Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world.
Jason Momoa, who was introduced as the titular character ever-so-briefly in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” finally got to make an impact in his big screen follow-up, “Justice League,” which I thoroughly enjoyed. The one aspect of that movie I didn’t like, was the fact that Aquaman had very little to do, he was literally a fish out of water (pun intended) and so his abilities seemed somewhat diminished. His strengths lie underneath the water and in “Aquaman,” that is where the majority of the action takes place.
We are introduced to Aquaman’s parents, his father, Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison), a lighthouse keeper, and his mother, Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), a member of royalty from the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. To avoid an arranged marriage, Atlanna escapes from Atlantis and winds up on the surface where Tom discovers her injured on the rocks below his lighthouse. He saves her and they eventually fall in love and have a child who they name Arthur. Years later, soldiers from Atlantis track down Atlanna’s whereabouts, destroying part of their house and while she manages to impede any further damage, she realizes the only way she can help save her husband and son, is to go back to Atlantis and face whatever punishment is due to her. She promises one day that she will return but days turn into weeks, and into months, and inevitably years. Arthur (Jason Momoa) is an adult now and has amazing superpowers underwater but will not go near Atlantis out of anger for them supposedly killing his mother.
Mera (Amber Heard), who hails from Atlantis and has hydrokinetic powers that can control water, warns Arthur that his half-brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson), is about to unleash his armies on the surface world. She states that he has grown impatient and outraged that the humans of the world continue to pollute their seas with trash and kill their animals with no regard for anyone but themselves and says it is time to wipe them out. Arthur states he wants no part of it but after Orm causes a huge tsunami that wipes out half of his hometown of Amnesty Bay in Maine, and almost kills his father, he agrees to help Mera. After challenging Orm to combat, in which he almost kills Arthur, Mera defies protocol and rescues him and the two escape. If Arthur is going to stand a chance against Orm, they must retrieve the Trident of Atlan, a magic relic from Atlantis’ past that used to belong to its very first ruler and with some help from an ally, Vulko (Willem Dafoe), they set out on a journey that will take them halfway around the world to Italy, and then onto an uncharted sea located at the center of the earth, where Arthur will face a mythical creature that no man has ever defeated.
“Aquaman” never pretends to be anything but pure, unadulterated fun. DC has not done too well over the years but with last year’s “Wonder Woman” giving Marvel a run for its money, I think it’s safe to assume that “Aquaman,” while not as good as “Wonder Woman,” most certainly puts “Man of Steel,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and “Justice League” to shame. It knows its own strength, which is, simply, to entertain, and never veers off course. With the three aforementioned titles, while each iteration had some good moments, overall, they tried too hard to be too solemn and no-nonsense and in the process, took out all the fun and enjoyment that they should have added in. Jason Momoa IS Aquaman. Like Schwarzenegger becoming the Terminator, a role that was written specifically for him, it’s hard to imagine any other actor stepping into Arthur Curry’s shoes. Arthur is serious when he needs to be but for the most part, he is laid back and all about having fun along the way, even if it’s facing a gargantuan underwater monster or a nemesis who calls himself Black Manta.
And therein lies my one gripe of the movie. Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a villain that is introduced early on as a pirate who kills and pilages submarines and boats along with his father. When Arthur intervenes and because of his actions, inadvertently kills his father, Black Manta swears revenge and at the most inopportune times, he appears, only to have his ass handed to him. With King Orm and his armies a big and formidable threat, Black Manta was a redundant addition to a story that needed no more villains. When he appears onscreen, the film lags somewhat but then picks up when he is gone. It doesn’t help that that actor portraying him, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is just not very credible. He constantly scowls, and glares, and grimaces, but he lacks the emotional depth in which to make his character more than a one-dimensional replication of far better villains. This one complaint aside, the rest of the cast excel in their respective roles. Even Dolph Lundgren, who has made a career for himself as an intimidating but mostly wooden action hero, holds his own against Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, and Willem Dafoe. Naturally, Arthur and Mera have undeniable onscreen chemistry which I hope will be explored in Aquaman’s next outing, I just hope it won’t be too far away.
Now available on Digital HD and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD March 26th
