Aquaman Review

Talk To The Fish? More Like Talk About How This Actually Worked

Let’s Start By Showing Y’all The Trailers Shall We?

Behind the scenes.

When Aquaman came out, I remember thinking this movie had one of the hardest jobs in the entire DCEU. This was Aquaman. The guy who had spent decades being treated like the punchline of DC superheroes. The guy people constantly joked only talked to fish. The guy who, for a long time, casual audiences did not really take seriously. So the big question was not just whether DC could make a good Aquaman movie. The question was whether they could make Aquaman cool without being embarrassed by how ridiculous the character and his world can be.

And somehow, James Wan actually pulled it off.

That is probably the biggest compliment I can give this movie. Aquaman is ridiculous, but it knows it is ridiculous. It has underwater kingdoms, crab armies, glowing sea creatures, giant monsters, royal bloodlines, magic tridents, armored sharks, and an octopus playing drums. This movie could have easily collapsed under the weight of its own insanity, but instead it embraces the comic-book madness and runs with it. It does not try to turn Aquaman into Batman underwater. It does not make him dark, gloomy, and miserable just because some people once made jokes about him. It lets the movie be colorful, weird, huge, and entertaining.

And honestly, I respect that.

Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

The movie opens with a love story between Tom Curry, a human lighthouse keeper played by Temuera Morrison, and Atlanna, the Queen of Atlantis played by Nicole Kidman. Atlanna washes ashore after fleeing an arranged marriage, Tom finds her, the two fall in love, and eventually they have a son named Arthur Curry. Since his mother is Atlantean and his father is human, Arthur grows up caught between two worlds. He is not fully accepted by Atlantis, but he is also not exactly a normal surface-dweller either.

Years later, Arthur becomes the hero known as Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa. He protects people, helps out when needed, drinks a lot, acts like he does not care about royal drama, and mostly wants nothing to do with Atlantis. Unfortunately for him, Atlantis has other plans. Mera arrives and tells Arthur that his half-brother Orm, also known as Ocean Master, is trying to unite the underwater kingdoms and wage war against the surface world. Arthur does not want the throne, but if he does nothing, Orm may start a war that could kill millions.

So Arthur and Mera go on a quest to find the legendary Trident of Atlan, which could prove Arthur is the rightful king. And yes, the second act basically becomes a giant underwater Indiana Jones treasure hunt. They follow clues, travel to different places, argue with each other, get chased, fight enemies, and slowly uncover the truth about Arthur’s destiny.

And honestly? I actually like that part.

Character Rundown

Jason Momoa is great as Arthur Curry. He brings so much energy to the character that even when the movie itself gets messy, he keeps it entertaining. He plays Arthur like this cocky, sarcastic, beer-drinking guy who acts like he does not want responsibility, but underneath all that is someone who genuinely cares. Arthur is not some polished royal hero. He is rough around the edges, stubborn, and kind of immature, but that is what makes him fun to watch.

Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry is a great casting choice. Yes, Jango Fett himself is playing Aquaman’s human father, and honestly, I have no complaints. His relationship with Atlanna gives the movie a surprisingly sweet emotional opening. It is simple, but it works. You understand why Arthur matters to both worlds because his entire existence comes from this relationship between land and sea.

Nicole Kidman as Atlanna is also good, and I like that the movie does not treat her as just a tragic backstory figure. Her presence hangs over the entire film, and when the movie eventually reveals more about what happened to her, it gives Arthur’s journey a stronger emotional center.

Amber Heard as Mera is where things get complicated. As a character, Mera works fine in this movie. She is capable, powerful, and she pushes Arthur into accepting responsibility. She is not just standing around waiting to be saved. But yes, the real-life actress side of things makes the movie harder to rewatch now. I am not going down that entire rabbit hole here, but I would be lying if I said it does not taint the movie a bit for me when I revisit it.

Patrick Wilson as Orm is one of the stronger villains in the DCEU. He is dramatic, intense, bitter, and completely committed to being the underwater royal brother who thinks he should rule everything. I know younger me said he does not really have motivation, but looking back, he does. Orm hates the surface because humans pollute the oceans, destroy marine life, and treat the sea like a trash can. So I understand why he is angry. The problem is his solution is basically, “Let’s murder the land people.” Slight overreaction there, buddy.

Then we have Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Visually, he is fantastic. That suit is perfect. The helmet, the glowing red eyes, the weapons, everything about him looks great. His motivation comes from Arthur letting his father die in the opening submarine scene, and this is where I still have a hard time feeling bad. His father was a pirate attacking a submarine. He was robbing, killing, and committing violent crimes. So when the movie tries to make me feel like Arthur did something unforgivable by not saving him, my reaction is basically, “Oh no, the murderous pirate faced consequences.” I understand why Black Manta hates Arthur, but I do not personally feel bad for his dad.

