DC movies have been a source of debate these past few years. It's a fight to the death with die-hard fans in one corner and those who carry an undying hatred for the franchise in the other. Though DC has not completely shared the same spotlight as its Marvel counterpart, both sides of the DC fight have their own merits. After all, while a good majority of people and critics will say that "Batman Vs. Superman" was a lesser DC movie with a weaker script, others still uphold that "Wonder Woman" contained a strong script, cast, and a sense of direction. There are pros and cons to both aspects of the DC argument, especially if you find yourself a DC in the first place.

However, I tend to take things from an objective point of view given my unfamiliarity with the comic franchise and its characters. Thus, in the fight between lovers and haters, I desire to act as a type of referee by acting as an impartial judge of the movie as a movie itself.

For me, this movie offered me a mixed bag of experiences. If we are going to start out with the positive parts of the film, I can say that this film has some interesting designs and visuals. The design of Atlantis, the sea creatures, and the costumes are very interesting to look at as a whole; the bright colors of the city and the intricate details of the creatures really stand out in a dark setting like the ocean.

This movie took full advantage of its creative license and it really does well to provide an interesting visual experience. This also stems from the overall visuals of the film. The film's use of color, especially during the scene where the two main characters leap off of a boat and make a mad-dash(swim?) for a gateway. The use of red, in that scene, in comparison to the darkness really makes for a beautiful and interesting viewing experience. I can safely say that there is always something interesting to look at on the screen no matter if your gaze is drawn to character costumes and designs or to the scenery choices.

Along similar positive lines, I actually like the tone of this movie. Aquaman is a character that not as many took completely seriously before and I think that this movie does a good job at creating its own sense of identity while maintaining a sense of light-hearted fun. The jokes are not completely perfect, but they brighten up and add a splash of character to a movie that could have been all doom and gloom. I really appreciate that sense of light in a darkish film. Plus, I will always admire the film and DC in general for branching out an choosing a new and visually interesting design for Aquaman's overall character. Jason Momoa is a fresh and interesting take on the character and I admire DC for branching outside the realm of predictability for this character.

However, that doesn't mean the movie is without flaws. Personally, a lot of this movie's problems stem from the screenwriting. Don't get me wrong, the writing is not awful, but there are some hiccups along the way. The first problem I have for the movie is its sense of predictability. While I admire the film for its uniqueness in design, it is not terribly inspired when it comes to character interactions, dialogue, and plot points. You know you have a pretty unsurprising movie when you are able to predict every major plot point, twist, and relationship. For me, this film did not bring anything fresh to the movie table when it comes to its overall sense of story or plot.

Unfortunately, my other problem with this film still has to do with the way the movie is written. For me personally, I could not find myself to care that much for Aquaman himself. I know that origin movies are kind of overdone, but I think that this film could deal more with Aquaman's sense of humanity and growth. Most of the flashback scenes deal with him during with training and not many deals with constructing him as an individual person. Thus we get a film that focuses on a character that, once again, embodies a sense of "dudebro" mentality; he's an asshole muscle head that can be rough but has a secret heart of gold.

We don't get to know our main character as an individual with emotions, desires, and wants and as a result, we don't feel a sense of importance associated with him or his actions. If this movie wanted to really take off, I think there should have been a bit more focus on building up Arthur as an individual with full emotions and opinions.

Overall, this movie has DC moving in the right direction. With impressive visuals and not a bad plot, I wish DC all the best in the future.