James Wan’s ‘Aquaman’ is ‘Lord of the Rings’ underwater
UPDATE: Aquaman is snubbed from the VFX shortlist for an Oscar and director James Wan is NOT happy about it.
“You and your department are the unsung heroes of this film,” Wan wrote. “The fact that your VFX peers in the Academy aren’t recognizing or appreciating what we/you’ve all contributed to the film and cinema is a [frick]ing disgrace.”
Here are the ten films which are currently in the running for a Visual Effects Oscar
Ant-Man the Wasp
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Christopher Robin
First Man
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Mary Poppins Returns
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Welcome to Marwen
The DC Cinematic Universe has struggled to find an identity and now Aquaman will attempt to breathe life into the franchise, otherwise ruled by Wonder Woman and Christopher Nolan films.
After a brief origin story, which continues through flashbacks during the film, Aquaman begins after the events in Justice League with Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) taking down rogue pirates and setting forth motivation for his biggest rival: Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen).
The real threat in the film is Patrick Wilson, Arthur’s half-brother Orm and ruler of Atlantis, who is quickly uniting the seven underwater kingdoms to rise against the humans and land dwellers. Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem DaFoe) align with Arthur to send him on the impossible quest of finding a magical trident and rule the seas.
Wan pulls off the impossible: Momoa’s Aquaman is cool, powerful and grows in interesting ways during the film. The special effects are truly spectacular, with incredible battle scenes and creatures which should engage fans of the Tolkien or Star Wars franchise.
The film doesn’t feel like a ripped off Marvel film, but something unique and interesting — much more science fiction driven than previous films. The cast all deliver fine performances with Mateen’s Black Manta being the only one not fitting in. It’s not a spoiler to say that this WON’T be the last time we see his character, and that’s a good thing, because the comic book version is much more interesting that the thug for hire in this film.
Aquaman is jammed full of great moments, Nicole Kidman’s fight scene early in the film is a highlight, but Wan keeps the focus where it needs to be: on Arthur.
Momoa is not some meek, tight-wearing superhero, but a warrior in training. He needs to become a powerful figure in the same universe as Superman and Wonder Woman to hold his own, control the seas, yet impact the world at large – this film makes that believable.
Aquaman is a bit too long and tedious at times, like the Lord of the Rings film, but it is a satisfying journey and adventure.
Aquaman receives 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars
