Aquaman - Review: The harder you think, the worse it gets
Release date (US): December 21st, 2018
Directed By: James WanRating: PG-13
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lungren
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any affect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
Try not to think. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try not to think. Close your mind and shut it off, and don't let any logical thought enter your mind. That's how you can truly enjoy Aquaman.
We enter the world of Atlantis under the sea, diving below the surface of the bleak DCEU to a colorful world of vibrancy. Right away, James Wan (director) flexes one of the biggest strengths of the film: the stunning visuals and world building. I can unequivocally say that this is one of the most gorgeous films I have seen in recent memory. The use of CGI is almost perfect; the ability to go underwater and then back up to the land is seamless. I cannot say enough good things to the VFX team behind this movie. It's so evident that they worked so hard to make this world as believable and realistic. It's few and far between where you can palpably see how much effort was put into a movie, and this was one instance.
And as we journey through Atlantis, we are introduced to our main characters. Arthur Curry, or the Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa is a physical, intimidating presence right off the bat. Jason Momoa commands the screen from the first instance he appears, and he appears with a bang. We were given the slightest taste of Momoa in Justice League (2017), but here Wan takes full advantage of him to craft a rugged, yet charismatic iteration of the character.
There could have been a large temptation to simply portray Aquaman in a physical, dumb, bruteish way, given just how enormous Momoa is. And while there are scenes where Momoa really gets to show off his physical presence, the writers and Wan are able to craft Momoa into more; he is given emotional motivations and has a drive to what's good. Perhaps he's not the most complex character, but it's made very clear that Arthur Curry is simply out there to do what's right. You can see his arc transition from this closed-off loner kind of figure to a more open, laid-back version of the character.
I would be remiss, however, if I didn't mention the action that was given to him and others. The action sequences in the film are mind-blowing and transcend into a new level. We have seen the same kind of hand-to-hand combat before in so many superhero films, but rarely do we have directors who really know how to use their environment to benefit. I would argue that this is by FAR and away the best action in any DCEU movie, equivalent or even better than action in MCU films like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and perhaps some of the best comic book action EVER, a bold statement considering there has been an abundance of superhero films since 2008. But the way the action is framed and shot is something so fresh and captivating. Yes, towards the end of the film, there is a little overindulgence in the typical CGI mess of colors and armies colliding. But from the very beginning, within the first ten minutes, there is an action set piece that really has no business being as good as it is. But from the very moment it starts, you can't take your eyes off of it and from there, the film catapults.
But at certain points, as the film tries to launch itself forward, it reaches the very top of the precipice where it proudly stands amongst some of the greatest comic book movies made in the last decade, before awkwardly sliding and tumbling down the side of the cliff. The entirety of the film is devoted to trying to climb that hill and reaching it, or being just barely out of reach, before tumbling back down again.
There are a few contributing factors to this, and I think we can start with the dialogue. Now, there are moments when the dialogue really lands. And I think it's because James Wan clearly understands who his characters are. He knows Momoa and he knows Aquaman so well, and so Curry is given some of the best lines because Momoa knows how to deliver them. But some of the supporting cast don't fare quite as well.
You have a plethora of great actors in the film. Even Dolph Lungren decided to make an appearance. And for the most part, each one of them gives their A-game performance. Even Amber Heard, who is not quite known for her top-notch acting chops, gives a performance that doesn't lose your attention. It is certainly head and shoulders above anything else she's done. Others, like Willem Dafoe do their part and due justice, as does Nicole Kidman.
I think in this regard, Patrick Wilson, who plays the villainous King Orm, should be commended. He is given some questionable dialogue at times, but really sells it through his performance. He knows exactly what kind of movie that he's in, and because of that, he embraces the moments where over-acting is needed and the moments where a serious, brooding tone is required of him.
But herein lies the problem. The dialogue does not live up to the performances of the action. While the action may be some of the best in recent memory, the dialogue is some of the worst in any comic book film over the past ten years.
