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The Movie Report
Archive
December 2018
Volume 2

#1000
December 25, 2018


all movies are graded out of four stars (****)

#1000 December 25, 2018 by Michael Dequina

M O V I E S

Aquaman poster Aquaman (PG-13) ***
If last fall's Justice League, with its not-so-seamless eleventh-hour reshoots and retooling, marked an abrupt first phase wrap-up and a less than graceful transition of tone for Warner Bros.'s DC Extended Universe superhero series, then Aquaman is the first organic product of the studio's change of direction for the fledgling film franchise. The most striking change is not the one that's most glaringly obvious. That easily identifiable one is, predictably, a considerably lighter tone than the original Zack Snyder-shepherded vision of the DCEU. Returning as half-Atlantean, half-human hero Arthur Curry, star Jason Momoa is never less than quick with a quip or swift with a smirk or smile, and there's a certain meta appropriateness for this character to lead a more comical, comic book charge, given his much-mocked reputation over the years. But a salve of humor also helps ease the audience into the deep dive into the otherworldly underwater kingdom of Atlantis, from its sleek and futuristic aquatic technology ("aqua-futurism"?) to the political intrigue that drives the plot--namely Arthur's evil half-brother Orm's (Patrick Wilson) scheme to unite all armies of undersea dwellers as "Ocean Master" in a war against the surface world.

Such a heretofore unseen setting in any of recent wave of superhero films is part of Aquaman's simpler yet bolder pivot for the direction of the DCEU: concentrating on making this individual property stand as its own, without any of the labored and rushed nods at greater universe-building. (Not even the excellent Wonder Woman was immune to that--i.e., the needless framing device that shackles it squarely within the context of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.) If one isn't paying close attention, one can easily miss the extremely fleeting verbal reference to the events of Justice League, which--and the DCEU so far as a whole--is then quickly forgotten about. This isn't to say, however, that director James Wan and screenwriters David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall are exactly original with their specific story for the character here. They graft the King Arthur legend onto this mythical Arthur with proud shamelessness, right down to a sword--rather, trident--in a stone providing the crucial challenge that would prove his claim to his royal birthright; and all the scheming and maneuvering for thrones and talk of hierarchy dressed in elaborate costume and production design have obvious Marvel Studios parallels in Thor and Black Panther.

But Wan and his leading man inject enough energy and, importantly, distinct personality to the work to make the familiar feel if not exactly fresh, then certainly compelling. Wan has fun with the visual aspect of the largely underwater setting, not just with the costume, set, and technology design but also just with the basic visual composition, adding cues that are consistently mindful of water, whether a constantly moving but not distracting looking-through-liquid distortion or small, visible air bubbles with any breath or motion. Motion also characterizes the pacing, which for a two-hour-plus film never feels it as it keeps up with the boundless energy and charisma of its star. Even with the esteemed likes of Nicole Kidman (as Arthur's Atlantean mother, Atlanna) and Willem Dafoe (as his mentor Vulko), plus other rising stars (such as Amber Heard as the water-controlling heroine Mera and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as secondary--for this film, at least--antagonist Black Manta) on board, anyone who comes across the screen is pushed out of frame (figuratively and quite often literally) by Momoa. He handles the script's creakier dramatic beats with the same force of will he expectedly lends the physical action ones, and he lends some credence to the stakes of the sibling rivalry, which is no small feat considering how over-the-top--and not in a fun nor menacing way--Wilson's weakest link performance is.

Wan and especially Momoa's enthusiasm and respect for the character and belief in its cinematic potential and future is not only palpable but infectious. As such, one indeed comes away from Aquaman interested in what further aquatic adventures may yet be in store, with or without any of his Justice League teammates by his side.


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