Another DC Disappointment

Rating: 6/10 (30 December 2018)

Well it is not a castrophy or anything but it is the one DC film I had the highest expectations for because I really like the titular character. The result was a corny, and even for fantasy standards unrealistic (yes.. I am talking fantasy realism here) CGI overdose.
Okay, what I liked: Jason Momoa who has a great sense for self irony and comedic timing. Casting him in this role is one of the most creative and inspired decisions and it pays off. He is truly great and part of the reason why Aquman is one of my absolute favorites of the DC cinematic universe. But not even he could save the often awful dialogue this terrible screenplay offers. Another thing I really liked were many of the actions scenes were very well put in scene (save for all the slow motion moments). Also the first half of the film really promised a great fantasy tale with its own mythology. I gave up on that thought in the middle part when many things, motivations and actions just became ridiculous ( and yes.. again for fantasy standards). The ending was an overblown CGI fest (with some really nice visuals ... not the effects, those were mediocre, but the imagary was nice). I really liked the score and loved the soundtrack decisions which were top notch.
About the other actors. Amber Heard was better than I expected but I could imagine many other actresses who probably had given her role the bite it deserves and was intended for. Nicole Kidman was fine but she obviously did it for the fun (yes she gets to kick some asses which was delightful) and of course the paycheck. But having her here gave the film something majestic. Willem Dafoe was very boring - or bored. I always felt he was not really feeling good about being into that CGI mess. His facial expressions made you believe that he is constantly thinking of doing awful things to his agent. Dolph Lundgren was fun and Patrick Wilson servable as a villain. Oh and that gets me to another thing: Black Manta is probably the most useless villain in any comic adaptation ( except maybe Paul Giamatti in the second Spider Man of the first Spider Man reboot).
It was fun (yet overlong) as long as it lasted but caused many head shakes from me.. and not in a good way.