With no Star Wars film in the December time frame, somebody was going to have to fill the void, and this year it was DC who took advantage of the vacant real estate, positioning Aquaman to be the big escapist crowd-pleaser. After debuting as the best part of Justice League, could Jason Momoa carry a full-blown tent-pole feature? Pass the tartar sauce.
Momoa is a charisma-infused movie star, who manages to seem totally likable while being completely convincing as a larger-than-life superhuman. Combine that star power with the enduring appeal of an old school origin story, and Aquaman has the right combination of ingredients to satisfy audiences - adults and kids, both men and women. The girls-night-out demographic was heavily represented at the screening I attended - a factor that makes for enduring box office.
Aquaman tells the story of how a lighthouse-keeper (Temuera Morrison) rescues a wounded Queen of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman) and together become parents of young Arthur Curry, a being with one foot in each world - a child of both Atlantis and Surface Dwellers. Director James Wan (The Conjuring movies) depicts a wide mythological series of undersea kingdoms, all with their own unique look and culture. The design team has gone absolutely bonkers, given free-rein to paint on an enormous and diverse canvas. Aquaman is a delirious visual fantasy, overflowing with computer effects, most of which are excellent and arresting to behold. All the money's up on the screen, that's for sure.
Momoa is a charisma-infused movie star, who manages to seem totally likable while being completely convincing as a larger-than-life superhuman. Combine that star power with the enduring appeal of an old school origin story, and Aquaman has the right combination of ingredients to satisfy audiences - adults and kids, both men and women. The girls-night-out demographic was heavily represented at the screening I attended - a factor that makes for enduring box office.
Aquaman tells the story of how a lighthouse-keeper (Temuera Morrison) rescues a wounded Queen of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman) and together become parents of young Arthur Curry, a being with one foot in each world - a child of both Atlantis and Surface Dwellers. Director James Wan (The Conjuring movies) depicts a wide mythological series of undersea kingdoms, all with their own unique look and culture. The design team has gone absolutely bonkers, given free-rein to paint on an enormous and diverse canvas. Aquaman is a delirious visual fantasy, overflowing with computer effects, most of which are excellent and arresting to behold. All the money's up on the screen, that's for sure.
Arthur's distant half-brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson) is determined to unite the seven undersea kingdoms and wage all-out war against the surface world. Arthur is torn between not getting involved, and the seeming call of destiny to dethrone his brother and assume the mantle of Ocean Master. It can all get a little daffy, and your willingness to just have fun and go with it will determine how much you enjoy Wan's Atlantis. The cast is great, and vets like Wilson and Willem Dafoe sell even the most outlandish of situations beautifully. Amber Heard is all game determination and high-energy, but fares less well with her dialogue, though Kidman should get a special Oscar for delivering "Where I come from, the sea carries our tears away."
But it's Momoa who carries the movie, with deft guidance on tone from Wan, who avoids too much dour DC brooding, keeping the tone light and enjoyable, channeling everything from Christopher Reeve's Superman, Lord of the Rings, and Black Panther to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The folks at Warner Brothers are still finding their way through the DC universe, but films like Wonder Woman and Aquaman are charting a course in the right direction. Maybe Aquaman's rising tide will lift all boats. Bring on the sea-quel!
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