Review of Aquaman (2018) by Tryasummersault — 21 Dec 2018

8.4/10 James Wan has crafted the most visually magnificent and triumphant tale of the DCU, full of heartfelt emotion and genuine fun albeit ridiculous at times. Had someone ever told me I would enjoy an Aquaman film with Jason Momoa more than any film in the DCU, I wouldn't have believed them and laughed.

The truth is imho this is the most effectively executed film of the extremely polarizing DCU, and is filled with an array of epic moments throughout, as well as a fantastic portrayal of the comic story.

While it might stray away from comics in certain aspects, it thrives with its own distinct identity. The attention to detail from Wan is impeccable as usual and the visuals in this are mind blowing to say the least.

The world building through the diversity of colors, environments, creature designs, costume designs, and the overall perspectives are spectacular. The CGI was heavily utilized but never looked cheap or unrefined and is some of the best work I've seen.

The characters are all acted well besides Black Manta's character which I thought was a laughably bad performance though maybe it was just how his character was written. Momoa did well enough and was extremely fun to watch, but Patrick Wilson stole the show with an incredible role as King Orm and added a whole different dimension to the majestic story that I did not see coming.

It's clear to see why James Wan casts him so much in his great films. I also thought Willem Dafoe did a fantastic job as Vulko and it was cool to see him once again in a comic adaptation. I did think some of the dialogue and forced comedy was hit or miss at times, and bordered on ridiculous to where I laughed in absurdity.

There are some really oddly placed songs in the soundtrack that also add some laughable ridiculousness. Luckily the story thrived so much with its triumphantly heartfelt core and exciting high octane action, that some of the more cheesy parts can be overlooked.

It's satisfying to see that Wan took the time, effort, and heart and broke away from tired formulas of the DCU for the most part, to procure an epic original adaptation that sets up a bright future. I just hope the Black Manta character/actor will improve, because if he will be the main villain, he will have to be more convincing and slightly better written.

Overall this is a fantastic film that needs to be seen in theaters to truly savor the details and grand scapes.