Aquaman is a film that the mainstream audience, including non-DC fans, would enjoy.
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Primed as a piece of the DC Extended Universe in close rivalry to its competing counterpart by Marvel Studios, many might pitch James Wan’s Aquaman against other superhero productions. It might not be as pompous as Thor nor would it be as grim as The Dark Knight, Aquaman simply presents itself as a linear aquatic fantasy of fun.
With a superficial screenplay and characters, Aquaman indeed fail under comparison to many counterparts that attempt to align their superheroes to real world society and situations.
Wan focuses on the film’s underwater realm that had its history tracing back to days where it once thrived on the surface. With a well-equipped armoury of CG visual effects, the audience cruised through a hidden civilisation deep in the ocean known as the Kingdom of Atlantis with its own system of traffic networks and immigration and borders control.
Battle scenes involving the Kingdoms of the Seven Seas enables various creatures and agents to fight in armies, although the outcome might come across as a tad bit messy for some’s liking. This would be the main reason why one would consider watching it in the IMAX 3D format.
King Orm (played by Patrick Wilson) might have been a great antagonist if not for his under-developed characterisation. King Orm could have played up the kinship rivalry with his half-breed half-brother.
With a subtle reference to humanity harming the ocean in the form of over-fishing, toxic chemicals, plastics and litters, it was a shame that King Orm exploited it as an excuse to wage war upon the surface civilisation. A missed opportunity that could have been implemented further, especially for the adolescent viewers.
Despite it not being a film with deep thematic values that many have gotten used to, Aquaman is a film that the mainstream audience, including non-DC fans, would enjoy.
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