Review: Aquaman

**The following review contains mild spoilers.**

What can I say about Aquaman? That I had a darn good time witnessing the rise of a new hero!

Immediately following the events of Justice League, Arthur Curry a.k.a Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is shortly reunited with his father before being summoned and persuaded by Mera (Amber Heard) to help her stop a brewing war between the water and surface worlds. Strife arrives at the hands of his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), who is armed with an extreme hatred for the older brother he never met and an obsession with becoming Ocean Master. Knowing that being King it isn’t his birthright, he takes to scheming to convince various heads of other water states to join him in this upcoming war and secure his fate as King and Ocean Master.

Mera, who is embarking on her own journey, is obviously the smartest character in this film. She’s no damsel in distress; she wants justice and peace, even more so than Arthur. She truly holds her own, even managing to save Arthur at times. Now, do they make a good on-screen duo of friends and adventure partners? Yes. Is the romantic element between them necessary? No. They are a good team, but the romance in the film felt awkward and somewhat forced. I mean, Mera is badass all by herself, so I wouldn’t be mad if we got an opportunity to see her conquer an adventure of her own. A tale solely focused more on her background (which I wanted a bit more of in this film) and how she ends up where she lands when this story begins.

Through some flashbacks we get a glimpse of Arthur’s origin story and how fate unexpectedly brought together Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison) to find true love. We see the sacrifice that Queen Atlanna is forced to make by leaving her first-born son and forcefully honoring her promise to marry Orm’s father, delivering her a fate she anticipated. Arthur’s guilt and sadness over his mother leaving is a theme that permeates the film. While we don’t see his interactions with his mom, the relationship with his father is so lovely and fresh to see.

Where is Black Manta, you ask? After a tragic event, he emerges and makes his vendetta against Aquaman his new life’s work, even forming an unlikely alliance to get the job done. I left feeling that we needed more Black Manta and even deeper dive into his story and rise.

All in all, Aquaman was fun. James Wan created this visually stunning and vibrant world that we haven’t seen before, but it still included familiar nods to other films that precede it. Wan definitely took the opportunity to lean into the campiness and Momoa’s innate sense of humor, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously and in this case, that strategy worked. Also, by the end of the film you are rooting for Arthur to lean into the destiny that he was always meant to live. It’s predictable in some ways, sure, but it’s a ride that keeps you engaged.

Also, the suits are fire. FIRE.

So, take your friends and family on a fantastical ride to see Aquaman, in theaters now!