Aquaman (2018)

 

Filled with awe and wonder and adventure, Aquaman might be the most fun I have had with a DC superhero movie in forever. If anything it reminded me that bad things lived in the oceans but that is okay when I am not the hero in the middle of all that chaos. The idea itself is very high concept and director James Wan realizes that sometimes he has to go a full retard on some of his execution and the balance here is perfect. HIS superhero film throws it all out there and can do that because Wan has such amazing tools to play with. The result never bored me for one second and Wan did something I thought could never be done. He gave Aquman back his dignity and put him among the immortals where he belongs.

Aquaman is why huge films like this have to be made - so that they can push whatever boundaries need to be pushed in terms of the technology that goes into making these bigger than life blockbusters.  I want to see this one again on a huge screen with all the visual and sound extras they offer these days. My screener was amazing but this film is made for leaving the house to see.

The cast is great with Nicole Kidman being more luminous than I have ever seen her before. She is the exact actress that I will always associate with the Queen of Atlantis. For life really. I liked her story arc very much. It's the favorite role I can remember her in.

The CGI is a little bit flawed when showing the fight scenes but overall the illusion of underwater creatures who can talk while underwater is great and had to work visually for so great an adventure to work. The hero arc is fun and goofy but also touches your heart. It was made for a ten year old and that is why I loved it. It was like reading a great graphic novel and having it come to life right in front of me. It doesn't let up for a second so we don't have to think too much about the balloon juice that makes up this tale.

The effects are gorgeous and the cast is more than game for whatever Director James Wan wanted them to do or say. The characters ring true in this superhero world. I felt all emotions like I was primed my whole life to feel these very feelings. And I was primed by all the comic books I have read. This film is a love letter to comics. The fantastic soundtrack helps creating the perfect mood as well.

Willem DaFoe as Vulko is fantastic though I found it funny that it took everyone DECADES to figure out that he was training Arthur in secret to be a badass underwater warrior until it was most convenient for them to discover that fact. Sloppy Atlantian security lets you down every time.

And is that DOLPH LUNDGREN I see as Mera's father?? Damn, Dolph moves in some big movie circles still if he is able to do this and Creed II in one season. Good on him. Patrick Wilson is also very effective as Orm, the Ocean Master who has younger brother issues of his own.

It was a fun film with clear good and bad guys. The bad guys have reason to hate Aquaman so his foes are formidable and worst yet, motivated with a religious fervour that makes them very motivated to kill our hero. Black Manta especially has the skills and the technology to get that job done.

The movie is very good at showing us why Black Manta has such a singular hatred for Aquaman. As super villains he is a rarity in the way he ONLY fights Aquaman and never Batman or Superman or any other hero you want to name. His hatred is that pure. The fight scene between the two of them is epic and cutting edge in terms of stunt work and CGI as is the chase scene between Princess Mera and the soldiers pursuing her through a Mediterranean village. It's a sweet piece of business that, again, plays like a video game and I say that in the best way and with respects to the finest tradition of great video games. The game/action never stops moving when the action is going and I admit I held my breath for a large part of those moments. Like watching a master of the game do a run through.

I love how this is more like three movies in one and it is extra long with lots of peaks and valleys. I dig it for that. Yes at times it plays like a big video game as I mentioned but I didn't hate that idea either. We are dealing with 7/10ths of the Earth here. Lots of things happen under the sea especially when there is a big war going on that we don't know about and those scenes have great imagination behind them. I was dazzled during all those scenes but the ending was never in doubt. You know this is Hollywood so of course it all worked out like all the best superhero movies do. I felt like I travelled the quests with Arthur on his journey from fish man to King of Atlantis with all the proper boxes checked off along the way.

Jason Mamoa is at his charismatic best as Aquaman and we root for him to win the whole time knowing full well that in the end he will do just that. Even if he doubts it for a moment, the audience's belief in him never wavers for a second.

When he appeared with the trident I actually had chills. It was so beautiful, man. Sure the rest of the third act gets pretty chaotic but isn't that why we came to see a movie called Aquaman in the first place? It's all very Shakespearean if Shakespeare had the imagination to think up an ocean superhero. It's as goofy as the concept I just described to you. I adored the whole damn thing and I am such a sucker for a happy ending.

 

To be fair I could not find any reviews or early numbers for Aquaman on Rotten Tomatoes and the paid sites only fawn over the film. The early release of the fantastic action filled trailers made me think the movie was not that good and would have little repeat business the weekend after opening weekend. I am here to tell you that I know that will not happen here. Kids will want to see this film again, especially on the big screen in 3D with all the bells and whistles. This is the kind of family friendly adventure that is a Christmas gift to the superhero fans in your family. Take some kid to a matinee because you need to share this film with someone close to you.