Film Review: ‘Aquaman’ is a Watery Sleep with the Fishes

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionE-mail page to friendE-mail page to friendPDF versionPDF version
Average: 5 (1 vote)

CHICAGO – The dripping sound of water you will hear this upcoming weekend will be the tears of DC Comics fans, as they cry from frustration over the latest cinema hit job on one of the Super-Friends. The tepid and overlong “Aquaman” is another hero movie that tries to combine origin story and “first case” adventure, and fails at both.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.0/5.0
Rating: 2.0/5.0

Making the so-called “King of the Oceans” a more aquatic looking man beast – Jason Momoa fulfills the role succinctly – is fine (Aquaman looks like a blonde frat boy in the early comics), but the formula of these overblown DC Comic films… origin story, first adventure and sprinkle in some celebrity supporting roles… are like a satire now. If this film were done with bad special effects of the 1950s, instead of the beautifully visual undersea atmosphere rendering of now, it would qualify for riffing on Mystery Science 3000. Yeah, it’s that overblown and weird.

Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) is a half breed. His mother is a Queen (Nicole Kidman) is from the undersea world of Atlantis, and his father (Temuera Morrison) is a human lighthouse keeper who found the Queen washed ashore, and took her in. They raise the boy to a certain point, but eventually the Queen has to return from her exile, prodded by enemy forces that want her dead.

Arthur grows up, and eventually finds he has aquatic powers, including underwater breathing, communication, super-speed swimming, über strength and fish telepathy. Eventually he must go to Atlantis, under the prodding of Princess Mera (Amber Heard) and mentor Vulko (Willem Dafoe). There is an underwater war a-brewing, and it could affect Arthur’s adopted surface world.

“Aquaman” opens everywhere on December 21st in 3D, IMAX and regular screenings. See local listings for 3D/IMAX theaters and show times. Featuring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison and Dolph Lundgren. Screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall. Directed by James Wan. Rated “R”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Aquaman”

Aqua1
Amber Heard as Mera and Jason Momoa as ‘Aquaman’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Aquaman”

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Importance of Being Earnest, The, Strawdog Theatre

    CHICAGO – Just in time for Pride Month, Strawdog Theatre Co. presents an updated staging of the Oscar Wilde classic, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Strawdog policy … the tickets are FREE (donations encouraged), but you must put in a reservation by clicking EARNEST.

  • Prodigal Daughter, The

    CHICAGO – One of the open secrets of Chicago is its horrible racist past, which remains like an echo. Playwright Joshua Allen has been exploring this theme in his Grand Boulevard Trilogy – the last chapter talking place during the infamous 1919 race riots – in Raven Theatre’s “The Prodigal Daughter.” For tickets and info, click TPD.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
tracker