Aquaman (2018) | Film Review

Aquaman is here! DC’s next big superhero made his debut in Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2017 and now – finally – he receives his own solo movie.

Aquaman made his comic debut in 1941 as a creation of Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger. Together with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter, he is a founding member of the Justice League. Yet, after the mediocre reception of the Justice League film, a lot is riding on this one for DC and Warner Bros as they attempt to rebuild the brand. Does Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa have what is necessary to take Aquaman from being the butt of many jokes to the bad-ass that many comic fans know him to be?

Momoa stars as Arthur Curry, aka the Aquaman. He is the result of a forbidden romance between Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman) and lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison). Atlanna flees her arranged marriage in Atlantis only to wash up on Tom Curry’s shore. The pair fall in love and Arthur becomes the fruit of that love, half-Atlantean and half-human. To protect their son, Atlanna returns to Atlantis and her arranged marriage. Both Tom and Arthur are blindsided, unaware of what happened to her, except that she vowed to one day return to the lighthouse at sunrise.

Flash to the present – one year after the fight against Steppenwolf in Justice League – Arthur is approached by Princess Mera of Atlantis (Amber Heard). Mera claims Arthur is the true heir to Atlantis, and she needs his help to stop his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), who wants to wage war on the surface world with the help of a modern pirate named Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Orm and Black Manta both have personal stakes in the extermination of Aquaman, and their journeys are aligned to complete this task.

In order to stop Orm, Arthur must find the lost Trident of Atlan, which will prove his claim as the one true King of Atlantis. Orm, in the meantime, is trying to unite all of the kingdoms of the seas, so he can become Ocean Master and wage his war on the surface dwellers. He already has the support of Mera’s father, King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren), but the other kingdoms are less inclined to follow his lead.

That’s a lot of plot. It’s not as convoluted as it sounds, though. Director James Wan (Saw, Furious 7, The Conjuring) took on the reigns of this sea horse and he pulls out all the stops. Atlantis looks absolutely stunning, and could be considered DC’s version of Wakanda mixed with Asgard. There are even warriors riding white sharks and an octopus playing drums. It’s ridiculously glorious. The other kingdoms look less human and more like the merfolk of Lovecraft stories. Here and in the creature designs are where James Wan really shines and his horror roots come to the front. Wan lets loose in massive battle scenes, pitching sharks against giant sea horses and introducing monsters ripped straight from HP Lovecraft’s feverish mind. Imagination runs wild, and is a captivating palette to behold.

The most important aspect to this movie – and a sharp contrast to previous films in the DC Universe – is fun. The humor is consistent and the pacing moves at a tight clip. Aquaman has a bit of everything for everyone; from the aforementioned Lovecraftian horror to the adventure of Indiana Jones, from the sincerity of Gladiator to the spectacle of Star Wars, and the absurdity of Flash Gordon with even a few flashes of Tron. All of that to say, the film borrows from many but delivers its own unique world.

The soundtrack is both modern and retro, with 80s synth underscoring most of the Atlantis scenes, with more modern songs and Rupert Gregson-Williams’ score outside of that. The movie and its music are sporadically all over the place. But none of that bothered me at all, because I was on a thrill ride with Jason Momoa!

Amber Heard’s Mera is a weaker link in the chain, but still a solid casting choice. She looks great, like Ariel’s warrior sister, and her romance with Arthur feels reasonable. Nicole Kidman and Willem Dafoe bring earnestness into their roles, and Patrick Wilson’s Orm makes for a hissable villain that you can relate to. Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s Black Manta is a bit over-the-top when he is in costume, but fits in well.

While no one falters, all of them are blown away by Jason Momoa’s cheerily bro-tastic take on the titular character. Momoa, adorned with tribal tattoos and an unflinchingly mischievous wink, has managed to pull a comic hero fans either love or loathe – but many outside of those circles ridicule – and morph him into a modern day hero everyone can root for. In fact – throughout the film’s entirety – Momoa looks like he’s having the time of his life, an infectious quality the audience cannot help but appreciate. He IS Aquaman, seemingly born for this role, and he throws everything into it, including the kitchen sink.

After the massive success of Wonder Woman followed by the critical misstep of Justice League, DC seems to have bounced back on track with Aquaman. It’s bright, well-shot, and a lot of fun. It brings jokes instead of becoming one, and if this is the path that DC continues on, then I am looking forward to seeing more of the DC Extended Universe that Wan and Momoa have lit up here.