Aquaman is absolutely gorgeous. This cannot be overstated. Director James Wan and Cinematographer Don Burgess crafted an absolutely beautiful work of art in the latest film in DC’s mixed bag of movies. Every shot, no matter its location or importance to the overall plot, is stunning. The fight scenes are artistic, brutal, and easy to follow. The panning shots of the underwater kingdoms are magical. The vibrant colors throughout are mesmerizing. If you can go see this movie in an IMAX theater, I cannot recommend anything more. Possibly more than Avatar, Dunkirk, or even Blade Runner: 2049, the extra-wide screen and pounding audio completely immersed me in the world of Aquaman, making me fall in love with the heroes, the villains, and most of all, the world itself.
Just under Patti Jenkin’s Wonder Woman, Aquaman shinesat the top of the Worlds of DC roster – though the competition hasn’t been particularly fierce. This is what we should expect the next few DC movies to be, or at least to feel like, from now on. Despite its flaws, and there are inherent flaws, Aquaman does what Justice League tried (and failed) to do. It’s fun to watch and easy to digest. It seems as if the days of Zac Synder’s gritty and grounded films – for better or for worse – are coming to an end and giving rise to worlds of lively colors, straight-out-of-the-comics costumes, and stories of optimistic heroism. Hopefully, that will draw the casual moviegoer back to these films, earn Warner Brothers some trust, and then they can try to be edgy once again once they have a more stable footing in the industry. Because this movie alone is not enough to save DC, it’s simply too generic.
It is absolutely gorgeous, but that’s really all that’s special about Aquaman. There are serious problems in the movie, namely the plot itself and its supporting cast. Aquaman himself, Jason Mamoa, is as fun as anyone would expect him to be, and he did a fine job of leading this installment. Any doubts that we all had about Aquaman being cool or even useful outside of the water have been completely washed away by Mamoa’s natural charisma. However, while the script seems tailored to Mamoa’s wild aesthetic, the same cannot be said for his costar and queen, Amber Heard. Aside from failing miserably at the Bechdel Test and being little more than a motivator/love interest to Mamoa, Heard’s presence on screen just feels replaceable, as if the same role could be played by almost any other Hollywood actress. Heard delivers an average performance as Mamoa’s love interest, which builds a relationship that holds just enough water to be palatable. Hopefully, in the inevitable (and welcome) sequels, Heard will be given more and better material with which she can expand her range and find her niche in this ever-expanding sea of superhero characters. Meanwhile, Patrick Wilson’s Oceanmaster rivals Loki for coolest evil little brother to the protagonist, but unfortunately lacks Tom Hiddleston’s unique mannerisms. He does what he needs to do to move the story along and looks badass doing it. Likewise, the casting of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Aquaman’s most iconic villain, Black Manta, seems a little fishy. Black Manta is awesome – that seems to be the only reason he’s in this movie – but the character’s flare does not come from the actor behind the refreshingly cartoonish helmet. If anything, Black Manta is great despitethe fairly bland actor. Had early casting rumors been true, and it been Michael K. William behind the helmet, he would have most likely been the highlight of the movie. With only a few tweaks to the film overall, Aquamancould have easily gone from good to great.
From early on, you can tell that this movie isn’t going to shock you. There are moments that seem copied and pasted out of previous superhero films. There are interactions that are too campy and/or forced. There are bits of dialogue that feel like they were taken from the first draft of the script. But it’s all fun. Had the movie been shortened by half an hour, I’d say it’s a lot of fun. Nevertheless, watershed performances and a groundbreaking story isn’t what this movie needed to be. It needed to be lighthearted and welcoming to audiences who both loved and hated DC’s prior installments, and it is. It needed to be fun for the whole family, and it is. It needed to be safe but stylized, and it is. Aquaman is not DC’s savior, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.