"What could be greater than a king?"
Aquaman tells the story of Arthur Curry, who proclaims he is the "product of a love that was never meant to be." James Wan delivers a very different take on the classic hero's journey, and the film feels unlike one we've seen before.
This film's plot is mostly well-written and easy to follow, and the world Wan creates is awe-inspiring. The story's characters are well developed and their motives, good or bad, are all understandable. Jason Momoa steals the show as Aquaman, and he brings to life a character that seems ripped right off the page of a comic book. Momoa cracks a plethora of jokes, but he balances that by being serious when he needs to be. What some comic book movies have started to do as of late is making the hero's only skill their physical strength, but in Aquaman, we see Arthur's wit on display in more than one instance. This film is a good example of how to have good heroes and supporting characters while not dumbing down one of the two. Mera was the perfect supporting character to go alongside Aquaman, as Momoa and Heard have great on-screen chemistry together and some of the funniest moments in the film stem from that. The villains were also very compelling, but Black Manta was severely underutilized, only having about four scenes in total. Nevertheless, he is portrayed very well by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and at times even makes Aquaman question how much of a hero he actually is.
But it's the visuals where this movie shines most. Throughout, the CGI is stunning, and while the technology used was not necessarily innovative, the way it was used certainly was. The action scenes in this film were breathtaking. The way Aquaman and Mera use their powers is witty and makes you appreciate the attention to detail that director James Wan put in.
The film struggles with minor script issues, and in some instances, the characters make odd choices that don't always make sense. It also tries to cram far too many storylines into its short runtime, and because of that, some plot points end up feeling rushed.