Also, Willem Dafoe is in this movie as Vulko, because apparently James Wan looked at the cast and said, “You know what this underwater superhero movie needs? Willem Dafoe.” And honestly, fair enough. The cast in this movie is surprisingly stacked.

Pacing / Episode Flow

The pacing of Aquaman is wild because this movie feels like three different movies shoved into one, but somehow it stays entertaining. The first act is about Arthur’s origin, his refusal to become king, and Orm’s rise to power. Then the movie turns into a quest adventure with Arthur and Mera searching for clues to find the Trident of Atlan. Then the final act becomes a giant underwater war movie with armies, monsters, explosions, and Arthur riding into battle like the ocean decided to cosplay as Lord of the Rings.

That should not work as well as it does.

The second act especially has a fun adventure-movie energy. Arthur and Mera traveling through the desert and later ending up in Italy gives the movie a lighter, more playful tone. One of my favorite little lines is when Arthur looks around in the desert and says something like, “Hey look over there, what’s that I see? Oh wait… nothing!” It is dumb, but it works because Jason Momoa sells that kind of humor well.

The movie also knows when to shift genres. That trench sequence in the middle of the ocean is straight-up horror. Arthur and Mera are on a boat at night, they throw the flare into the water, and suddenly you see all these creepy humanoid fish creatures swimming upward toward them. That shot is fantastic. It is eerie, it is visually striking, and it is one of the best reminders that James Wan directed this movie. You can feel the horror director side of him waking up for that scene.

Pros

The biggest strength of this movie is that it is entertaining. It is not trying to be subtle. It is not trying to be grounded. It is not trying to convince you Atlantis is realistic. It just throws you into this massive underwater fantasy world and expects you to go along with it. And honestly, I did.

The visuals are great. Atlantis looks beautiful, the underwater kingdoms are creative, and the movie has a huge sense of scale. Some CGI moments are better than others, but overall the film looks much better than it probably had any right to. James Wan clearly wanted this to feel like a massive fantasy adventure, and for the most part, he succeeds.

The action is also strong. The duel between Arthur and Orm is fun, the Black Manta fight in Italy is one of the best scenes in the movie, and the final battle is pure comic-book insanity. I love that the movie does not hold back. It gives us armored sea creatures, giant armies, underwater laser blasts, and a massive war that feels like someone turned an Aquaman comic into a fireworks show.

Black Manta’s costume deserves its own praise. That could have looked ridiculous in live action, but somehow the movie makes it work. Same thing with Aquaman’s classic orange-and-green suit. On paper, that suit should look goofy. It is bright, shiny, and extremely comic-book accurate. But when Arthur finally gets the Trident of Atlan and steps out in the full suit, it works. The movie earns it. It takes one of the corniest superhero outfits and somehow makes it look awesome.

Arthur reuniting with his mother is also genuinely emotional. After everything the movie sets up about Atlanna being gone, finding her alive on the hidden island gives the movie a nice emotional payoff. It is not the most complicated scene ever, but it feels sincere, and sometimes that is all you need.

Cons

The movie is definitely overstuffed. There is a lot going on here. Arthur’s origin, Atlantis politics, Orm’s war plan, Black Manta’s revenge, Mera’s mission, Atlanna’s fate, the Trident of Atlan, the hidden island, the trench creatures, the seven kingdoms, the final war — this movie has enough plot for multiple movies. The fact that it still works is impressive, but you can feel how packed it is.

Black Manta’s revenge motivation also does not fully land for me emotionally. I like Black Manta as a villain. I love his design. I enjoy the Italy fight. But the movie wants me to feel like Arthur made this horrible moral choice in the opening, and I just do not. Again, his dad was a violent pirate. I understand Black Manta being angry because that was his father, but I do not think the audience needs to feel bad for the guy.

Orm’s motivation could have been explored more deeply too. The movie gives him a reason to hate the surface, and honestly, it is not a terrible reason. Humans have treated the ocean horribly. That is a real issue. But the movie does not spend enough time digging into that conflict in a meaningful way. It mostly uses it as the reason Orm wants war. There is a more interesting version of the story where Atlantis’ anger toward the surface is explored with more nuance.

And yes, the movie can be very silly. Some jokes do not land, some dialogue is clunky, and certain moments are so comic-booky that I understand why some people might roll their eyes. But for me, most of that silliness is part of the charm.

