Okay, let’s be honest. The DCEU is a mess. Movies like Wonder Woman and Man of Steel were amazing, but Suicide Squad and Justice League can be forgotten. Then, there’s the middling movies like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice that fans can’t really decide on. Now comes Aquaman, a movie almost nobody asked for, but we’re receiving it anyway. Jason Momoa won fans over with his depiction of the underwater superhero in Justice League, so we’ll give him a fair chance in his upcoming adventure. Usually, when critics leave a DCEU film, I’m on edge. Patiently waiting for Twitter to dump horrible reviews out at an alarming rate is what most DCEU fans are used to doing to prior to films’ releases. This time, things are different though.
First reviews for Aquaman are surprisingly positive on Twitter. "Aquaman is better than expected," wrote owner and editor of SlashFilm Peter Sciretta. "Feels like a Marvel phase one movie, in a good way. It’s at its best when it’s having fun and not taking itself too seriously. Black Manta is great villain that comic book fans will love. Some truly spectacular one shots and good action."
"Aquaman is pretty wild," exclaimed Den Of Geeks writer Mike Cecchini. "It leans hard into its '80s fantasy/adventure movie vibe far more than superhero elements, and it works. It's another step in the right direction for the DCEU and shows how different/distinct the tones of these movies can be while still existing together."