world.

Considering how DC Comics’ recent films have turned out, Wonder Woman (2017) being an exception; as much as I enjoyed the Aquaman trailer, I made sure to not get too excited.

Having now seen it, even though Aquaman is not my favourite super hero movie, there is definitely some fun to be had by watching. For example, I found Momoa quite delightful, thanks to his aesthetic, physicality and charisma. If I had to choose though, it’s definitely the underwater special effects in Aquaman that I loved most. From the toothy flesh eating creatures to the beautifully lit colours of the deep, I couldn’t help but be reminded to look forward to the upcoming C.G.I-rich Avatar movies… whenever director James Cameron is ready.

Other key highlights in Aquaman include the action sequences in Sicily, Willem Dafoe’s performance and Nicole Kidman’s rather convincing fight sequences. Maybe I’m really into seeing Kidman fight because I don’t remember having seen her fight like that in a movie before. Either way, I remain impressed. 

In terms of the elements I wish weren’t quite so about Wan’s movie, that would be the romance between Aurthur and Mera. ‘Forced’ is the word because I simply didn’t buy it. I also noticed a few awkward instances regarding the placement of music as well as some less than inspiring dialogue. Lastly, we have Manta; he’s simply not the best superhero villain I’ve ever been exposed to.

By the end of Aquaman, I was just glad that I found more things to enjoy than not. Plus, I’m happy for DC Comics because things seem to be turning around.

Watch it if you’re not too Team Marvel.

Happy Film Loving 

G