The DCEU has had a bumpy ride at the box office with disappointments like Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, but with the likes of Wonder Woman and now with Aquaman, they may finally be giving the MCU some much needed competition.
Jason Momoa stars as the titular character, a half-breed who has a human father (Temura Morrison) and an aquatic queen (Nicole Kidman). She abandons their son at birth whom they name Arthur in order to save him from the evil forces under the sea that want to claim him.
Once Arthur discovers his true nature and the powers he possess, he searches to find his origin and there he’s trained by Willem Dafoe.
Amber Heard costars as a half-breed of sorts herself and she tells him that his home of Atlantis is under threat from his equally powerful brother (Patrick Wilson). Oh, and while he’s underwater, he also encounters Mary Poppins and the Banks children. Oops, sorry, wrong movie again.
The movie is visually gorgeous in a way that I haven’t seen in a comic book movie since Doctor Strange. The special effects produce one sensational sight after another and it would be crime not to experience it in IMAX. It’s worth the price of admission.
Momoa proved to do a good job in Justice League and he proved he can carry this silly yet spectacular joyride. The rest of the cast embraces the material even if they do an occasional wink at the camera.
It’s undeniably goofy, but with each convolution in the plot, there’s a terrific action sequence to give it beautiful, kinetic energy.
If you can get past some of the plot developments that come across as ludicrous and enter into with a fun sense, this is one trip worth taking under the sea.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for some sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language.)
