Aquaman is the best DCEU movie so far, an action-packed, lighthearted adventure that not only entertains but leaves fans wanting more. DC would do well to learn from the Jason Momoa-led film and try to emulate if not the tone, at least the balance it achieved as it continues to build its universe going forward.
This isn’t to say Aquaman is a perfect movie. It’s a little slow, entirely too long and some of the plot points don’t land the way they should, or the way the writers clearly wanted them to. Important characters also get very little development, as all of that is reserved for Arthur, Mera, and Arthur’s parents. This might not be a big problem now, but it could present an issue in future installments, and it certainly makes the bigger moments of the film feel less charged. Fans are all rooting unequivocally for Arthur, there’s no sense of understanding the antagonists of this story, which takes away from the overall message.
But superhero movies don’t have to be perfect to be entertaining, and they don’t need to provide us with interesting antagonists to be memorable. Fans aren’t expecting that, or even care. If the movies somehow manage it, that’s an added bonus. Fans just want to see superheroes done in a relatable, fun way, that doesn’t shy away from the issues. And yes, they want some cool action sequences out of it, too.
Aquaman delivers on all of that and more. The action is top-notch, as expected of a movie led by Jason Momoa, who has been very high on the list of people’s crushes since Game of Thrones, and who can certainly carry an action scene. But the action isn’t mindless, either. It’s perfectly choreographed and feels real, but it also has heart. It’s not super jokey, as Marvel sometimes tends to be, but it also never takes itself too seriously.
But this is more or less the vibe for the entire movie. Aquaman, directed by James Wan, from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, always seems to own what it is, what it’s trying to do. And that tone helps the movie nail both the really corny parts, and even the scary parts – like the Trench scene – in a way other movies, might have missed out on. The movie isn’t laughing at itself, not really, but it’s nonetheless inviting the viewer into the joke. Everyone is then free to decide what they find amusing.
The answer will likely not be Arthur or Mera, two very well-realized characters who somehow feel human – even if they aren’t entirely so, and who have both interesting backstories, and goal fans can support. There’s enough to both, and to their relationship, to make fans invest, and yet despite the vibe of the movie, they never feel like they are the butt of the joke. If anything, King Orm might be, especially because he doesn’t truly realize what role he’s playing. But since Aquaman’s goal isn’t to make people laugh as much as it is to make people have fun, there’s enough nuance afforded to even the villain of this tale.
Visually, the choice to make Aquaman super colorful and visually vibrant sends an even clearer message than the plot does. Aquaman wants audiences to like Arthur, a character who has been re-imagined for the DCEU and who fans had never seen on the big screen before, and it wants them to feel for him, but it doesn’t want a comparison to his comic book counterpart. To manage that, it brings a drastically different character than the comic book Aquaman to screen. This Arthur Curry is gruff, covered in tattoos, and sports no bleached blonde hair or any orange in his suit (for most of the story, anyway). Instead, leaning on Momoa, he’s all muscles and trident.
That and heart. Despite his initial isolation and self-doubt issues, the movie strikes a very good balance between the fun side, not just of the character, but the situations he finds himself in, and the real issues that come from being an outsider and a reluctant hero. This is partly what makes it so effective. Arthur is an easy character to like, put into situations where it's easy to root for him. The movie never asks us to think too hard about almost anything, but it provides enough payoff to still feel like the expected victory was earned.
Most other DCEU movies have tried to do more. And when aiming so big, there’s a real pressure to deliver. Aquaman wasn’t trying too hard to be anything other than the movie people watch when they want to have a good time and forget their problems. That might not win an Oscar, but it wins fans over. And fans win more movies, so characters can be further explored. Here's hoping Aquaman 2 remembers what people enjoyed about the first one, even if it’s tempted to give fans more.