Aquaman Review: Crazy Ridiculous Fun!

Believed as one of the last rays of hope in the downtrodden DC Extended Universe, Aquaman, directed by James Wan serves as the origin story of Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa’s) character and stars Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman and Willem Dafoe as the supporting cast in a superhero-fantasy-drama drenched in the Kingdom of Atlantis.

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The storyline follows the journey of Arthur Curry, a half breed (who can swim and breathe in deep sea and also can drink beer and have fun as all normal people do) and the love child of Thomas Curry (from Maine, USA) and Queen Atlanna (from Atlantis). Sooner than later, Arthur gets oppressed by an overwhelming proposal from Mera and Vulko to visit and acquire his rightful throne as the King of Atlantis and put an end to his younger step-brother’s belief to start a war with normal humans.

Let’s dismiss the negatives first! For an origin story, especially with a gargantuan scale and countless possibilities (like Aquaman), setting up a storyline from scratch and introducing new worlds and characters to the mix seemed like an uphill battle for the writers accompanying James Wan in bringing his idea to reality. And, in the course of creating a visually appealing action-entertainer, the storytelling aspect of the film takes its toll, as the screenplay doesn’t resemble fluidity from scene-to-scene.

With more than two storylines developing at the same time in the midst of gigantic action set-pieces, the narrative moves on a decent pace and doesn’t feel tedious, but, forgettability definitely plays a factor. However, thankfully, the plot is not as complex as the other DCEU movies like Dawn of Justice and Justice League, which is always a plus point.

Having said that, Aquaman delivers when it comes to bombastic action sequences. The entire narrative is jammed and overwhelmed with one fight scene after another, and they do not let you down at any moment. Owing to the fact that James Wan shoots spellbinding action scenes with his unique camera angles and compelling tracking shots with no fast cuts, the entire stack was incredibly enticing and entertaining enough to watch on the big screen. Glorifying the spectacle of action were the MARVELous visuals, which were, by far, the best I’ve seen in any film.

The creative imagination that allowed Wan to build this aesthetically appealing world filled with the most ridiculously riveting aspects like a giant octopus playing the drums, people riding on seahorses and herculean crocodiles, the innovativeness felt endless and Wan excelled with his skill to make everything look out of this world and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before in any superhero film.

Additionally, the pivotal characters and the performances from the entire cast also play a significant role in the film. Jason Momoa fully embraced his character of Aquaman and portrayed it with utmost joy, charm and personality that he expresses everytime he’s on-screen or off-screen. Most importantly, he transformed a character from something that is disparaged as a joke to more of a badass magnetic hero that we all deserve.

Amber Heard as Mera had a crucial role to fill in the film, her addition as Aquaman’s apprentice was peppered well throughout the entire script and her performance didn’t feel substandard or poor. Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna had some of the best emotionally riveting scenes in the entire film and the supervillains Patrick Wilson as King Orm, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta commended their roles decently with minimal screen time.

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Overall, Aquaman is a game changer extravagant with some of the most outrageous, ambitious and spectacular set designs and visuals which will ensorcel you to the fullest. James Wan took a script which shouldn’t work or tough to present and offered something really special and monumental to watch on the big screen. Although the movie suffers at times with subpar storytelling issues, Aquaman will safeguard the sinking DCEU ship and will remain as a contemporary movie in years to come. Watch ‘Aquaman’ on Netflix here.

Rating – 3.5/5 | Grade – B+

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