Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) was in charge of the light house on the edge of the cliffs in Massachusetts. He lived on the property with his puppy and spent much of his time looking at the Atlantic Ocean but one evening during a storm a woman named Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), Queen of Atlantis washed up on the shoreline with her sword. When Tom brought her into his home she awoke in distress but through his comfort she became relaxed and later in love with him. Not too much later Atlanna became pregnant and bore a son named Arthur (Tainui & Tamor Kirkwood) who by right of first born would be the rightful heir to the throne King of Atlantis. Warriors later appeared to take Atlanna back to Atlantis of which she returns on her own leaving Tom to raise Arthur, a half breed.
As years went by Arthur grew into a man (Jason Momoa) under the watchful eye of his father and his guardian from the sea Vulko (Willem Dafoe) and was known in the area as a fish man otherwise known as Aquaman. He was happy as a land dweller but he kept a watchful eye on the ocean for anyone that may need his help. A submarine was under attack by some pirates led by Jesse (Michael Beach) and his son Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and after Aquaman left Manta’s father to die in the submarine as it flooded with water Manta vowed revenge one day. One woman named Princess Mera (Amber Heard) came to Aquaman one night in need of help it seems she was vowed to marry King Orm (Patrick Wilson) the son of King Atlan (Graham McTavish) and his Queen Atlanna. She did not love him and feared King Orm would create a huge war among the ocean dwellers and then the land dwellers. Mera knew that Aquaman could help her as she begged him to come to Atlantis and what’s left of it.
Queen Atlanna has gone missing and King Orm her younger son blames Aquaman for her disappearance since it was because she bore a son from a land dweller and not her King. So both King Orm and Aquaman were left to believe their mother was dead. As time went by King Orm was creating wars underwater so that he could become the King of all oceans but Aquaman could not stand by and watch his half-brother ravage the worlds among the ocean so he stepped in to battle his brother for control as the rightful King. There were challenges for both men but when an old life was revealed the prospects of war would end, for now!
I really enjoyed this film although I squirmed a bit in my seat due to the length of the story. The visuals are breath-taking so I highly recommend seeing this film in IMAX. With magnificent visuals and a wonderful score the beauty and dangers under the oceans were exceptional. The director also did a great job as did the writers who at times mixed in a little levity to offset some of the dramatic moments or romance that takes place. There is literally action from start to finish with appearances by many types of animals above and below land.
Momoa is huge and I’m sure easy eye candy for many that will see this film, he really takes control of his moments in front of the screen. Heard is not only sexy as a red-head but knows how to pull her own weight next to Momoa. Dafoe is always interesting to watch and Wilson (whose family lives here in Tampa) was almost unrecognizable as a king but he handled his warrior moves quite well. Kidman looked majestic in the beginning almost unrecognizable as a blonde but it suited her well as did her role in the film. King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) father of Mera was a joy to watch as were bad guys Beach and his on screen son Abdul-Mateen II. There are many supporting cast members as well as extras above and below that make this film fun and exciting. Look for Aquaman to take number one at the first weekend box office with a big box office to follow.
