Aquaman is a fun affair!

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2018)

Aquaman is a blast!
DC got everything right for a change, and in doing so James Wan conjures (pun intended) a level of entertainment that bests their greatest in this decade- Wonder Woman. The humor, action, acting, editing, all are spot on for a change, and Jason Momoa as Aquaman is as inspired a choice as Gal Gadot was.
This connected universe thing is not DC's cup of tea. They never established the characters well enough to connect them like Marvel did, and each movie was tonally different. DC's 2018 shift towards independent, disconnected universe way is far better than them copying the Marvel way. Aquaman though, introduced in fine style in 2017's Justice League is a remnant of their connected strategy. Momoa isn't the only guy bringing the house down though, the key guy here is James Wan. Wan has injected a sense of fun that helps entertain a wider audience, which DC so far lacked. Not that he has given up on his horror roots- some of the sea creatures and inspiring visuals will not look out of place in the Conjuring universe.
Watching a comic book movie requires you to enter into the theater with an open mind. In this case, that is an underwater world, complete with shark and whale riders, highways for turtle-cabs, sea horses that are quite literally sea horses, bongo playing octopuses, giant prehistoric monsters, pink haired Dolph Lungdren- you get the idea.
Aquaman picks up where Steppenwolf is defeated in Justice League, and people of earth know of a sea dweller who is out to help them. A backstory gives Arthur Curry's origin- eldest son of the queen of Atlantis who fell in love with a lighthouse keeper. She was apparently executed for her infidelity, but you know DC movies are all about mommies, so hold that thought. Arthur's half brother Orm wants to unite all the undersea kingdoms (yes, there are 7!) and wage war with Donald Trump and the rest of us genteel land dwellers because of global warming, ocean trash, pollution etc. Only Arthur can take him on, but for that he needs the Trident of Atlan. He is helped by Mera, daughter of Sir Pink Hair Dolph, and Vulko, counselor of Atlantis, while in his way stands Orm and his dreams of becoming Ocean Master, and his comic book nemesis, Black Manta.
Arthur Curry: I'm no leader. I'm not a king.
Mera: Atlantis has always had a king. Now it needs something more.
Arthur Curry: Well, what could be greater than a king?
Mera: A hero.
In one fell swoop, Wan provides an exciting origin story for both hero and villain, a believable romantic angle, and an emotional family drama, replete with epic battle scenes that shade Star Wars, and thrilling expedition sequences that match up to Indiana Jones. Momoa plays Aquaman as he played Khal Drogo- brashness and physicality that he has made his own, along with doses of humor and charm- no lasso of truth required for him to lay out his feelings for Mera. Speaking of whom, Mera is perhaps Amber Heard's first big budget role, and she fits the Atlantean princess to the T. Nicole Kidman is the most charming DC superhero mommy, and Yahya Abdul Mateen is a passionate Black Manta. Patrick Wilson as Orm is probably the only miscasting, but he too gamely plays along.
Many thought this year's greatest spectacle was Avengers:Infinity War but do watch Aquaman and you may be pleasantly surprised.