As I iterated before, Jason Momoa largely escapes this because he is able to sell his lines with his charm. Even Patrick Wilson can mostly work around it because he embraces the "cheese" and the direction of James Wan. But I think some of the most atrocious dialogue in 2018 was given to Amber Heard's Mera. You could see her lines coming from miles and miles away, and they landed with a thud. The fact that I could enjoy her performance that much is a testament to how she was able to push past her horrendous lines. Because there are a great deal many of them.
And the dialogue lends itself to another problem - tonal dissonance. I can understand if Aquaman would like to embrace a cheesy, campy attitude, and that's totally acceptable. I found myself buying into those moments where it went for the "cheese". But just as quickly as it transitioned into the cheese, it snapped itself out of the moment and tried to be serious. And it was this back and forth dynamic that made the motives of the crew so ambiguous. Was this film trying to be funny? Heart-warming? Emotional? And because of this, when it tried to be funny, it rarely was, and when it tried to be emotional, it never was.
Just a small footnote that irked me, but perhaps may not bother you as much; the music, I found, was extremely distracting, both the score and the soundtrack. There are moments where the score swells to an orchestral crescendo and it's beautiful; it matches the moment perfectly. But then there are moments when a synthesizer is overused and it becomes unclear what the point of it is. And then there are a few particular moments where James Wan introduces pop-songs at the oddest points in the movie that completely took me out of the film.
All of this, just takes me back to my initial sentiment: Try not to think. There are weird cuts throughout the entirety of the movie that jump from one point to another. There are huge jumps in time, that feel like twenty minute out of a two and a half hour movie were missing, making you question how characters got from one point to another. There's heavy use of slow motion amidst the beautiful action. But really - the more you decide you don't want to care about this, the more fun you will have with a movie like this.
In Conclusion: Aquaman is not a bad movie. I would daresay go as far to venture that it is a good movie. But it has its limitations. And yet, James Wan seems to know exactly what his limitations are and just goes for it. He looks you square in the face and say s"Are you going to come with me?" Many will say no, and they will despise this movie as pretentious, stupid, and superfluous. As for me? The beauty in a movie like this, despite its innumerable shortcomings, is that you can find a true sense of enjoyment and entertainment at its heart. You can look for reasons to make this a bad movie, and it will be a bad movie, but if you search for the bright spots, I think you'll find this be far more enjoyable than you thought.
The Review
Try not to think. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try not to think. Close your mind and shut it off, and don't let any logical thought enter your mind. That's how you can truly enjoy Aquaman.
We enter the world of Atlantis under the sea, diving below the surface of the bleak DCEU to a colorful world of vibrancy. Right away, James Wan (director) flexes one of the biggest strengths of the film: the stunning visuals and world building. I can unequivocally say that this is one of the most gorgeous films I have seen in recent memory. The use of CGI is almost perfect; the ability to go underwater and then back up to the land is seamless. I cannot say enough good things to the VFX team behind this movie. It's so evident that they worked so hard to make this world as believable and realistic. It's few and far between where you can palpably see how much effort was put into a movie, and this was one instance.
And as we journey through Atlantis, we are introduced to our main characters. Arthur Curry, or the Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa is a physical, intimidating presence right off the bat. Jason Momoa commands the screen from the first instance he appears, and he appears with a bang. We were given the slightest taste of Momoa in Justice League (2017), but here Wan takes full advantage of him to craft a rugged, yet charismatic iteration of the character.
There could have been a large temptation to simply portray Aquaman in a physical, dumb, bruteish way, given just how enormous Momoa is. And while there are scenes where Momoa really gets to show off his physical presence, the writers and Wan are able to craft Momoa into more; he is given emotional motivations and has a drive to what's good. Perhaps he's not the most complex character, but it's made very clear that Arthur Curry is simply out there to do what's right. You can see his arc transition from this closed-off loner kind of figure to a more open, laid-back version of the character.
I would be remiss, however, if I didn't mention the action that was given to him and others. The action sequences in the film are mind-blowing and transcend into a new level. We have seen the same kind of hand-to-hand combat before in so many superhero films, but rarely do we have directors who really know how to use their environment to benefit. I would argue that this is by FAR and away the best action in any DCEU movie, equivalent or even better than action in MCU films like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and perhaps some of the best comic book action EVER, a bold statement considering there has been an abundance of superhero films since 2008. But the way the action is framed and shot is something so fresh and captivating. Yes, towards the end of the film, there is a little overindulgence in the typical CGI mess of colors and armies colliding. But from the very beginning, within the first ten minutes, there is an action set piece that really has no business being as good as it is. But from the very moment it starts, you can't take your eyes off of it and from there, the film catapults.
