In director James Wan’s latest, Jason Momoa is Arthur, 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’s recent films have turned out, Wonder Woman (2017) being an exception, as much as I enjoyed the Aquaman trailer, I made sure not to get too excited about how he film would be.

Having now seen it, even though Aquaman is not my favourite superhero movie, there is some fun to be had by watching it. For example, I found Momoa quite delightful, thanks to his aesthetic, physicality and charisma. If I had to choose, it’s 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 CGI-rich Avatar movies, whenever director James Cameron is ready, of course.

Other key highlights in Aquaman include the action sequences in Sicily. Namely, Willem Dafoe’s performance and Nicole Kidman’s rather convincing fight sequences.

In terms of the elements I wish weren’t quite so about Wan’s film, that would be the romance between Arthur 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 and some less-than-inspiring dialogue.

Lastly, we have Manta; he’s simply not close enough to the best superhero villains I’ve ever seen. 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 curious and not ‘too Team Marvel.’

Happy Film Loving,

G