[Movie Review] Aquaman (2018)
Plot Summary: Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world.
Director: James Wan
Writers: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall
Runtime: 2h 23min
Main Cast:
- Jason Momoa as Arthur
- Amber Heard as Mera
- Willem Dafoe as Vulko
- Patrick Wilson as King Orm
- NIcole Kidman as Atlanna
- Kolph Lundgren as King Nereus
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Manta
Review by: Erika T
We learn the backstory about Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman), who we first meet in Justice League. He discovers that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and to prevent a war between the people of both land and sea, he must embrace his destiny as King to save both worlds.
What I liked:
There is a lot to like here. The visuals were beautiful. After I was done I looked up the price tag for the film and was surprised that it was only $160 million, but that is probably still a very high budget for a standalone DC film. If they had a Robert Downey, Jr., that’d bump it up the extra $50 million making it budget I was assuming it’d be.
I thought the cast was solid. I like that they are giving the new Aquaman a little bit of edge by using Jason Mamoa. Patrick Wilson plays his brother, King Orm, but I couldn’t help thinking to myself that in another time he could have been the one playing Aquaman as he looks flawless here and had all of the attributes and appeal that would have made him the perfect choice for the classic comic book version of the character.
This is probably my favorite role for Amber Heard as well. I’ve seen her in a few films, but this one is memorable. Her character is a lot of fun as Mera and she is a great side-kick to Aquaman but holds her own really well. She is strong and capable and I enjoyed a lot of her action scenes. Some of her costumes were stunningly gorgeous and I know when San Diego and New York Comic Con roll around we’ll see tons of cosplays for this character.
What I Didn’t Like:
The film was too long. I felt like they made it that long because it’s the standard run time requirement for superhero films. I think paring it down 15-20 minutes would have been perfect.
I thought the script was a bit pedestrian in parts. Countless times I found myself finishing lines in certain scenes and I could predict how the story was going to go. There are a few funny lines of course and it wasn’t the worst, but I did think this was its biggest weak point.
Also, while I enjoyed Mamoa in general in the role, I found him slightly one note and limited in range for the role. I wasn’t emotionally attached to Aquaman and his struggles compared to superheroes in other films. I wish they can bring more depth to him in the sequels.
Summary
Despite the flaws, it’s a really fun time at the movies and I can say that adding the underwater element made it nothing like I’ve seen before on the big screen. I also noticed that it got stronger later on. I was thinking it’d be more of a 3.5/5 movie and then later it felt more like a 4/5 movie. It also has rewatch value even if it’s just specific scenes. I definitely recommend this one and believe it’s one of DC’s strongest entries. It’s one of the stronger entries for a comic book film in general.
Images Courtesy of IMDB
