VFX technology has advanced to the point where it can create new worlds that look believable and lived-in all through computer wizardry. Therefore, it seems like the right time for an Aquaman movie, where underwater worlds can look absolutely incredible. There’s enough visual flair to go around, minus a few dodgy elements. However, Aquaman suffers from a pretty cliche storyline and bare-bones characters that fail to interest. The second half does see improvements, but it’s still a bit of a slog to get through.

But as said before, the visuals are the main selling point here, and it’s pretty solid. At times it’s a bit too overstuffed and we probably need to wait until James Cameron’s Avatar sequels for the craft of an underwater world to be perfected. But there’s still plenty to like, from the size to even the movements. Characters underwater swim slow and move with more effort, making everything more challenging. And of course the fight scenes have a lot of great attention to detail thanks to this little touch.

Speaking of, the action here is also solid. James Wan is a master when it comes to fun and creative set pieces, and it’s evident here. The best moment sees a massive chase scene in Sicily with Arthur Curry, otherwise known as Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, and his love interest Mera, played by Amber Heard. It’s huge, as the camera swoops around several locales, while the characters fly through the air, crashing into buildings and running on rooftops. This is often with little to no takes too, making the scope feel all the more massive.

But, while this film features Wan’s strengths, his shortcomings are still present. He has a real knack when it comes to action and direction and individual set pieces. But he is not that strong when it comes to character and story. Most of the time, his movies often feature blank slates in pretty standard storylines. They’re helped by the charisma of the actors playing them. The lead actors of Momoa and Heard are entertaining, and the supporting cast is full of stellar character actors, from Willem DaFoe to Nicole Kidman to Temuera Morrison.

Unfortunately, their charms can’t hide how boring and paper-thin the characters are. There’s an attempt of an arc with Arthur and him accepting himself as the King of Atlantis. But it’s awkwardly introduced and there’s little time to chew on it. We know very little about what makes Aquaman a hero at first, and by the end we still know very little. It makes the big, triumphant climax all the less engaging.

The antagonists are especially poorly-written. While Patrick Wilson as Orm is fun and hammy, Black Manta fails to deliver. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is entertaining, but he has very little importance to the plot, and has a pretty generic revenge arc. He’s only there to set up a sequel rather than be an intimidating threat to the characters. This makes his scenes a bit of a chore to sit through.

In the end, there’s not much to be all that impressed by with Aquaman, apart from some impressive visuals. There’s a great cast, and Wan’s clearly having fun with the action. But the film doesn’t use the characters and their actors to their fullest advantage. There’s strong potential here for sure, but it isn’t fulfilled. Hopefully the eventual sequel will improve from this film’s drawbacks.