A step in the right direction for the DCEU.

Rating: 7/10 (30 December 2018)

James Wan, a director-producer mostly known for his immensely popular horror films, shifts genre gears once again to take on one of DC's most iconic heroes. Having made his first appearance in last year's Justice League, Aquaman (Momoa) returns in his first stand-alone adventure that is both ridiculously corny yet ludicrously enjoyable. Aquaman, A.K.A Arthur Curry (half Atlantean-half human) is the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis, and is reluctant to leave his human life behind in order to face up to his true destiny. With the help of warrior Mera (Heard) and Atlantis counsellor Nuidis Vulko (Dafoe), Arthur must fight to overthrow his malevolent half-brother Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson, a frequent collaborator with Wan), who is preparing to wage a cataclysmic war with the surface world.
The DCEU, in a nutshell, is a complete misfire of a cinematic universe. Although Wonder Woman (2017) showed great promise for the franchise, even the most hardcore fans can't ignore the disaster that was Suicide Squad (2016) or the total mess that was Batman V Superman (2016). With Aquaman, James Wan makes the most of a cliché ridden script and delivers a surprisingly fun film. Momoa leads the film with great charisma; his performance holds the film together entirely, and it is clear he's having an absolute blast in the role. Patrick Wilson was a fitting choice for Orm; he's menacing when required, yet his performance at times is corny beyond belief. Both Heard and Dafoe were also excellent casting choices, although their characters aren't as developed as they could have been. It is the action sequences that work best in the film. In previous DCEU films, the action sequences have ranged from excessively dull to criminally forgettable (with the exception of the terrific No Man's Land sequence from Wonder Woman), but Wan crafts sequences that are thrilling in execution and epic in scope. A fight sequence with side villain Black Manta (who makes an appearance more in the name of fan service rather than plot) is particularly awesome, and the final conflict may be an overload of CGI, but it's certainly epic and absurdly entertaining.
Aquaman is definitely one of the stronger entries of the DCEU. It's cheesy for sure, and the writing is clunky in parts, but with Momoa's excellent screen presence and Wan at the helm, Aquaman manages to pull off all its absurdity. If the DCEU continues in this direction, it could finally live up to its full potential and even rival the MCU.