Aquaman Review

In the view of the general moviegoer, the DC Extended Universe has been a place of one high and many lows. The solo success of Wonder Woman did little to help the success of Justice League, and after a year away the DC Extended universe has returned with a solo film about Aquaman. The biggest question is, can DC let go of its previous failures and make a great film about one of its more joked about characters? The answer is mostly.

Aquaman tells the story of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), previously introduced in Justice League, as he is recruited to prevent a war between the surface world and the ocean world. Jason Momoa is a joy in the film, bringing pure energy to the role while also continuing to prove he was a great fit. On Arthur's journey we meet his allies Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem Dafoe) and his enemy King Orm (Patrick Wilson). Heard begins her role very subdued, but as the film goes on she grows more likeable and seems to get into the character more, and Willem Dafoe plays his role well, give a performance you expect form Defoe. Patrick Wilson does a very good job playing King Orm, filling the character with the sense of superiority over others and making a character that the audience loves to hate. His motives can feel a bit preachy at times but even without it he still creates a good villain.

A special mention in given to Nicole Kidman and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, playing Atlanna and Black Manta respectively. These two play their rolls well, but suffer the same fate as a few of the other actors in having weak delivery in a few lines.

The story is mostly good. It fits neatly into what a superhero origin story is while allowing the character to exist in being known. I found the main characters to at least be interesting, and I also enjoyed how the film related Arthur's story to the story of his parents. A few criticisms I have is that the main chunk of the plot involves a pseudo-treasure hunt, which can feel like taking the characters from one set piece to the next, but there is enough variety in the locations that it's not grating. The lines also can occasionally be fairly awkward and could have used some polish.

One of the biggest questions about the film leading to its release was how the film would work majorly underwater. I'm happy to saw that the effects are near perfect. The special effects make the world seem to be fully believable and I was happy that the world was used to its full effect as well as making the characters speak clearly underwater, a noticeable upgrade form Justice League. One of the greatest things is the world of Atlantis and the other kingdoms. These places are beautiful. They evoke the combination of futuristic technology, mixed with a fanciful blend of underwater life that makes the who place astounding.  While we don't see much of the other kingdoms of the ocean, each of them evokes their theme well and seem like they theoretically could exist.

James Wan is the director of the film and for the most part he does the job fairly well. He knows how to create shots that are well done and give a sense of awe, as well as creating excellent fight scenes that look like almost one shot. One criticism I do have is that peppered throughout the film are numerous slow-motion sequences, ala Zack Snyder, and while some of them are done extremely well and give some of the most beautiful shots in the film, many of them are unnecessary and are overused to the point it’s a bit distracting.

In the end Aquaman is a step in the right direction for DC. It brings the viewer into a new world and makes it looks beautiful in the process. The story, while having a few missteps, works as an introduction to the characters that make up the world as well as making a good story. It suffers here and there with a few creative choices and lines, but in the end the film is a great superhero story and a definite positive for the future.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

In the history of comic books and even in comic book movies, there are few characters as famous and widely recognizable as Spider-Man. Spider-Man, and subsequently Peter Parker, is a story that has been woven into the fabric of American culture.  But in the comic book world, Spider-Man has been a story changed and explored using many different styles, worlds, and characters. That is where the Spider-Verse comes in. A multiverse filled with dozens of stories about different interpretations of Spider-Man. It’s a place finally explored in the absolutely wonderful Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales, a teenager adjusting to a new school, while also discovering he has gained the abilities of Spider-Man, a person already existing in his world. After discovering a device creating a wormhole under New York, he comes into contact with an alternate universe Peter Parker. Shameik Moore voices Miles and does a phenomenal job, making Miles into a fully formed character, providing the voice that accurately sounds like a teenager, while also bringing great emotion with his performance. The alternate universe Spider-Man, designated as Peter B. Parker, is portrayed by Jack Johnson. Like Moore, Johnson does an excellent job. He makes Peter his character and is able to play it well as a man who is so very tired of his job.

As Peter and Miles go on their journey to shut down the device, they encounter other alternate spider people, including Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, Spider-Gwen and Spider-Ham. These characters are played respectively by Nicholas Cage (playing a great hardboiled type and straight-man), Kimiko Glenn (brings a nice amount of bubbliness to Peni), Hailee Steinfeld, and John Mulaney (who is hilarious as always). With these many characters, it may seem like they wouldn’t get much time to shine, but the film utilizes the characters effectively, giving several of them arcs to go through in the film that gets wrapped up nicely.

Speaking of arcs, the most powerful in the film is Miles and Peters. Both of theirs are about family and the relationship between an adult and their child. It is a story I was not expecting in the film, but one I really enjoyed. The film also tells a story about heroism, but not like ones that we have recently seen. It goes beyond the typical “with great power comes great responsibility” and goes into detail about what makes a person a hero and about using their own ability to become one.

The biggest trait that makes this film worthwhile is the animation. The style of the film is stunning. Even from the get-go, it embraces the comic book style (even putting a comic code authority seal on screen). It’s a film that wants to be seen as a comic book. Every image in the film is a work of art and one that only grows in beautiful creativity as the film goes continues. When it brings in the other Spider-people, they do not automatically blend into the style. They are allowed to stand out, from the cartoon style of Spider-Ham to the anime style of Peni. It’s a joy to look at and more importantly something new and creative done in the medium of animation. Something like this may be possible in the realm of live action, but it would defiantly lose creativity.

A small note I want to make is the use of sound in the film. In a few scenes of the film, several songs were used very effectively. They do not break the immersion from what is going on, and in certain cases, increase the emotion of the scene. The score of the movie was also very good. The score makes the characters their own, with a distinctive score for the villain The Prowler, and for Miles himself. Each of the characters is allowed their own music that evolves throughout the picture and makes it have a truly distinctive sound. 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a joy at almost every level. It brings something new to the world of animation in its creative stylings, and it was a risk that paid off enormously. The story does an excellent job serving as an introduction to characters we have never met and gives us enough to want to see them again. It’s a movie not afraid to tell an excellent story in a new medium for superhero cinema. It is simply one of my favorite movies that came out last year and I cannot wait to go back to that world.