The DCEU As It Always Should've Been

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2018)

Aquaman is the latest entry in the DCEU movie list. I was excited, but nit extremely enthused about this film given the track record with the DCEU. However, I can now say I love this movie. This is now my favorite DCEU movie, even over Wonder Woman, and is now my second favorite film of 2018 behind Infinity War. This film hit every mark. It's not an overly deep or complex film, but it isn't trying to be. It set out to be an entertaining and outlandish comic book film, and it goes full throttle with it. It's essentially your average MCU movie, though I enjoyed this more than many of the recent Marvel films.
The story is relatively simple. Arthur Curry/Aquaman is a half breed. His mother was a queen of Atlantis and his father is human. Now, his mother has disappeared and his brother, Orm/Ocean Master, the king of Atlantis is threatening to invade the surface. Now, it is up to him to challenge his brother to become the rightful king.
The best word to describe Aquaman is spectacle. This film is a great visual and action spectacle. This is easily the best, most colorful looking DCEU movie to date. The action is a thrill and it never sops going. The film is almost two and a half hours, but it doesn't feel it like some of the other movies do. There were a couple pacing issues, but overall I was never bored watching this film.
Unlike, Batman, Superman, or even Wonder Woman, I was never that big of a fan of Aquaman growing up. It wasn't until I read Geoff John's brilliant comic run in the DC New 52 that I really appreciated the character. Throne of Atlantis especially is one of my favorite stories in comics. This movie felt very much like an adaptation of that run, which isn't much of a surprise as Geoff Johns was also a writer for this film, and a producer.
The cast is spectacular too. You have a cast of Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, and Nicole Kidman. Jason Momoa especially did a fantastic job here. He was badass, funny, charming, and even charismatic. I was never sold on his version of Aquaman. His performance in Justice League didn't do much for me, but he killed it in this film. Seeing him the traditional Aquaman costume near the end was great, and it felt earned here, unlike in Man of Steel.
Overall, Aquaman is a great superhero film, and just a fun movie all the way through. I can't really think of much wrong with this. Again, it isn't a masterpiece like the Dark Knight, but not every film needs to be like that. It set out to be an entertaining ride, with just enough heart to it, and it works. Even if you don't think Aquaman is cool, give this a watch anyway. You might change your mind.