Good Movie, Bad Movie? Aquaman Review

I ended up watching Aquaman a few weeks ago. Let me start out by saying that the one thing I can unequivocally say is that it is a extremely pretty movie. Though the CG can be hit or miss, the art direction is phenomenal. The four kingdoms of the ocean (including Atlantis) all have their own distinct styles. It also helps that Aquaman doesn't have to follow any type of thematic formula from the past DCEU movies. While some part of the movie are dark and dreary, most of the movie is set in either the psychedelic and phosphorescent city of Atlantis (seriously, it's like Futurama under water) or in some part of the world that's sunny and cheery.

While Batman v. Superman and Justice League tried to keep the tone dark and dreary as much as possible (to a fault), Aquaman decides to just mix it up all over the place. The main plot is typical of the hero's journey: The main protagonist is not fit to take on the position he was destined for, so he then goes on a journey to seek out mystical/cosmic power which is usually imbued in some mystical object. However, the journey is also a method of self-actualization. Arthur doesn't want to be a king, but finds that there is so much that he wants to protect that being king is the only path for success. The premise is tried and true but it can be effective. The idea of having to come to terms with fate is relatable to many people; there are times in our lives where we must come to terms and confront situations that we originally thought we could outrun or escape from. However, not all of us have a body built like Jason Momoa and don't have the power to talk and control sea-life. And I'm still on the fence of whether the trope was executed well or not. 

That's because the way this movie plays out is just a mess. I wouldn't say there are so many moving parts, let's just say that the movie doesn't know what it wants to be. The movie is a tragedy, but it's also a feel good movie. It's a culmination of a few different Disney movies, but also a violent brutal movie (Nicole Kidman kills somebody). It's got comedy, but tries to be scary as well. There's romance, but it feels so out of place. The stakes seem so high but the motivations of all the characters are never fully fleshed out. I think it's because the move uses talking to tell the audience the stakes of everything and doesn't really show the audience the emotional weight of every situation. 

And while the movie is a genre-mixed mess, it's still fun. Like really fun. I mean I've long since tried to compare Marvel movies with DC ones but even with all the other superhero movies out there, this one is the most fun I had in a while. Maybe because there were no real hype or expectations. Maybe it's because the bar that was set was just abysmally low. Or maybe it's because I felt the director himself is providing a meta-commentary on superhero movies. It was like the entire movie was some large-scale inside joke and I was in on it. For example (slight spoiler): there were three to four moments where explosions ended important conversations or moments. A important plot point would be happening and then "BAM!" a random explosion happens out of nowhere. It happened so many times, my friends in the theater were calling it. Despite it being contrived and lazy way of moving a plot along, it was overdone just enough for me laugh at it and enjoy it. Something about the way they were meticulously placed seemed like the director wanted us to expect it. 

So it brings up the question: what is a good movie? If a movie is really cool or fun or just enjoyable to you, isn't it a good movie? If a movie is able to get you to suspend your logic and ignore the plotholes (however many of them), didn't it do it's job? To be honest, I felt the same as I did after watching Infinity War. I'm not saying that it was a better movie by any means, but the enjoyment I got out of it was the same. There will always be technical and objective evidences of what makes a good movie versus a bad one, but if a director and actors can convince you to just go along for the ride, isn't the movie successful?

Aquaman is an enjoyable movie. It can be a bit of slog through the beginning but if you stick with it, you'll be on Mr. Momoa's (or Mr.Wan's) wild ride for over 2 hours and that's a good thing. Note that I didn't say it was a good movie. I am very hesitant to say that. There is definitely a lot wrong with it. But I can't help liking it for its zaniness. Maybe WB is turning a corner and is embracing the other side of comic book heroes; unbelievable people with unbelievable powers doing unbelievable things. Let's hope Shazaam! (2019) will carry the torch. And who knows, maybe there is another way to be successful with superheroes without creating an completely interwoven cinematic universe!