Momoa rescues Aquaman

Rating: 6/10 (22 December 2018)

With a dull lineup of 2018 blockbuster winter superhero action flicks, Aquaman rises to the top. Although highly entertaining with stunning visuals, the movie falls short (**SPOILERS**):
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta) draws the short-end of the stick. Despite having the bravado of Wesley Snipes, Mateen's character was too flawed; an origin storyline deserves better dialogue. Despite unintentional comedic relief, the character served as a distraction. When Mateen revealed himself as "Black Manta," I swear the audience heard "Black Panther." When Mateen obtains Atlantean tech, he turns to the camera deadpan and smolders; cheese, anyone?
If there was anywhere in the movie where one could insert comedy, it should be when characters referred to "Ocean Master." Fittingly, Momoa should have taken jabs at this title. He certainly saves Aquaman in other areas. Heard (Mera) nails the look; totally hot, but faces a battle with terrible dialogue, especially towards the end when Momoa is crowned as "The King."
No quarrel with the CGI; some parts seemed too rushed. An epic underwater battle that blurred together; for a good 3 minutes, the audience could not tell what was happening. And in other parts, way too slow. For example, Momoa is introduced shirtless in the first few minutes inside of submarine. Great, audience cheers! All of sudden, the scene cuts into an odd 80's slow motion. Did the studio cut corners with the production?
Lastly, the soundtrack: it's clear the studio was aiming for refreshed retro 80's nostalgia; a page out of Thor Ragnarok. Sure, lack of originality, but I enjoyed it. Actually, wanted more.
Hopefully, DC continues to step up it's game. Looking forward to more.