Final Thoughts

Aquaman is one of the most entertaining movies in the DCEU. It is big, colorful, ridiculous, and completely unapologetic about what it is. It takes a character people spent years mocking and turns him into the lead of a massive fantasy adventure that somehow works. That alone is impressive.

What I appreciate most is that the movie does not run away from Aquaman’s weirdness. It embraces it. It gives us Atlantis, sea monsters, tridents, royal drama, giant battles, and comic-accurate costumes without acting embarrassed. That is exactly the right approach. If you are making an Aquaman movie, go all in. Do not make half an Aquaman movie. Do not apologize for the fish. Put the armored sharks on screen and let chaos happen.

Is it perfect? No. It is too long, too packed, and not every emotional beat lands. But I had a great time with it. Jason Momoa is charismatic, Patrick Wilson is a strong villain, Black Manta looks incredible, the visuals are impressive, and James Wan directs the whole thing with enough confidence to make the insanity work.

This is still one of the DCEU films I genuinely enjoy revisiting, even if certain casting choices make parts of it harder to watch now. It is fun. It is weird. It is ambitious. And somehow, against all odds, it made Aquaman cool.

Rating

9/10

Spoiler Warning

Everything past this point contains spoilers for Aquaman.

If you have not seen the movie yet, I do recommend checking it out first because this is genuinely one of the more entertaining DCEU films. From here on, I will be talking about Black Manta’s revenge, Atlanna being alive, Arthur finding the Trident of Atlan, the final battle, and Orm’s defeat.

You have been warned.

Spoilers

The opening submarine scene is important because it creates Black Manta’s hatred for Arthur, but I still do not think the movie makes me feel the way it wants me to feel. Arthur leaves Manta’s father to die after the guy gets trapped, and the movie frames it like this dark mistake that will come back to haunt him. And yes, it does come back to haunt him. But emotionally, I am still stuck on the fact that these pirates were attacking a submarine and killing people. I understand Black Manta’s anger because that was his father, but from Arthur’s perspective, I do not see why he should risk everything to save a murderous pirate.

Black Manta becoming the villain because of that moment works better as his personal motivation than as a moral indictment of Arthur. He hates Aquaman because Aquaman let his dad die. That makes sense. But I do not need to agree with him to enjoy him as a villain. In fact, I think he works better as someone whose grief turns into obsession. He is not justified, but he is dangerous, and that is enough.

Arthur losing the duel against Orm is also a good moment because it shows he is not ready yet. He may be powerful, but he does not understand Atlantis, he does not have the proper weapon, and he does not fully accept what being king would mean. Orm breaking Atlanna’s trident forces Arthur into the larger quest for the Trident of Atlan, and that is where the movie becomes more of a treasure-hunting adventure.

The reveal that Atlanna is alive is one of the stronger emotional payoffs in the movie. She has been trapped beyond the Trench for years, surviving in this hidden place while everyone believed she was dead. Arthur finding her gives him closure, but it also gives him the confidence he needs to move forward. The scene works because it ties Arthur’s personal journey to the mythological side of the story.

Arthur earning the Trident of Atlan is one of the best superhero suit-up moments in the DCEU. He faces the Karathen, proves he is worthy, claims the trident, and finally emerges in the classic orange-and-green suit. Again, that costume should not work. It should look ridiculous. But the movie commits so hard that it becomes awesome. The image of Arthur standing there in the full suit with the trident is exactly the kind of comic-book payoff the movie needed.

The final battle is pure insanity, and I mean that as a compliment. There are underwater armies, sea creatures, explosions, lasers, crab people, giant monsters, and Arthur riding into battle with the trident. It is not subtle. It is not grounded. It is not realistic. It is a giant Aquaman comic book battle brought to life, and honestly, I enjoy it.

Arthur defeating Orm by cutting his trident in half is a nice mirror to Orm breaking Atlanna’s trident earlier. Orm spent the movie believing he was the rightful ruler and that Arthur was nothing more than a half-breed outsider, only to lose to him in front of everyone. Then Atlanna appears, and Orm realizes his mother is alive. That moment gives the ending more emotional weight because Orm is not just defeated physically. His entire worldview collapses.

By the end, Arthur becomes King of Atlantis, reunites with his mother, defeats his brother, and accepts his place between two worlds. It is a big, ridiculous, satisfying ending to a big, ridiculous, entertaining movie. Aquaman may not be perfect, but it understands exactly what kind of movie it wants to be, and that is why it works.

Also, here’s a few of my favorite fighting scenes in this movie.