Aquaman displays DC and Warner Brothers continuing to course-correct their extended universe and get on the right path. While it does have its dark moments, thanks to the perfect pitch and timing of Director James Wan, it knows when to embrace its fun and exciting comic book roots. Much of that has to do with the "cool dude" swagger of star Jason Momoa and the way Amber Heard's Mera responds to his "manly" ways. Let's not forget the lush world-building created through some rather spectacular (but still flawed) CGI.
Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm in Aquaman. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people -- and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm's half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep.
One of the things that impresses me the most about Aquaman is how serious all the actors took their roles. Some of that credit should also go to James Wan, who obviously steered the cast in the right direction. They all treat the source material like they're performing Shakespeare and take their characters and situations in earnest. The movie plays out successfully like a blend of comic book superhero fantasy and sober mythological drama in the vein of Hamlet blended with Clash of the Titans.
James Wan's horror roots really shine through during the introduction of the Trench and Aquaman and Mera's journey through the kingdom they reign over. He's known as the King of Modern Horror for a reason, and it shows as lightning flashes and sea monsters that look like a mashup of Xenomorphs and the Creature from the Black Lagoon engulf their prey. We even get a little light gore during this sequence.
The Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD Combo Pack for Aquaman contains over 60 minutes of special features. There are some making-of featurettes and ones that focus on different characters like Black Manta and the Heroines of Atlantis. We also get an exclusive sneak peek at DC's upcoming Shazam! movie.
