Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Defoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Tamuera Morrison
Director: James Wan
Release date: 12th December 2018
The year is 1985 and in Maine, USA a huge storm is blasting across the coast. A lighthouse keeper named Tom goes out the following morning to assess the damage and finds a woman washed up on the shore. He looks after her and helps her recuperate, and she tells him her name is Atlanta (Nicole Kidman) and that she is the Queen of Atlantis.. Years pass and the two live together and start a family; a baby who they name Arthur (Jason Momoa) It’s not long before Arthur starts showing signs of being more than just your average human and it’s not long before the family’s safety is threatened. Atlanta must return to the sea to keep her family safe… Many years later and Arthur is now a grown man. A mysterious visitor comes and tells him that he must return to Atlantis to take the throne, because his brother is a bit of a tyrant. It’s not long before a tidal wave sweeps across the coast, nearly killing Arthur’s dad and so now Arthur knows he has no choice but to go to Atlantis and try to stop a war to end all wars..
This is the sixth movie in the DC Extended Universe and gives us the backstory of a character who cropped up in ‘Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and then ‘Justice League’. It was obvious that it wouldn’t be long before his origin story would be told.
Jason Momoa is a very charismatic leading man and is perfect in the role of Arthur Curry/ Aquaman. He does a lot of looking over his shoulder and raising an eyebrow, but if you can see past that, then it’s actually a really enjoyable romp of a movie.
Coming in at 143minutes, it’s a long old movie but most of the ‘super-hero’ movies are these days. Oddly though, it really doesn’t feel that it’s overly long. The pieces tying his younger years to his present day self are all very well edited but some of the underwater stuff early on in the movie looks a tiny bit ropey. Saying that, visually this movie is gorgeous. The Atlantian stuff is just stunning and the different underwater creatures are pretty amazing to look at too. Amber Heard definitely has a bit of a ‘Scarlett Johansson’ thing going on lookswise but apart from that a really great cast.
A brilliant idea for a Christmas release, this movie is going to get families off their couches and into cinema seats. Definitely one to watch in IMAX if you get the chance, try and get yourself along to a screening of this one. A really great origin story of a character that we will definitely be seeing more of in the future.
Overall: 8.5/10
