Goofy 'Aquaman' may be the most expensive B-movie ever made

There are so many superhero movies these days -- this year alone we've had Black Panther, Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Venom and Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. So when I go to these films -- and I'm a sucker for them I must admit -- I'm always looking for something that feels new and fresh.

While by no means a good movie in the traditional sense, the eye-popping epic Aquaman is at least a hell of a ride -- a completely crazy, over-the-top, almost seizure-inducing spectacle that has plenty of bang for its buck. You certainly have to appreciate its ambition.

Aquaman has long been the butt of jokes -- even Entourage thought the idea of a movie about the superhero who can talk fish was comedy fodder. And yet, this film treats this character as if he is just as important (if not more so) to the cultural lexicon as say Batman or Superman.

And while this film doesn't redefine the hero for a new generation quite like Iron Man did just over 10 years ago, it does give it a good college try.

A lot of credit goes to Jason Momoa, who is a lovable lug of an unlikely movie star, and James Wan who has crafted a really miraculous looking undersea world, populated by amazing looking creatures and worlds. It really does feel like a comic book page come to life. This may be the most fully realized comic book atmosphere since we saw Wakanda early last year.

There are some incredible action set pieces here, often piled on top of one another in relentless fashion and while much of it is CGI madness, it's fun to look at and take in.

That's not to say this movie doesn't have his problems. Besides Momoa -- who seems very much in on the joke of this project -- the rest of the cast seems a bit rudderless.

Amber Heard, while stunning, is shockingly wooden and their attempts at a romantic subplot may be the worst part of the film.

Meanwhile, the film has a few characters too many, with Patrick Wilson (who himself looks like the classic Aquaman) mostly bellowing his lines, comeback kid Dolph Lundgren mostly deprived of screen time and Willem Dafoe wasted in a largely thankless role as Momoa's mentor.

The plot is pure comic book hooey, a bunch of speechifying about the true king of the ocean and ocean masters -- there were definitely times where I found myself drifting into disinterest (the movie is shockingly nearly 3 hours long!) -- but then there would be another note perfect set piece that won me back on its since.

Thankfully, it's a funny, light-hearted movie -- and it wisely employs a multi-colored, eye-pleasing palette (as well as an inspired electronic-influenced score) instead of the dour, muddy murk that plagued a lot of recent DC Comics movies save Wonder Woman.

This film is not the genre game-changer that movie was, not by a long shot, but it's a totally enjoyable trifle. I am not at all surprised that this film has received mixed (at best) reviews. It's silly, sappy, goofy and overwhelming. And I can also easily see why audiences love it -- for the exact same reasons.

It definitely grew on me. I watched it next to a snide person who loudly, sarcastically applauded at the end. I too had laughed at the movie not with it more than a few times, but I still gave that guy the side eye. Some things don't need to be treated cynically, they can just be enjoyed simplistically.