A Look Back: Aquaman

This review of mine here is going to put me in some hot water I am sure. I can already hear the fans pushing up their thick black glasses screaming in their high pitched voice “How dare you…reeeeeee!” But the fact of the matter is this movie is…

Review

This was my least anticipated DC film to date. I worried about things that I had seen in the trailers…the CGI..the acting…the overall story. So where to begin?

Acting

Probably the one area I shouldn’t have been worried about but was only because Amber Heard isn’t exactly well established and Momoa has never had to carry an entire film on his on of this magnitude. Thankfully those two did amazingly and actually have some decent chemistry.

The supporting cast such as Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, and Jango Fett…err I mean Temuera Morrison are absolutely amazing…Lundgren is having a HUGE year and I hope we see more of him not just in Aquman sequels but other films moving forward. Nicole Kidman was great too but the stand out for me was Yahya Abdu-Mateen… HOLY HELL was he captivating as Black Manta… You will desperately want more of him… I assure you!

The CGI

I’m a stickler for CGI…I was really worried about this movie due to the fact that 70%+ of this movie would be underwater… but my God was it amazing. Yea there are some little moments here and there that are like…”eh..” but this is EASILY the most beautiful Comic book/Superhero film you have ever seen…and possibly the most beautiful MOVIE you have ever seen.

kinda branching off from the CGI is the fight sequences. Every single one feels larger than life and are absolutely captivating. You will not want to look away because there is always something going on. Maybe the coolest thing is they are shot in a way that makes them look like one shots without any cuts.. It really is something special and hopefully becomes a more regular thing in these films.

Story

It’s a pretty cut and dry story which I found to be slightly predictable at times…but that isn’t to say it was boring or lame…to the contrary.. this movie is an absolute blast. Don’t listen to those who try and say “It’s Thor under water” that does this film an injustice. There are similarities to the Thor story…but it is a VASTLY different film. The difficulty for Writers and Directors for origin films is trying to do something different and not seen before and James Wan absolutely does this in the look, feel, and aesthetic of the movie.

Music

Finally I will touch on the music…which is the weakest part of the movie. It had moments of excellence but overall it was a pretty big let down and I would say was very stock and corny at times how certain musical cues would pop up. Black Manta has a pretty cool theme…but really that is the only thing that stuck out to me that was actually good. I really expected more from Rupert Gregson-Williams.

But the fact of the matter is this movie is AMAZING and quite possibly the BEST comic book movie of 2018, (yes even better than Infinity War!) It is a fun exhilarating ride that never lets up. Jason Momoa is not only the Hero Atlantis needed…but the one the DC Filmverse needed as well.

Any Marvel, DC, or just action movie fan will love this film. There is no doubt in my mind.