Very entertaining

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2019)

DC has finally decided not to take its filmmaking endeavors too seriously. Though the film does not follow the successful Marvel recipe of laughs and explosions, it still manages to entertain by combining different genres: the Atlantis scenes remind a Space Opera. The plot (a quest for the King's trident) is a successful combinations of Lord of the Rings and (on occasion) Indiana Jones movies. How can these different genres be combined? All one needs is an inventive and intelligent director.
Overall, this is a very entertaining movie and compared to all other DC titles, it clearly stands out as their finest yet, up there with Wonder Woman, and in my opinion, this one is even better. Mr Wan proves he is a top tier director, as he successfully combines different cinematic elements with seamless grace.
In his extremely apt hands, Aquaman is a long and fun journey, that has nothing to do with the terrible and gloomy DC Universe, as captured in the Snyder movies.
I had given up in DC; I thought Wonder Woman was the fortunate mistake. Aquaman changes the expectations. It seems there may be some hope for DC's cinematic future, after all.
On a final note, the cast is generally good. Momoa carries the movie successfully, which to me was a surprise after his abysmal performance in Conan. The only big mistake of the movie is that it lacks a convincing villain. Wilson was clearly miscast, I imagine under the misapprehension that the actor playing the part should slightly remind us of his mother. A bulkier and meaner looking actor would make the rivalry between him and Momoa more interesting.
But at the end of the day, does it really matter that much? Nobody expects Aquaman to lose. Still, next time please try not to have Momoa trade punches with Remi Malek.
In conclusion: Even if you are not thrilled, you will be entertained. DC's Aquaman is a nicely structured action/sci-fi/fantasy/adventure (!) with impressive visuals, excellent direction, and a sense of originality.