Aquaman: A Movie Review

The DC Extended Universe’s latest installment, Aquaman, can easily rank as one of the best in the series’ universe. It contains both the humor and the action that audiences view in modern superhero films that are made today.

The film follows Arthur Curry, son of a mortal man and a goddess queen of the sea, returning to his home, Atlantis, to claim his rightful place as king. To do so, however, he must prove his worth by challenging his powerful half-brother, Orm Marius, for the throne and locating the Trident of Atlan that can only be wielded by the true king of Atlantis. On his journey, Mera, an Atlantean, assists him and Vulko, his mentor, guides him to becoming the man he was born to be, the King of Atlantis.

Compared to previous installments from the DCEU, Aquaman is more lighthearted than other films in the series. I would say that that a good number of DC fans out there that find Aquaman to be a very by-the-numbers character, to say the least.

The world got its first legitimate look at Jason Momoa’s Aquaman in 2017’s Justice League, and many weren’t too pleased with the result of an undeveloped character that seemed too one-dimensional to be in the film. Aquaman, however, puts away those past mistakes and shines light upon the character that always had a fan following, like any major DC character.

 I also think I should acknowledge how amazing and unforgettable that the special effects and CGI for this film were done by talented special excepts supervisor Kevin McIlwain. His work made this film a true treasure for fans of DC.

Jason Momoa’s humor to the film brings the film a lot of light and works well with the tone and plot of the film. Having said that, however, I found Momoa’s script for the film to be very awkward and lackluster. As a viewer, I felt that many lines that came across as humorous were uttered during moments of the movie that were meant to be serious.

Supporting characters, however, such as Willem Dafoe’s Vulko and Patrick Wilson’s Orm are played brilliantly and make good additions to the film. An additional villain played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is also interesting as his motives prove to be ones of revenge.

Overall, my review of Aquaman is a 3.5/5