Aquaman
Year: 2018
Director: James Wan
Starring: Amber Heard, Jason Momoa & Patrcik Wilson
Runtime: 143 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 14/07/21
Director: James Wan
Starring: Amber Heard, Jason Momoa & Patrcik Wilson
Runtime: 143 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 14/07/21
The lukewarm reception to Justice League left the future of the DC Extended Universe a little murky. Whilst executives were bickering about where to take the franchise next, or whether to just scrap the shared universe idea entirely, there were still a number of projects that were already underway that the company had relatively little faith in. Fans however were still holding out hope that the franchise might be able to power through provided that Aquaman could recreate the kind of quality that Wonder Woman saw. So although Aquaman doesn’t quite hit the highs of Wonder Woman, it certainly doesn’t feel as manufactured and mishandled as the rest of the DCEU.
Following the defeat of Steppenwolf, Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) protects the land from various sea-based threats using his metahuman powers earning him the nickname Aquaman.
When he is contacted by Mera (Amber Heard), the next in line for the title of Queen of Atlantis, he is asked to stop his tyrannical half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) from raising an army to fight against humanity. To do so, Arthur must find the Trident of Atlan and prove himself worthy of the Atlantan throne. But it is a race against time as Orm grows more powerful by the minute.
Following the defeat of Steppenwolf, Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) protects the land from various sea-based threats using his metahuman powers earning him the nickname Aquaman.
When he is contacted by Mera (Amber Heard), the next in line for the title of Queen of Atlantis, he is asked to stop his tyrannical half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) from raising an army to fight against humanity. To do so, Arthur must find the Trident of Atlan and prove himself worthy of the Atlantan throne. But it is a race against time as Orm grows more powerful by the minute.
What I like about Aquaman’s story is that it’s straightforward. So many of the DCEU films have overly complicated plots that try to ham-fistedly work in some kind of deep philosophical allegory about humanity’s place in the world. So, whilst Aquaman has a message about protecting the environment, it doesn’t get too bogged down with some kind of deeper meaning, or even the politics at play elsewhere in the DCEU. What I didn’t like about the film though is that it’s too long. After a slew of overly long films prior to Justice League, Warner Bros. then mandated that Justice League be no longer than two hours, a massive mistake as that was probably the one film that needed to be longer. As a result, Aquaman sees the return of a bloated runtime that allows the film to take unnecessary diversions to pad the film out. It could have been around thirty minutes shorter and not really lost anything, drop the whole Black Manta sub-plot (that doesn’t go anywhere) and the film wouldn’t be any different.
Jason Momoa returns as Arthur Curry following his introduction in Justice League and he does relatively well. I still feel as though the character is written with way too much macho bullshit though. He’s a man’s man that doesn’t get in touch with his feelings and instead just grunts and drinks beer. His answer to any problem is to punch it as hard as he can and if that doesn’t work then he’ll just find a way to hit it harder. What's frustrating is that Arthur is smart, yet he so infrequently uses his brain to actually resolve any challenge he faces. But he is funny, and Momoa is a good fit for the role, yet because of this excessive toxic-masculinity I just don’t feel particularly attached to the character.
Mera acts as a mentor type character through the film, helping Arthur realise his potential whilst also aiding him on his quest to find the trident. Heard is fine in the role, she’s not bad but she doesn’t do anything to stand out as the only woman for the job.
Orm is a downright weird casting though. To me Patrick Wilson doesn’t do a good job as that character, and I don’t believe him in the role in the slightest. Maybe I have too much association to him as Nite Owl in Watchmen to be able to believe he could be a power-hungry warlord, but I feel it goes deeper than that.
Jason Momoa returns as Arthur Curry following his introduction in Justice League and he does relatively well. I still feel as though the character is written with way too much macho bullshit though. He’s a man’s man that doesn’t get in touch with his feelings and instead just grunts and drinks beer. His answer to any problem is to punch it as hard as he can and if that doesn’t work then he’ll just find a way to hit it harder. What's frustrating is that Arthur is smart, yet he so infrequently uses his brain to actually resolve any challenge he faces. But he is funny, and Momoa is a good fit for the role, yet because of this excessive toxic-masculinity I just don’t feel particularly attached to the character.
Mera acts as a mentor type character through the film, helping Arthur realise his potential whilst also aiding him on his quest to find the trident. Heard is fine in the role, she’s not bad but she doesn’t do anything to stand out as the only woman for the job.
Orm is a downright weird casting though. To me Patrick Wilson doesn’t do a good job as that character, and I don’t believe him in the role in the slightest. Maybe I have too much association to him as Nite Owl in Watchmen to be able to believe he could be a power-hungry warlord, but I feel it goes deeper than that.
What is great in Aquaman though is the action sequences. Many DCEU films have had underwhelming CGI heavy action sequences, usually the ones involving characters that can fly; Aquaman uses very similar principles yet the way the fights are framed and the context they are put into makes them considerably more enjoyable. The final battle in particular is excellent, reminiscent of The Battle of Helms Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
The CGI is still a bit rubbery, but the incredible art direction makes up for it. Atlantis is a beautiful city and the way the film is lit using different coloured algae is extremely clever. James Wan is also keen to make each fight scene distinct from each other, both in terms of the way combat is handled and the way its shot. Aquaman can be an extremely pretty film, even when the fists are flying.
To cut a long story short, Aquaman is not a film I’m likely to watch again. It achieves what it wants to do reasonably well, and although it has some problems, they aren’t total dealbreakers. But it doesn’t have the same level of polish or originality that Wonder Woman did. It’s a sign that the DCEU could be headed on the right tracks once again, but they aren’t quite out of the woods yet.
The CGI is still a bit rubbery, but the incredible art direction makes up for it. Atlantis is a beautiful city and the way the film is lit using different coloured algae is extremely clever. James Wan is also keen to make each fight scene distinct from each other, both in terms of the way combat is handled and the way its shot. Aquaman can be an extremely pretty film, even when the fists are flying.
To cut a long story short, Aquaman is not a film I’m likely to watch again. It achieves what it wants to do reasonably well, and although it has some problems, they aren’t total dealbreakers. But it doesn’t have the same level of polish or originality that Wonder Woman did. It’s a sign that the DCEU could be headed on the right tracks once again, but they aren’t quite out of the woods yet.