Review Summary: Fun, but never finds its' wow factor.
OK, so anyone who has been keeping up with the race of superhero flicks over the past decade has known that the competitor to beat has always been Marvel. And why not? They've had the critical acclaim, audience support and financial success behind them. Since they tried to enter the arena with Man of Steel in 2012, DC has played second (or maybe third with the X-Men/Deadpool franchises) fiddle with much less success. Maybe they've had financial success, but the critics and audiences have been mostly disappointed with their output.
Which brings us to Aquaman, and the news is both good and bad. The bad news is that DC doesn't make up much ground in the race here. There's some significant flaws here that keep this movie from reaching the heights of the likes of Infinity War and Wonder Woman (which still is the only real great DC film, though I enjoyed Justice League). But, on the other hand, the good news is that it's no stinker either. Thanks to director James Wan's more professional, light and character-driven approach, Aquaman is at least an entertaining and fun ride that doesn't abide in the grim and murky waters that Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad swam in.
A lot of people agree that Jason Momoa was a scene-stealer in Justice League, with a persona and sense of humor not too far gone from Chris Pratt. But Momoa does get a few extra points for not carrying Star Lord's oftentimes mean-spirited attitude. You can tell he has the heart of a hero, and also respects those around him. In the meantime, he's given much-needed quiet moments to shine as well, which really helps his character's likability factor.
As Mera, Amber Heard gets off to a wooden start, but she grows into the part very nicely and gets better as the movie progresses. The best performance goes to Willem Dafoe, who gets a few strong scenes as a mentor of Arthur (ahem, Aquaman). Nicole Kidman is limited in terms of screentime, but she proves to be perfect casting for Queen Atlanna. The rest of the cast is decent, but none really quite stand out (Julie Andrews is given a surprisingly interesting voice cameo).
I can say that the visual presentation is pretty fantastic at times. The underwater world presented here is very nicely-done. Some colorful touches here and there along with a few interesting production sets that successfully give off a swashbuckling feel. The New England town is also an appealing touch. Not everything feels original, there are a handful of shots that reminded me of Tron: Legacy among recent films. But, the filmmakers deserve plenty of credit for bringing this world to life so well.
In the first half of Aquaman, there's very solid character development for Arthur (though I did feel like an introductory scene of where he meets Dafoe's character was sorely missing). At the same time, however, the first half is also exposition-heavy. Unless you're a diehard fan of the comics, it's going to be hard to keep in mind all the information the film throws at you. I couldn't quite keep up at times. Thankfully, this problem is resolved in the second half.
The film also tries to balance two antagonists, with arguably mixed results. The first villain, Black Manta, is decent. He's given a tragic backstory. But, at the same time, his character gets shoved to the side for awhile. Then when he finally gets to shine, he's defeated with at least a half-hour left (to be fair though, he isn't quite dead yet, and may return). The second antagonist, a more familial one for Arthur ("Ocean Master"), succeeds in being more personal for the hero. There's a Prince of Egypt-like tension between the two of them that succeeds, even if its not quite memorable.
The second half of Aquaman brings in more old-fashioned adventure and comedy. There's an entertaining action sequence in a Middle Eastern town square that does echo Indiana Jones to a degree (the cinematography work in the action sequences is very impressive). There are a handful of solid jokes. And, the ending action sequence does take a few solid twists here and there from the usual superhero movie formula. The ending, in the meantime, is very emotionally-satisfying.
However, the pacing is elongated at times. Sometimes the movie feels like it could cut a few of its action scenes shorter. And, speaking of the action scenes, they often rely a little heavily on "jump scares" (considering Wan's filmography includes some horror flicks like The Conjuring, this shouldn't be seen as a surprise), and Aquaman's first scene has one dramatic entrance too many. Rupert Gregson-Williams returns from Wonder Woman to score, and he mixes some video game-inspired themes with some orchestral and rock moments. But the overall combination isn't nearly as effective as his previous effort.
By the time everything settled down, Aquaman seemed like a movie that was trying really hard to get applause at the end (but it didn't earn any from the crowd I was sitting in). And that's basically the movie in a nutshell. It's a very watchable movie that entertains and excites, but never (except maybe for the visuals in a few places) truly wows. Now, fans of DC and the character probably won't be disappointed. For casual moviegoers, they can at least know the movie is fun enough to watch.
My Score: 6.5/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Aquaman is rated PG-13 for "sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language." The violence is about on par with most superhero flicks, but there are a few bloody injuries for sea creatures. Sharks and other animals are used to fight, and some creatures are chomped and eaten. Guns are fired, people are killed (bloodlessly) and Aquaman slams people down consistently. Most of the time he is impervious to attack (save for one or two times where someone stabs him with an Atlantian blade). Some frightening sea monsters appear in one scene and they are impaled by spears in a few scenes. Another massive creature may prove to be a little scary for some kids. One scene involves a tsunami of sorts causing some destruction and a car to flip over. Frequent explosions, people struggling to breathe, etc.
The language is about par for the course as well for superhero flicks. The most common word here is "b****rd", which is used about a half-dozen times. There's also the s-word (twice), "a**" and "h***" (four times each), "d***" (twice), as well as one use each of "oh my g**", "b**ch" and "d**k". A couple of females wear form-fitting, somewhat low-cut apparel. A few kisses. Towards the beginning, Aquaman's parents are shown reclining on a bed with her pregnant belly exposed. An underwater creature who can't breathe air finds relief in toilet water.
