Aquaman, the Warner Bros. Pictures’ sixth installment of the DC Extended Universe, brings viewers an exciting perspective into the world of the superhero that is based on a DC comic of the same name. Already being the top-grossing DCEU movie ever and the fifth highest grossing movie of 2018, Aquaman has brought favorable reviews from critics and general audiences alike.

Aquaman is the third movie featuring Aquaman, following the films Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017) and the first film that centers around the superhero. The plot of the film begins with the story of Aquaman, who was born from the princess of Atlantis, Atlanna, and a Maine lighthouse keeper, Thomas Curry. Arthur, or Aquaman, is born with special powers to communicate with marine animals.

In the present, Aquaman confronts a group of pirates who are attempting to raid a Russian naval ship. The leader of the pirates dies, and his son David vows revenge. David goes on to lead an attack on Atlantis, which is lead by Orm, King of Atlantis – who also happens to be Arthur’s half brother. Tensions build between Orm and Arthur, and throughout the rest of the movie, Arthur aims to find the Trident of Atlan, an artifact that will allow him to claim his rightful place as king.

One of the most important elements of Aquaman which contributed to it becoming a great film was the extraordinary cinematography. The underwater scenes were very well done, which made for breathtaking sequences throughout the movie. This aspect set the atmosphere for the film perfectly, and the audience feels as if it is actually underwater with the characters. On top of this, the fighting scenes were very well done, and there was not a boring point throughout the entire film’s two-hour run period.

While the visuals of the film were spectacular, one of the few problem areas in the movie is that it is filled with the classic superhero clichés, and it has subpar writing in specific points. It feels as if character development is rushed and that the dialogue throughout the movie is weak. Besides this, the jokes in the movie are usually predictable and also often feel out of place. Perhaps the biggest flaw of Aquaman’s plot is that it is very one-dimensional. There are no big plot twists, and the whole movie is linear to the point that the audience can predict the ending of the movie.

In conclusion, despite the linear/predictable plot and the rushed character development, Aquaman is still able to create interesting characters, such as Arthur, who make the film worth watching. The villains were complex characters who complimented the storyline very well. These explorations, mixed with stunning visuals and exciting battle scenes, came together to create one of the best movies in the DC Extended Universe. While at the surface the movie may seem like a filler movie like Ant-Man and The Wasp, Aquaman completes its mission at every level of the movie, finally bringing comic book lovers a well-done superhero feature movie.

Rating: 7.5/10

Opinion articles written by staff members represent their personal views. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent WSPN as a publication.