---
title: "Aquaman: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/aquaman/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/aquaman"
critics_score: 58
critics_reviews: 25
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Aquaman (2018): what the critics said

Critics' score 58 from 25 reviews: 8 positive, 12 mixed, 5 negative.

The consensus on Aquaman is mixed, with most critics finding something to enjoy in its underwater spectacle even when the storytelling disappoints. Praise clusters around the vivid undersea settings, inventive action and James Wan’s willingness to embrace colour and outright silliness. Jason Momoa’s relaxed charm is another recurring strength, including in several otherwise negative reviews. For the more enthusiastic critics, the camp and visual imagination make a familiar superhero origin story entertaining.

The reservations are fairly consistent: excessive length, an overstuffed plot, clumsy dialogue and thin character development. The verdicts nevertheless spread widely, depending on how much those pleasures compensate. /Film welcomes the oddness and the blend of camp and adventure, despite weak romance and political intrigue. The Guardian instead finds the experience laborious and solemn, while singling out Nicole Kidman for praise. Even sympathetic reviews tend to concede that the film has more incident than it needs.

## Vulture — Emily Yoshida

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

Yoshida finds the film formulaic and overstuffed, but ultimately fun and transportive. She singles out its visually imaginative underwater world-building as the film’s chief strength.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/aquaman-review.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

Turan finds the overstuffed film engaging despite its formulaic dialogue and excessive action. He praises Jason Momoa’s casting and the vivid underwater spectacle, especially Atlantis’s convincing visual effects.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-aquaman-review-20181211-story.html)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

The review presents Aquaman as a goofy, entertaining addition to the Justice League franchise. It singles out the film’s goofy fun as its chief appeal.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/aquaman-review/5135192.article)

## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Rating B-. 11 December 2018. 

Vishnevetsky finds the film big, cheesy, and fun, though its underwater inhabitants lack the hero’s appeal. He praises the movie’s playful embrace of its own goofiness and its colorful, constantly changing settings.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/like-its-hero-aquaman-is-big-cheesy-and-fun-1831004837)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

Debruge finds the film an entertaining but overlong origin story, with too much uninteresting world-building before it hits its stride. He praises the spectacular, satisfying underwater finale, while criticizing the clumsy script and distracting visual effects.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/aquaman-review-dc-comics-1203086479/)

## Little White Lies — Elena Lazic

Rating 3/3/2. 11 December 2018. 

Lazic finds the film disappointing, overlong, and unable to balance its competing tones. She praises the lively Sicily action sequence, while faulting the hero’s underdeveloped personal journey.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/aquaman)

## Radio Times — Victoria Luxford

Rating 3/5. 

The review sees it as an entertaining alternative to darker superhero stories. It praises James Wan’s handling of the ambitious spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-di13wp/aquaman/)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 3/5. 11 December 2018. 

Rothkopf calls Momoa’s surf-bro superhero a welcome addition, but finds the film as a whole waterlogged. He singles out its final battle as an infantile, spectacular seafood-dinner spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/aquaman)

## Total Film — Matthew Leyland

Rating 3/5. 11 December 2018. 

The critic finds the film overlong but a step in the right direction for the DCEU. They praise Momoa’s charisma and the fishy visual effects, while noting that the Sicily chase is a standout set-piece.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/aquaman-review/)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating C. 11 December 2018. 

Kohn argues that the film’s colorful visuals cannot overcome its muddled screenplay, thin characters, and familiar action. He praises the opening and occasional visionary ocean imagery, while faulting the film for its scattershot ideas and underdeveloped ecological message.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/aquaman-review-jason-momoa-1202027124/)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

The review finds the film entertaining but overstuffed, with a messy and predictable plot. It praises Jason Momoa’s roguish charm and James Wan’s dazzling action direction.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/aquaman-review/)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2018. 

Dargis gives the film a mixed verdict. Its visual spectacle stands out, though the review finds the overall experience overstuffed.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/movies/aquaman-review.html)

## Evening Standard — Matthew Norman

Rating 2/5. 14 December 2018. 

Norman delivers a strongly negative verdict, calling the film forgettable and criticizing its erratic tone, plot, and dialogue. He singles out the underwater battle finale and Momoa’s likability as rare bright spots.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/aquaman-review-these-very-fishy-superhero-antics-fail-to-make-a-splash-a4017361.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating 2/5. 11 December 2018. 

Bradshaw finds the film a laborious, solemn disappointment that never quite comes up for air. He praises Nicole Kidman’s graceful, convincing presence as Atlanna, while noting that she is absent for much of the action.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/dec/11/aquaman-review-a-complete-bellyflop-jason-momoa)

## Slant Magazine — Pat Brown

Rating 1.5/4. 11 December 2018. 

Brown finds the film adrift, rushed, and often unintentionally laughable. He praises the vibrancy and compositional flair of some underwater action, while criticizing the weightless fights and unsubstantial world-building.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/aquaman/)

## Sight and Sound — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2018. 

Newman finds the film an overstuffed B-picture whose fun is stretched too thin, though it fails in sympathetically old-fashioned ways. He praises its vivid undersea colour palette and James Wan’s memorable visual set-pieces.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/aquaman-review-quixotic-misadventure)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

McCarthy finds the film overlong and weighed down by arbitrary action, despite its mythic scale. He praises Jason Momoa’s relaxed screen presence and the underwater setting’s enchanted feel.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/aquaman-review-2018-movie-1168291/)

## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui

Rating 8/10. 11 December 2018. 

The critic calls the film a weird, wildly entertaining success, praising its gonzo blend of camp and adventure. The lavish visuals and James Wan’s horror-inflected sequences stand out, while the romantic chemistry and political intrigue fall short.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/562905/aquaman-review/)

## Consequence — Clint Worthington

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2018. 

Worthington finds Aquaman a gleefully ridiculous spectacle, despite its clunky dialogue and convoluted plot. He especially praises James Wan’s colorful, campy production design and energetic set pieces.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/12/film-review-aquaman/)

## Digital Spy — Hugh Armitage

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

The critic finds Aquaman a flawed but highly entertaining adventure and one of the strongest DC films so far. They praise James Wan’s lively direction and the film’s coherent, visually grand finale, while noting its excessive length and overstuffed plot.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a25457501/aquaman-review-dc-jason-momoa/)

## The Wrap — William Bibbiani

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. 

The critic finds the film an outrageous, often successful spectacle, though its maximalism sometimes strains credulity. The lavish fantasy settings and inventive underwater action stand out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/aquaman-film-review-jason-momoa-nicole-kidman-james-wan-dceu/)

## Paste — Dom Sinacola

Rating 6.9/10. 19 December 2018. 

Sinacola finds the film a messy, overlong but wonderfully creative and shameless spectacle. He praises its imaginative underwater action, especially a late battle featuring talking crustaceans.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/aquaman/aquaman)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 3/5. 20 December 2018. 

Crow finds the film an entertaining but flawed spectacle, elevated by James Wan’s visual inventiveness. He especially praises its vivid undersea imagery and inventive, dynamic camerawork.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aquaman-review/)

## The Skinny — Carmen Paddock

Rating ★★★. 9 April 2019. 

The review finds the film messy but tremendous fun, and praises its vivid undersea visuals. It also singles out the cast’s charismatic performances and the story’s sincere, human core.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/aquaman)

## Eye for Film — Jane Fae

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2018. 

Fae considers the film an enjoyable but merely OK superhero diversion, falling short of recent genre highlights. She praises the impressive CGI and underwater action, while faulting the story for offering little that feels new.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/aquaman-2018-film-review-by-jane-fae)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/aquaman.md