Aquaman - Exceeding Expectations

Photo: comicbook

Aquaman (2018) is the latest edition in the DCEU/Justice League universe, a title that would understandably turn the average moviegoer away.

With the recent abominations that were Justice League, Suicide Squad and Batman vs. Superman, DCEU (DC Extended Universe) has fallen well behind their real-life rivals in Marvel.

The Avengers franchise has spilled out hit after hit, being rewarded for their patience and dedication in bringing the Marvel superhero comic books to life, spanning all the way back to 2008 when the first Iron Man was released.

DC and Warner Bros. Pictures were late to the party and have been playing catch-up with Marvel while the superhero phase continues to dominate Hollywood. This has become apparent with Warner Bros. spitting out rushed films that have failed to meet the high expectations left by Marvel Studios.

Justice League was DC's answer to The Avengers, falling well short of the latter. Who would have thought a movie featuring the most famous superhero’s in Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman would be outshone by a man cladded in metal, a nerdy scientist with anger issues and a C-grade Legolas.

The problem with Justice League was the fact we knew next to nothing about majority of their heroes. The Avengers featured five standalone origin films before the first Avengers film was released. Iron Man had two movies alone. DC and Warner Bros. didn’t provide viewers with the opportunity to relate and care for their individual heroes, except Wonder Woman, which comes as no surprise was their best installment to date. Or so it was…

Now with all this in mind, I went into Aquaman with exceedingly low expectations. I liked the dark twist on the comic book character they gave him in Justice League, however I didn’t care for the character itself.

However, Aquaman absolutely smashed those doubts deep into the Mariana Trench. I found myself completely engrained within the entirety of the film and was overwhelmed at the amazing cinematography and visual effects offered. DC is well and truly back.

The first thing I noticed that separated Aquaman from it’s predecessors was the inclusion of this strange thing called colour. Batman vs. Superman, Justice League and that shitshow in Suicide Squad were so desperate to add this dark and gloomy feeling that the entire film was filtered by a dark green/blue tinge.

So dark, so mysterious. Photo: The Verge

You would have thought a movie based solely on a character from the ocean, famous for it’s dark green/blue appearance would have been the clear choice for this filter, yet Aquaman provides its viewers with a visual spectacle like no other. I don't think I've even seen half of the colours they used in the film prior to viewing.

The visuals alone would have won me over, yet the storyline and pacing were equally as engaging. Despite the cliché superhero monologue with cheesy one-liners, the story itself BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!!! I do apologise, but I thought an Aquaman review wouldn’t feel justified without the interruption of an explosion. I mean seriously, did every major scene or heart-felt moment have to be disturbed by an explosion of some sort? Perhaps that is the one negative aspect to the movie I noticed, however I have read a few more by critics.

A common criticism I have noticed is people complaining about the over-usage of CGI.

Do they realise 80% of the film was set thousands of metres underwater? And that majority of the characters were riding giant sea creatures, shooting laser beams attached to their fricken heads? There is also that important fact that people seem to be forgetting that humans can’t actually breathe underwater.

I for one thought the balance of CGI and real-life effects was solid. Firstly, the scene with our two heroes delving deep within The Trench was one of the best looking and visually stunning scenes I have ever scene.

It’s also rare to see a villain in the DC universe not created completely out of CGI. For example, Steppenwolf who was dumped on us in justice league, looked fresh out of a PS2 fantasy game. Or not to mention the hypnotic-dancing-hippy-witch in Suicide Squad.

Aquaman proved that using real-life actors and costumes comes out looking far better visually on the big screen. Patrick Wilson nailed the role of Orm Marious; the pureblood narcissistic evil half-brother and king of Atlantis. It’s strange seeing Wilson outside of his comfort zone by not being trapped inside a paranormal house, however he proved to be a worthy villain to our fish-man hero. Which is ironic because Aquaman director, James Wan, also directed the Insidious and Conjuring films which starred Wilson.

The side villain, Black Manta, portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (yes there are two people who have dealt with the misfortune of spelling out their name) was an unexpected, yet appreciated knock to the DC comic book supervillian. The inclusion of Black Manta was an appreciated one, and led to one of the best scenes in the DC universe’s filmography.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as The Black Mantra

Of course I’m talking about the James Bond style roof chase in Sicily that featured an 80’s video game style-backing track and an Atlantis warrior 'Juggernauting' his way through an apartment building.

The leads Jason Mamoa and Amber Heard (who played Aquaman and Mera respectively) were both shining lights in an already bright film. Both actors were brilliant in their roles and the onset chemistry between the two was beyond passable. I mean, I haven’t seen an ocean-based kiss that believable since John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in Grease.

The Khal Drogo actor gave a much-needed twist on the usual glitzy and sparkly comic book portrayal of Aquaman, proving that the master of fish can be a super badass.

It wouldn’t be a superhero movie without the inclusion of some famous appearances, none more exciting than Ivan Drago; the mammoth sized sea-horse wielding leprechaun.

Nicole Kidman was a huge surprise, as well as a huge tick for her depiction of Atlanna – Queen of Atlantis. Warner Bros. decided to continue the Game of Thrones feel by representing her as a water-dwelling version of Daenerys Targaryen. That woman clearly doesn’t age. Even after her son has developed into a fully-grown man (fish), Kidman still looks as stunning as she did in Batman Forever. I can’t say the same about Aquaman’s father, Thomas Curry, who resembled Hans Moleman in his older days. I guess heartbreak does that to you.

It was also good to see a cameo from Mosasaurus, the giant sea dinosaur from Jurassic World feature as King Orm’s noble steed. Mosasaurus has really been on fire of late in the movie business.

And speaking of animal cameos, I must make mention to the giant octopus, covered in Braveheart blue body paint for his impressive drum solo. But this isn’t any giant octopus, director Wan recently revealed that this percussion enthusiast is none other than Topo, one of Aquaman’s longest-serving allies.

Topo proves he's not only a master on the drum kit. Photo: Nerdist

It's not perfect, but it's fun and entertaining. If you're having doubts, I don't blame you, but Aquaman seemed to have it all – amazing visual effects, strong leads, solid pacing, sharks as pets as well as being a worthy homage to the comic books. Let’s hope DC and Warner Bros. use this as a benchmark for future adaptations.

Just no more Pitbull covers, please!

Rating: 7.3 out of 10.