With Aquaman DC are now a genuine rival for Marvel

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2019)

Aquaman
Hiring James Wan to direct Aquaman has thankfully injected some spirit into the DC universe.
With the dark and depressing first instalments coming from Zack Snyder and then a more upbeat effort in the form of Wonder-woman, Wans film has elevated DC to be a genuine rival for Marvel in terms of a cinematic offering.
If you have the opportunity to watch Aquaman on a 4K display with HDR then this is a must see movie. More on that later!
Aquaman tells the story of Arthur Curry played with relish by the charismatic Jason Momoa. A film that my better half wasn't interested in seeing until she clapped eyes on a shirtless Momoa.
He may not be the greatest actor in the world but he surely owns every scene he's in.
His character is half human, half from Atlantis and his quest is to prevent his brother King Orm from waging war on the surface dwellers.
It's all a bit silly but still immensely entertaining and rather inventive.
Made so by some impressive visuals and direction by James Wan.
Set design and cinematography are reminiscent of James Cameron's Avatar.
From underwater cities to breathtaking landscapes this is one spectacular looking movie.
Every scene is a visual feast and as I mentioned this is a must see movie in 4K HDR.
The higher resolution will allow colours to burst
from your TV and the added layer of detail help bring underwater kingdoms and creatures to life.
High Dynamic Range is utilised here to reference quality. A must have purchase on Ultra High Definition Blu-ray if like I you are into Home Cinema.
Colours are so superb that this will be your new go to disc to impress friends with your set up.
Particular scenes such as the end battle show HDR to its full potential.
Depth is pretty decent too which helps the underwater environments have a sense of realism.
Subtle details are finely rendered.
Take Princess Mera's long flowing red hair for example.
HDR allows her hair to be very vibrant whilst a grain free digital image shows every strand of hair on the princesses head.
Costumes are also superbly presented.
Every scale on Aquaman's gold suit is distinctive and King Orms purple chest armour is so bright it almost looks three dimensional.
There are some soft shots particularly when CGI is at its heaviest but you'd be hard pushed to notice. I found the scene on the cargo plane to be flawless. A true 4K crispy image.
If the picture quality is excellent then the Dolby Atmos sound mix is equally impressive.
On Ultra High Def Blu-ray this is reference quality too.
The LFE channel gets deep down and dirty with some floor shaking bass.
The scene in the Trench will have your subwoofer working overtime.
The Atmos mix utilises height channels superbly allowing atmospherics to blend in seamlessly.
Sound stage is wide and energetic making for a truly exciting surround sound experience.
A good sound mix is one that envelops the listener without them being aware and this one achieves this impressively.
With a stellar supporting cast this film has a further ingredient to be a success.
At 2hrs 23mins James Wan has sculpted a movie that flows just like water.
Enough time is devoted in fleshing out the characters.
Sure more could have been done with the two lead villains. Patrick Wilson's King Orm and Yaha Abdul-Mateen II as Manta are possibly the most underdeveloped of all the cast but this barely hinders the sheer enjoyment of the movie.
Jason Momoa and Amber Heard as Mera have a believable chemistry and Hollywood superstars Nicole Kidman and Willem Dafoe bring the gravitas.
Dolph Lundgren puts in a second great performance of 2018 after his welcome return in Creed II.
The script and delivery of dialogue is punchy and jokes land with precision.
Aquaman is well made in all aspects and takes the DC universe out of the gloom.
I have no problem with the darkness of Batman Vs Superman. I just believe that Aquaman will appeal to a larger audience because it's more colourful and fun.
If it's spectacle you're after then Aquaman delivers big time.
It may not be as deep as say 'Logan' or 'The Dark Knight'
It may not have the years of backstory that was dedicated to 'The Avengers' but Aquaman is a vibrant treat that so far the DC universe has been missing.
Long live King Arthur!