Justice
League was unfairly maligned, but it did offer a tantalizing glimpse of Jason
Momoa as Aquaman. Even if he was the
fifth or sixth best thing about that film, and was saddled with some lame wisecracks,
I was curious to see what this iteration of the character would look like if
given his own adventure. The secret of
director James Wan’s success is that he treats the bizarreness of underwater
Atlantean warfare seriously. There’s no
winking at the camera. When someone
rides a seahorse like an actual horse, it’s done in an offhand manner. Like this shit happen all the time.
The
plot has Aquaman’s hothead half-brother King Orm (Patrick Wilson) going on a
warpath to be named “Ocean Master”. Once
he holds the title, Orm can combine the armies of the seven seas to launch an
attack on the surface dwellers. Mera
(Amber Heard) comes to dry land to plead with Aquaman to return to Atlantis and
challenge Orm for the throne. First,
they must find a mythological trident, because whomever wields the trident, rules
the sea.
Sounds
silly, doesn’t it? Wan, Momoa, and
company don’t think so. Sure, there’s
some one-liners and quips along the way, but the threat of war is very real
throughout the film. Aquaman, like many
reluctant heroes, uses humor to diffuse tense situations. When the chips are down and the fate of the
world (and ocean) are at stake, he’s all business.
Likewise,
Wan is all business when it comes to doubling down on the wild, weird, mostly
awesome visuals and action. I mean where
else are you going to see Dolph Lundgren as an underwater king? Wan also gives us underwater dogfights, Atlantean
gladiator battles, and sharks with fricking laser beams on their head. It’s enough to make Dr. Evil weep tears of
joy.
Aquaman
takes inspiration from a wide array of sources.
It steals from The Phantom Menace, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Attack of
the Crab Monsters, Humanoids from the Deep, Splash, and King Arthur. With that kind of kitchen sink approach, it
goes without saying that it’s going to be wildly uneven. At 143 minutes, it’s overlong, kind of messy
(the “B” plot of Black Manta’s quest for revenge is more involving that the
whole duel for the throne storyline), and a bit waterlogged. It’s also brimming with visual splendor,
great performances, and tons of action.
Some
may miss the innocent, square, and blonde version of Aquaman. I can honestly say that I’m not a fan of the
Sons of Anarchy look of this Aquaman.
That’s all surface though. Beneath
the tattoos and ratty beard lies a compelling character you can root for. Momoa has loads of charisma and plenty of
chemistry with Heard, which makes me genuinely intrigued to see what will happen
in his next underwater adventure.
2018 Comic Book Scorecard:
Venom: ****Ant-Man and the Wasp: ****
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies: ****
Avengers: Infinity War: *** ½
Aquaman: *** ½
Black Panther: *** ½
Deadpool 2: *** ½
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: ***
Accident Man: ** ½
DC Extended Universe Scorecard:
Batman v Superman:
Dawn of Justice: ****Man of Steel: ****
Aquaman: *** ½
Wonder Woman: *** ½
Justice League: *** ½
Suicide Squad: ***
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