Wild Well Direction Crazy Fun Superhero Action Ride

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2019)

Interviewer: Our next film I would like to ask you about is Aquaman...
JohnnyPHreak: Dude! Holy wow. I mean no disrespect when I say this but Aquaman is the most fun movie to come out of DC/WB.
Interviewer: Can you elaborate on that?
JohnnyPHreak: Wonder Woman is fantastic. I love that film. Gal Gadot is Diana/Wonder Woman to a T. The film has a decent story, great emotional beats, and some fun action sequences. There are comedic elements and it so cool to watch. It does so much for actress, female-led superhero movies and I don't want to compare them at all. Aquaman is a bananas fun fantasy ride, that us DC Comics fans have been waiting for.
Interviewer: So you take DC over Marvel?
JohnnyPHreak: If you were to put me on the spot I would easily take DC over Marvel only because DC has my favorite comic book character of all time, Superman. Let me explain Aquaman. I'm not a huge of the character. He's not one of my favorites. But when we finally got to see him serious in the comics and animated films, it did the character justice. (No pun intended) Jason Momoa's take is a bit different but equally as cool and confident. He's not just a man who can talk to fish. He's a bridge between worlds. He's this powerful being who's also a total badass. He's having so much fun being this character is drips off-screen. I can't wait to see more of him. And I hope we get to see more of him interacting with other DC superheroes. One day I'll explain my love of the Justice League movie.
Interviewer: Can you give us some of the plot details for those who haven't been following the story?
JohnnyPHreak: It's actually pretty simple. Arthur Curry, Aquaman, is half human half Atlantian. His mother fell in love with a human and they had him. His half brother Orm, hates him and the land dwellers, they declare war on the land from the sea. In order to save his world and all of the world, Aquaman has to team up soon to be queen Mira (Amber Heard) to prove to Atlantis that he is the one true king. One the way he makes enemies of a train pirate who goes by Black Manta. The film jumps all over the world in a fun fantasy adventure with elements of Indiana Jones, The Fifth Element and even some old school monster movies.
Interviewer: Much as been said about the cast, how are they in this film?
JohnnyPHreak: As I said earlier, Momoa is excellent as the Aquaman and easily carries the film whenever he's on screen. Amber Heard is very good as Mira. She's not the helpless damsel in distress. She's a soon to be a queen that cares about her people, her land and is just as capable of kick-ass as Aquaman. The filmmakers did her well. Patrick Wilson as Orm is okay, you get his ideology. He likes to chew scenery and is very over the top in his portrayal but it fits the film he's in. Willem Dafoe is the excellent mentor role, bring his talents to the character. The scene stealer of the film is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Manta. He effectively in what screen time he has to give DC film fans the best villain they've had in all of the DC live action films. His character has weight, style and a personal attachment/grudge with Aquaman. It gives him more depth than most superhero villains get to have. I can't wait to see more of him.
Interviewer: This is a big action film, how are the action sequences and direction?
JohnnyPHreak: I'm not saying this as hyperbole, James Wan is the best action director working today. He has a few other directors on his heels but I would place him at the time. The action scenes in this film are wild. They are so well shot, so much fun and pretty crazy. He doesn't put himself in a box. He goes for broke and they all shine when happening. There's an opening sequence with Nicole Kidman's Atlanna (who she is great in this) that looks to be filmed in one take. It's jaw-dropping. The film uses neon colors and sets to express this is a fantasy world and it pops. This is a trippy watch but so enjoyable. Wan even gets to go back to his roots with one sequence that is very horror inspired. It's probably my favorite scene in the movie. It's violent, kind of terrifying and feeds into my need for Wan to make a monster movie.
Interviewer: Any final thoughts about Aquaman?
JohnnyPHreak: James Wan has created a wonderfully rich and deep universe here with his first superhero entry Aquaman. The whole cast is great with Momoa, Heard, and Abdul-Mateen II being the standouts. The film looks beautiful, including a bunch of sequences shot in IMAX. The action is wild, easy to watch and just fun. The story is not that deep but it spans all over the world. It has the best elements of Indiana Jones with none of the Crystal Skull. All fans of DC should have seen this on the big screen because it's worth the price of admission. But if they couldn't see it in 4K because the transfer is gorgeous. Aquaman was one of my favorite films of 2018 and is now tied for my second favorite DC Comic live action film.