With all the superhero films Hollywood has been cramming down audiences throats lately it was only a matter of time before the overlooked Atlantean sea king was finally brought forth from the depths. The prospect of an Aquaman movie did not grip me at first but on second glance I found hope that this will not be another superhero movie which follows the ‘hero’ formula.
The director of the film, James Wan has promised that the film will have a swashbuckling feel, resplendent with scary sea monsters, treasure hunting and high seas adventure. Wan’s appeal for Aquaman lies in the hero’s uniqueness especially when compared to his peers. He is not an alien from outer space but a human shrouded in mystery. This film gives Wan license to be extremely creative about Aquaman’s story.
Speaking of creativity, the film’s promotional poster reveals that the Aquaman we all know is not the Aquaman we will be getting in this film. Jason Momoa’s casting as the deep diving Atlantean was a pleasant shock after comparing him to the Aquaman I remember. Momoa is renowned for his performance as Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones and I would be very interested to see how he pans out in the hero suit. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice gave us our first teaser cameo of Momoa as Aquaman, now we can only wait to see what Wan will do with him. Not much more is known of the films cast save that Amber Heard will be playing Mera.
Superhero films almost always follow the same ‘save the world’ scaffold. Sometimes there are twists and turns on the way to the goal but the fundamental endgame is more or less predictable. If Aquaman takes a more adventurous approach then we can expect to see something different and exciting.
The world does NOT have to be on the brink of destruction to engage an audience.
Fans of Aquaman have a long wait ahead of them, with the movie not scheduled for release until the 27th of July 2018. Still with the Justice League due in 2017 along with a bevy of other hero films, fans will no doubt have plenty to occupy themselves with until then.
