A superhero who was once the butt of many DC Comics jokes, the character of Aquaman is set to make his solo film debut next week when James Wan’s Aquaman finally hits theatres. While the DCEU has been incredibly divisive so far, Aquaman looks to once again showcase the franchise in a positive light. After earning rave reactions online, reviews for the film have finally made their way online. So, what are critics saying about Aquaman? Much like the social media reactions, they’re loving it!

Critics are praising the performances, visuals, story and music. Check out our review round-up for DC’s Aquaman below and stay tuned for Talkies Network’s official review, coming next Tuesday!

Todd McCarthy from Hollywood Reporter

There is scarcely a scene in Aquaman that couldn’t have benefited from the fun sense of wit and surprise that Momoa delivers more or less on his own. Kidman supplies short-lived warmth and gravitas as Aquaman’s mum, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a side role as a vengeance-minded fighter. Technically, the film is everything its fan base wants and expects, and the underwater setting imparts a sometimes enchanted feel that at least distinguishes it from most other superhero epics. Rupert Gregson-Williams efficient score seems to almost never let up.

Sheraz Farooqi from ComicbookDebate

Aquaman is an amazing film and great entry into the DC Universe. A strong emotional core centered on family grounds the film as it takes the audience on a journey unlike any other. The film is visually spectacular, it carries moments that feel like they were ripped from the page and make the character of Aquaman the coolest he’s ever been. Jason Momoa shines, his supporting cast elevate the film to another level and the directing of James Wan is ever praiseworthy. In short, Aquaman is simply one of the most unique comic book films we’ve ever seen.

Rosie Knight from Nerdist

Thanks to Wan’s dextrous direction–keep an eye out for moments in which he flexes his horror chops–Aquaman’s genre straddling sets it apart from its superhero cohort. Wan weaves comedy, sci-fi, high fantasy, and action into something that constantly surprises. Jam-packed with brilliant action, spectacular visuals, and likable characters, Aquaman is never afraid to have fun, which makes it a bright spark in 2018.

Paul Shirey from Joblo

In the end, AQUAMAN really shines as a film that puts all its chips on the table and goes for it. Nothing is held back and it builds to a finale of truly epic proportions that will leave you satisfied in so many ways. Seeing Arthur in full AQUAMAN garb and kicking ass is truly a sight to behold and reminded me so much of seeing Batman for the first time in Tim Burton’s 89 classic; it was a monumental moment and seeing AQUAMAN shine in his scaled armor, riding an armored shark and kicking the shit out of Orm’s army was a true blast.

Eric Kohn from IndieWire

Wan clearly put sizable effort into mining a few gratifying moments from the bland rubble of “Justice League.” The cynical, hard-drinking muscleman actually seems like a compelling idea for modern times. As a protector of the Earth’s most fragile environment, he’s the ultimate fearsome rejoinder to the characterization of climate change as a puny liberal ideal. In a better world, “Aquaman” would excel at delivering an ecological message to the masses. But all the fish in the sea can’t salvage a movie that refuses to go more than surface deep.

Richard Trenholm from CNET

As much fun as it is, Aquaman really doesn’t need to be two and half hours long. It repeats itself — count the number of times people are talking when a wall explodes next to them — and comes dangerously close to borrowing from other very recent superhero movies. It’s clearly inadvertent, but the royal tribalism is pretty close to Black Panther, while Nicole Kidman as the hero’s mother feels very close to Michelle Pfeiffer as the mother in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Mark Hughes from Forbes

Aquaman is an amazing achievement in superhero cinema, filled with pulse-pounding action and dazzling visual effects. It’s Indiana Jones, Black Panther, Avatar, and Pirates of the Caribbean rolled into one blockbuster ball of holiday cinema for your entire family. And trust me — see it in IMAX and see it in Dolby Vision, to make sure you get the full impact of the imagery and colors. Oh, and stay through the credits!

Peter Debruge from Variety

The film also saves a series of satisfying surprises for the climactic stretch, thrilling audiences before they leave the theater. For anyone shelling out full price for a movie ticket, this is surely the payoff they’ve been anticipating, and it’s an interesting inversion of the usual superhero movie formula to find a director investing most of his creative energy into the ending, rather than the origin-story stretch up front — a luxury afforded by the fact Aquaman was introduced in “Justice League” a year earlier. The way this movie ends, “that fish boy from the TV” (as he’s derisively dismissed early on) can clearly hold his own against any of his super friends.

Aquaman swims into theatres on December 21, 2018