James Wan Constructs A Whole New Cinematic World in 'Aquaman'

We've all seen the Aquaman origin movie the moment Patti Jenkins and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman exploded in the box office. And to be honest, we're all here for it. It doesn't hurt that Jason Momoa is playing a character in one of the beloved TV series of our generation so this is a movie waiting to be made. Good for DC! Good for them they were able to snag James Wan to direct this because if there's anyone who could make this as big and as accessible as possible, it's him. And yes he did.

Warner Bros. Pictures

I'd even dare to say that he captured the vibe of a George Lucas film, or even a Spielberg film even if the latter comparison is quite reaching. But it's pretty close. James Wan has constructed a whole new cinematic world for Aquaman which can be set side by side with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and other cinematic dimensions. It won't be as iconic as those, but it will be as fun. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall's screenplay embrace the elements of cinematic epics, purposely injecting cliche'd lines reminiscent of Queen Amidala and Anakin in the Star Wars prequels to their characters -- whether it's Willem Dafoe whispering the words "The king has risen", or Patrick Wilson defending his title as the 'Ocean Master', or Nicole Kidman declaring her love for her human lover and sea children.

It's a bit silly and campy, but you will grow to accept it as the film progresses. After all, DC has revamped their superhero films from being too dark to this. At first it felt forced, but it becomes natural eventually. Credits to Jason Momoa and Amber Heard's chemistry. Both are not comedians but they make work of what was given to them. Same with the ensemble who is willing to withstand the goofiness.

It's still James Wan who made this work, though. There are several inspired scenes that are incredibly cinematic. No matter how bogus the CGI appears in some of its scenes, the monster chase scene in The Trench, and the Avatar-esque waters of 'The Hidden Earth' looked amazing, the touristy but action packed Sicily was also amusing. And the last 20 minutes is just the icing on the cake, where a Kraken along with seawater creatures go on war and it was chaotic but visually astonishing in IMAX.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel without his Justice League colleagues.

'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' is Easily a Favorite

An animated Spider-Man movie seems random considering the number of Spidey flicks we've already seen in the last two decades. In a span of 18 years, we witnessed three actors playing this captivating superhero in a total of six movies, and then some (where he's with his fellow superheroes). It's becoming a bit tired especially with several production companies vying for the best, trying to juice out any angle possible until it gets drained. Then, out of nowhere, an animated superhero movie like Into the Spider-Verse invigorates the genre.

Columbia Pictures

With its bursting neon visuals, epic action sequences, witty script, and the heart of what superheroes are all about, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is easily my favorite Spider-Man movie and it could easily be yours too. It's unlike any other Spider-Man or any superhero movies I've ever seen.

It's about Miles Morales, a young Brooklynite teenager with a police officer dad, and a devoted nurse mom. When his parents enrolled him in a private school in Manhattan, he struggles to cope up. He'd rather spend his time with his uncle Aaron, who supports his love for graffiti art. Catch is, he had a falling out with Miles' father after his past troubles with the law.

Then, he's bitten by a radioactive spider and develops Spider-Man superpowers just like what happened to Spider-Man's origin as we know it. Sounds old and familiar? Things got interesting from there. As there's a secret nuclear super collider being developed by a man named Kingpin. This opens up a portal to different dimensions pulling various versions of Spider-Man. That alone is an interesting premise that jumpstarts Miles' series of mishaps and adventures.

And so with the several dimensions and new Spider characters each having their own back-stories, Miles remain to be the center of the film. His new-found friends slash sidekicks are  just there to help and to add to the fun, avoiding the risk of over-stuffing storylines. Although to be honest, everyone is so likable that we would not mind seeing more of each of them.

We got an older Peter Parker with a dad-bod, a badass Spider-Gwen, Peter Porker Spider-Ham Porky Pig, a black-and-white man from the past Spider-Man Noir, and a cute anime Peni Parker with her robot. All of them are designed and drawn in unique animation.

Columbia Pictures

A lot can be said about its overall animation. For one, it is really amazing. It is colorful, stunning and eye-popping. It brims with psychedelic neon colors while emphasizing the intricate details of New York City--from the graffiti filled alleys of Brooklyn, to the towers of buildings of Manhattan, and to the suburban houses of Queens where we saw an energetic Aunt May--every frame is creative, and the comic-inspired theme with thought balloons and split screens make it even more amusing to watch.

It has the complete package. From their adventures in defeating different versions of Spider-Man villains--lady Doc Oc, monstrous Green Goblin, etc.--to the animation, to the entertaining variety of Spider-Man and dimensions, it shines even more because it ultimately goes back to Miles' family, in which this film equates to being a superhero.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse completely supplies all what's lacking in superhero movies nowadays. It overflows with love, and sometimes that is the most important factor even in action films like this.