Aquaman (2018) [Blu-ray]
Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline: He's not from around here.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, "Aquaman," starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime--one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be... a king.

Storyline: Arthur Curry, half human half from Atlantis, goes on a trip of a lifetime. Not only does this adventure compel him to come to terms with his real identity, but it also forces him to discover whether he is entirely worthy of fulfilling his own destiny: becoming a king. Written by Domingo Alvarez

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Randy Miller III, March 21, 2019 -- James Wan's Aquaman (2018) is the sixth installment in Warner Bros.' hit-or-miss "DC Extended Universe" saga which, by most accounts, is the Pepsi to Marvel's clearly more popular Coke. Our title character is not the comic company's most popular or compelling figure, nor could most casual fans name a single adversary without peeking. Nonetheless, Aquaman was warmly received by most audiences and critics with worldwide box-office totals that surpassed the likes of Wonder Woman and all three chapters of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (not part of the DCEU, but still…). Yet as Suicide Squad and Man of Steel prove, ticket sales aren't always a reliable indicator of quality.

So, is this wildly profitable film any good? Not always, but Aquaman has a few things going for it. First, an overview: our story follows Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa, returning from Batman v Superman and Justice League), born to Atlanna, the estranged Queen of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman) and...a lighthouse keeper (Temuera Morrison) who finds her washed ashore. Their idyllic life is shattered when Atlanna's people come knocking and, to protect the family, she returns to her Atlantean home. Trained by his mother's adviser Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Arthur's unique upbringing and abilities -- which include breathing underwater, communicating with marine life, and of course excellent swimming skills -- make him an ideal protector of his oceanside environment. His human side makes him all sarcastic and good at WWF moves. Things get serious when Arthur is approached by beautiful Princess Mera (Amber Heard) who, ignoring her betrothal to Arthur's snotty half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), warns him of a potential war planned by her people. Once a massive tidal wave strikes, Arthur must decide if he's willing and able to unite both sides before the war escalates.

This all sounds like a decent enough plot for what would likely be the first of several Aquaman movies: spend some time on his upbringing, show how Arthur adapts to human life, eventually bring in Mera and, for the big finale, make the decision and head underwater to battle. Space it out a little. But nope, all of this takes place in the first 40 minutes or so of Aquaman's bloated 143-minute lifespan, of which 12 full minutes are devoted to end credits and one of those bonus scenes that people like for some reason. Its remaining time is spent touring several different underwater kingdoms, a visit to the Sahara Desert and Sicily (lots of roofing repair is needed), sea pirates, and what feels like a dozen other things. It's like four movies in one, and only half of them are any good. Yet Aquaman has its moments: Jason Momoa's charisma and pecs will be more than enough for some, the overwhelming amount of CGI is a feast for the eyes -- until you're stuffed to the gills but forced to keep eating, of course -- and the underwater vistas are truly astonishing. This film also has the good sense to not take itself too seriously and, while the comedy's a bit thick at times and some of the Game of Thrones-lite politics could've easily been dropped, as a whole it's still pretty watchable. Overall, Aquaman is just a lot to take in and would have been a lot easier to stomach in smaller portions.

In comparison to other big-budget superhero blockbusters, Aquaman might be closer to a 3.5/5 and, on a great day, might even snag a 4. As a regular old nuts-and-bolts story, it's seriously flawed in certain areas and there are far too many seams showing to go unnoticed. But if Aquaman won you over as it did most theater-goers, you'll certainly enjoy Warner Bros.' new Blu-ray/DVD combo pack (4K edition sold separately, review forthcoming). Featuring an outstanding A/V presentation and a host of fairly decent bonus features, this is truly fine treatment across the board.

Bloated but still entertaining, James Wan's Aquaman scored big with audiences and, despite my obvious reservations, is generally considered one of the best DCEU movies to date. It's loaded wall-to-wall with special effects, doesn't always take itself seriously, has a solid central performance by Jason Momoa, and plenty of action and thrills along the way. But it could have been a lot more digestible if trimmed down to a more reasonable scope -- there's just way too much here for an origin story. Nonetheless, Warner Bros.' Blu-ray combo pack looks and sounds great; combined with its decent assortment of bonus features, this is a crowd-pleasing package that fans will enjoy.

[CSW] -3.4- I feel like DC went "full Marvel" with Aquaman. This movie is a light-hearted action/comedy that feels like a dramatic shift from the dark and brooding films that came before it in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The storyline doesn't bring anything new to the origin story table, and the acting is hit and miss, but the visual effects are impressive. This isn't one of my favorite superhero movies, but it is fun one to watch. DC finally got another one in the win category, with Aquaman of all characters. Of the new DC films Wonder Woman is the best Aquaman is second.
[V4.5-A5.0] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box really enhanced this movie.


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