After months of waiting, DC Comics latest outing, Aquaman, is finally here.
Jason Momoa makes his standalone debut as Aquaman in James Wans epic – and its the directors first comic book blockbuster too.
Its had rave early reviews from critics, who are already calling it the best DC film since Batman, and the trailer has got fans very excited.
With the movie hitting cinemas this weekend, heres all you need to know about Aquaman…
When is the UK release date and what is the age rating?
Aquaman hits cinemas today, Friday 14 December. The film has been given a UK age rating of 12A.
Trailer
A five-minute trailer dropped earlier this year and it gave us all the reassurance that the film would most definitely not disappoint.
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The clip opens with Aquaman, aka Arthur Curry, discussing his parents whom he says were from different worlds, adding: I was the product of a love that never should have been.
As the son of a human lighthouse keeper and an Atlantean queen, played by Nicole Kidman, Arthur is the rightful heir to throne. Or as its so eloquently put in the teaser: A son of the land and a son of the seas.
This leads him to embark on a mission with Mera, played by Amber Heard, to unite the kingdoms of Atlantis.
Mera states: Your mother always knew you were special… Take your rightful place as king.
Who else is in the cast?
As well as Momoa and Heard, Aquaman also stars Dolph Lundgren, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman and Julie Andrews.
Is it any good?
Metro.co.uks film review James Luxford says:
Kidman and Morrison are impressive as Arthurs parents, putting some heart into the opening scenes despite some dodgy CGI de-aging. On the downside, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II feels a bit wasted as villain Black Manta, giving his all to a side plot that doesnt get the time it deserves.
In the larger DC cannon, Aquaman feels nowhere near as fresh or polished as Wonder Woman. Taken on its own merits, however, the film is two and a half hours of spectacular action, and a story that never takes itself seriously. It may not give Marvel any sleepless nights, but this watery adventure seems destined to be a crowd-pleaser.
Read his full review here.
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What have others said?
Aquaman generated quite the buzz online when trailers came out and the DC Extended Universe movie has been a rare hit with critics, who panned other blockbuster attempts, including Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad.
Arguably the only success story thus far for DC has been Wonder Woman, with Gal Gadot in the drivers seat of the origin story that got the approval of lots of fans the world over.
So, how does the swashbuckling Aquaman measure up? Quite well, actually.
The Warner Bros/DC movie, which will be released to the public in a matter of weeks, has impressed film buffs, and they are particularly taken with Momoas performance as Arthur Curry, King of Atlantis.
Following the films world premiere at Leicester Squares Cineworld in London, critics scrambled onto Twitter to share their initial thoughts about it. The overarching theme is that its fun, and has great action sequences.
Fans of superheroes will be aware of the (mostly) playful animosity between Marvel and DC fans, and one critic called Aquaman the most ambitious DC movie to date.
Editor of Slashfilm Peter Sciretta was one of the first to weigh in as he wrote: Aquaman is better than expected.
Feels like a Marvel phase one movie, in a good way. Its at its best when its having fun and not taking itself too seriously. Black Manta is [a] great villain that comic book fans will love. Some truly spectacular one shots and good action.
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He continues by talking about the big battle scene, which he says doesnt devolve into the typical comic book movie blah trap, and is surprisingly ambitious.
Meg Downey echoes his sentiments and admired Wans decision to be completely unafraid.
#Aquaman is a buckwild movie which is honestly both good and bad in (almost) equal measure, she writes. If nothing else, it looks great and its completely unafraid to just go for it, which I appreciate in it.
Tom Jorgensen goes one step further, and calls Aquaman the best DC since The Dark Knight. Bold words.
Aquaman is in cinemas now.
MORE: New pictures of Aquaman have dropped and Jason Momoa fans cant cope
MORE: Johnny Depp misses movie promo to avoid awkward run-in with ex Amber Heard
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