Stars: 3.5/5
Sometimes movies are so weird and unexplainable that they end up being a pleasant surprise. “Aquaman” fits this ideally.
“Aquaman” is the latest film adaptation of the DC Comics franchise and follows in the footsteps of 2017’s “Justice League” in the vein of delivering intense action with humor, a blueprint pioneered by Marvel all those years ago. Although it’s not as polished or brilliant as 2017’s other DC film, “Wonder Woman,” “Aquaman” brings the fun and thrills for an enjoyable time.
The titular character is played by Honolulu-born actor Jason Momoa, who delivers a role full of thrilling action scenes and humorous quips throughout.  The story revolves around Aquaman, also known as Arthur, who must protect the balance between the surface world and the people that occupy the underwater city of Atlantis.
The cheesiness of this movie is at times so unbelievable that you would wonder if you were watching an actual film. There is telepathic communication with marine life, a battle between seahorses and sharks and plenty of underwater hijinks that do away with the possibilities of reality. You have to commend the film crew for staying so aligned with the comic’s premise, because the “Aquaman” comic series itself is fairly cheesy.
That doesn’t mean the film lacks in spectacle. The action scenes in “Aquaman” are some of the best I’ve seen all year, with “The Conjuring 2” cinematographer Don Burgess adding great shots to capture the enticing combat scenes. Even with the outlandish premise, the battles are a great time to watch and will keep your eyes glued to the screen even when the plot occasionally drags.
The plot is sturdy enough to hold up the film, but one of the real negative aspects of “Aquaman” is its runtime. Clocking in at a hefty 143 minutes, the movie has ample opportunities to drag — and drag it does. The lows are definitely balanced out by the highs, but seeing what happened with “Wonder Woman” can leave a fan to wonder if they could have reached the same apex here.
But the joy in this film lies in the suspension of reality or critical opinion. It seems as if the crew attempted to craft a film that didn’t care so much about award consideration and more on delivering an exciting experience to moviegoers. And by no means is “Aquaman” bad or as bad as the steaming pile of garbage known as “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
“Aquaman” thrives off of Momoa’s star power and some of 2018’s best cinematography and fight scenes, but the plot and runtime leave something to be desired. One thing is for certain, though: You will not leave the theater without cracking at least one smile from Momoa beating the scales off of fish-people.