VFX has been Warner Bros' pro, take 300(2007) to FBs: C of Grindelwald (2018) for examples, as it married to DC's latest fantasy, Aquaman, is evidently a turnaround of the latter's universe. Marvel Studio has spent 10 years of fabricating its persuading and massively successful one and Aquaman could be a golden / death cross of the two comics titans. Or will it be enough room / market for two superpowers?
[spoiler warning]VFX climax
The constructs of the Atlantis are visual feasts, both above and deep under water. The Sisley, Italy chase and fight scene is well orchestrated plus liquor and red wine are indeed "bowel penetrating" (Chinese saying「酒是穿腸毒藥」). The scale of the wars between the Kingdom of Brine and Atlantis joined with others is jaw-droppingly magnificent. As your mind tells you that these are all VFX, while your eyes are convinced.
Though Aquaman is truly visually stunning and most of the VFX scenes are impeccable, some of them still have flaws, like the one when Arthur is chained and kneeled before King Orm, the palace is in simplicity form but so fake that you can easily tell it’s unreal. And the Hidden Sea at the earth's core is starting with Pterosaurs which make it so Jurassic Park-like world but when it comes to the The Golden Trident safeguarded entrance, the waterfall, well, it’s not only in a relative much smaller scale, also artificial and fake.
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall are excellent storytellers, though some plots are so out of blue and untold and maybe loose, but the pace of the film is so quick, thanks to the Editors, that you can still grasp the story line without a life line as you're in the sea. Perhaps since you're flashed with glamorous VFX, it's hard to be picky at other minor faults. Director James Wan is a perfect visualizer by translating the screenwriters' words into a spectacular film, in his own way. As a horror film director, Mr. Wan did make the appearance of Trench monsters intimidating and when the swarm of them gathered to chase the couple, that's awesomely awful. Doctor Strange (2016) director: Scott Derrickson is also a famous horror film creator. What's in common that makes Mr. Derrickson and Mr. Wan win the hearts of DC and Marvel Studio is really interesting to delve into.Casting
To tell a man/hero’s story from his infancy to adulthood by casting 5 actors is really a serious stuff. The first time Arthur, 9 y-o played by Kaan Guldur, shows his hand-emitting circular sound waves is in elementary school aquarium field trip when he’s bullied by two bigger kids. And this skill also helps him get the The Golden Trident by persuading the guardian deep sea monster. 13 y-o Arthur is less memorable, but 16 y-o Arthur, played by Kekoa Kekumano, is as attractive as the leading actor. 16 y-o Arthur is looking for the truth about his mother and getting stronger to be a future hunk. Thanks to the Oscar winner Nicole Kidman portraits a Mother and the Queen Atlanna who has a heart of gold so does her half blood son. Grateful to the Art Director, Makeup Talents and Costume Designers, Miss Kidman has been younger and older not only in hair color but in outfits which make her convincing that she literally cross the generations and bridge the two worlds as the first one.
Repetition or Talent-Shortage？
Korean-American Randall Park plays Dr. Stephen Shin, a crazy scientist, here, and he's Jimmy Woo, an FBI agent, in the competition’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. Why can't the former role played by Ken Jeong? Who's also a Korean-American and a comedian and even crazier since he has played Crazy Rich Asians(2018) and The Hangover Trilogy. Isn’t it going to make audience confuse that Mr. Park cross the two universe? Though Jude Law is also in WB’s FBs: C of Grindelwald as the young Dumbledore and will be as Walter Lawson/Mar-Vell in Captain Marvel(2019) by Marvel Studio. It’s a totally different story as they’re two different genre.
Black Power Rise
Black Manta is good at engineering by hands. We also see this kind of excellent technology-savvy African American talents in the same series’ Cyborg/Victor Stone and Marvel’s Shuri in Black Panther. Colored People audience has always been a yet-to-be-discovered market, these film producers are really good at exploring it by empowering them with high skills.
Smart Move
As a superhero, making Arthur drinking beers at bar is definitely a smart move to help him blend in the real world scenario and it tells the audience that the birth right King can be as friendly and even vulgar as a civilian, just like one of us, that's the sense of identity which makes this film a blockbuster by its own right. And since revenge has always been a good excuse to be exploded, who knows Black Manta and King Orm will be united in the sequel?
As a superhero, making Arthur drinking beers at bar is definitely a smart move to help him blend in the real world scenario and it tells the audience that the birth right King can be as friendly and even vulgar as a civilian, just like one of us, that's the sense of identity which makes this film a blockbuster by its own right. And since revenge has always been a good excuse to be exploded, who knows Black Manta and King Orm will be united in the sequel?
Watch out Marvel, here comes the NEW DC！And as we all know that the Ocean & Seas are immense and so much to be discovered.
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