But at certain points, as the film tries to launch itself forward, it reaches the very top of the precipice where it proudly stands amongst some of the greatest comic book movies made in the last decade, before awkwardly sliding and tumbling down the side of the cliff. The entirety of the film is devoted to trying to climb that hill and reaching it, or being just barely out of reach, before tumbling back down again.
There are a few contributing factors to this, and I think we can start with the dialogue. Now, there are moments when the dialogue really lands. And I think it's because James Wan clearly understands who his characters are. He knows Momoa and he knows Aquaman so well, and so Curry is given some of the best lines because Momoa knows how to deliver them. But some of the supporting cast don't fare quite as well.
You have a plethora of great actors in the film. Even Dolph Lungren decided to make an appearance. And for the most part, each one of them gives their A-game performance. Even Amber Heard, who is not quite known for her top-notch acting chops, gives a performance that doesn't lose your attention. It is certainly head and shoulders above anything else she's done. Others, like Willem Dafoe do their part and due justice, as does Nicole Kidman.
I think in this regard, Patrick Wilson, who plays the villainous King Orm, should be commended. He is given some questionable dialogue at times, but really sells it through his performance. He knows exactly what kind of movie that he's in, and because of that, he embraces the moments where over-acting is needed and the moments where a serious, brooding tone is required of him.
But herein lies the problem. The dialogue does not live up to the performances of the action. While the action may be some of the best in recent memory, the dialogue is some of the worst in any comic book film over the past ten years.
As I iterated before, Jason Momoa largely escapes this because he is able to sell his lines with his charm. Even Patrick Wilson can mostly work around it because he embraces the "cheese" and the direction of James Wan. But I think some of the most atrocious dialogue in 2018 was given to Amber Heard's Mera. You could see her lines coming from miles and miles away, and they landed with a thud. The fact that I could enjoy her performance that much is a testament to how she was able to push past her horrendous lines. Because there are a great deal many of them.
And the dialogue lends itself to another problem - tonal dissonance. I can understand if Aquaman would like to embrace a cheesy, campy attitude, and that's totally acceptable. I found myself buying into those moments where it went for the "cheese". But just as quickly as it transitioned into the cheese, it snapped itself out of the moment and tried to be serious. And it was this back and forth dynamic that made the motives of the crew so ambiguous. Was this film trying to be funny? Heart-warming? Emotional? And because of this, when it tried to be funny, it rarely was, and when it tried to be emotional, it never was.
Just a small footnote that irked me, but perhaps may not bother you as much; the music, I found, was extremely distracting, both the score and the soundtrack. There are moments where the score swells to an orchestral crescendo and it's beautiful; it matches the moment perfectly. But then there are moments when a synthesizer is overused and it becomes unclear what the point of it is. And then there are a few particular moments where James Wan introduces pop-songs at the oddest points in the movie that completely took me out of the film.
All of this, just takes me back to my initial sentiment: Try not to think. There are weird cuts throughout the entirety of the movie that jump from one point to another. There are huge jumps in time, that feel like twenty minute out of a two and a half hour movie were missing, making you question how characters got from one point to another. There's heavy use of slow motion amidst the beautiful action. But really - the more you decide you don't want to care about this, the more fun you will have with a movie like this.
In Conclusion: Aquaman is not a bad movie. I would daresay go as far to venture that it is a good movie. But it has its limitations. And yet, James Wan seems to know exactly what his limitations are and just goes for it. He looks you square in the face and say s"Are you going to come with me?" Many will say no, and they will despise this movie as pretentious, stupid, and superfluous. As for me? The beauty in a movie like this, despite its innumerable shortcomings, is that you can find a true sense of enjoyment and entertainment at its heart. You can look for reasons to make this a bad movie, and it will be a bad movie, but if you search for the bright spots, I think you'll find this be far more enjoyable than you thought.
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