Hero Momoa oceans of fun
Aquaman (12A) It’s safe to say the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) hasn’t come close to matching rivals Marvel’s success – both critically and commercially.
The one ray of hope came with last April’s excellent Wonder Woman before the fun-butdisappointing Justice League came along five months later to put things back to square one.
But one of the brighter sparks in the superhero ensemble was Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, so my optimism going into his first solo outing was pretty high.
Sadly, his standalone tale can’t match the brilliance of Wonder Woman’s, even though it shares many similar plot arcs and aesthetic styles.
It is a welcome improvement, though, on the likes of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, not least because it doesn’t take itself too seriously and injects a welcome dose of something the DCEU has sorely lacked – good, old-fashioned fun and escapism.
Part-origin story, part-progression from Justice League, Momoa’s Arthur Curry discovers he is heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis and reluctantly steps forward to lead his people.
Much like Wonder Woman, the best thing about Aquaman is its leading man; while still prone to surfer dude-like one-liners, Momoa’s hero is humble, charismatic and psychically imposing.
One area where the DCEU has arguably surpassed its Marvel counterparts thus far is in its treatment of female characters and it’s the same here as Amber Heard’s Mera gets to kick some serious butt and Nicole Kidman (Atlanna) lends gravitas.
Conversely, the villain problem that exists in many comic book flicks rears its ugly head again with Patrick Wilson’s petulant King Orm feeling like an unworthy advisory for Momoa.
Anyone excited by Willem Dafoe (Vulko) and Dolph Lundgren’s (King Nereus) presence will also be let down by their lack of screen time and consequence to the story.
James Wan was an interesting choice behind the camera as, following his initial horror background, he proved he could helm a big money blockbuster effectively with Fast & Furious 7.
He handles the action setpieces well but is let down by his special effects team as much of the CGI grates with characters facing off in front of obvious greenscreen technology.
At times it’s also hard to tell who is battling who, particularly during the climactic sequence.
Aquaman is no comic book classic, then, but it’s oceans ahead of many previous DCEU efforts.