Aquaman is DC doing it right, taking a first major step in creating a world rivaling its competitors. A visually stunning film with great direction, the 4k set makes this wondrous film even more impressive!
“AQUAMAN reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean ARTHUR CURRY and takes him on the journey of his lifetime – to discover if he is worth of who he was born to be…a king.”
DC has a lot of ground to cover in their attempt to rival Marvel Studios, but with Aquaman this is definitely a step in the right direction. The major setback they seem to suffer is the constant reboot of their characters, and not just DC, but Sony and Fox with their collection of comic-book heroes as well. When you’re consistently having to begin with the origin story over and over, you not only lose audience interest in the same story being told, but more importantly you lose ground with the competition. That has been the status of DC for quite a while now and as hard as they’ve tried to push through in creating films that seem to skip all the necessary steps in the new incarnation of heroes, it seems as though they’ve finally hit their stride. As much as I didn’t care for Justice League whatsoever, it did serve an important purpose: introducing a storyline with Aquaman and giving us a glimpse into his character, eliminating the need for an all-out origin story fresh and brand new.
Yes, Aquaman is an origin story, but being exposed to the character and the world already gives the film a leg up when it comes to exposition, which can be quite heavy-handed in explaining an entire underwater civilization, their powers, methods of communication and technology, etc. James Wan does an excellent job in this department, choosing what to focus on when it comes to that aspect of the film, thankfully opting out of creating air bubbles anytime someone wants to speak underwater. His first and foremost contribution was bringing Patrick Wilson into the fold, playing King Orm, Arthur’s younger brother and ruler of Atlantis who wants to unite the factions and become Ocean Master. This dynamic between Arthur and Orm doesn’t reach the depths that it could, but promises to become a relationship that will be further explored in future films, much like Thor and Loki and their respective brotherhood.
James Wan also succeeds in creating one of the most visually stunning super-hero films of all time; beautiful underwater worlds full of light and color, unlike anything your eyes have ever seen. This breathtaking scenery I think is close to the level of wonderment I felt the first time seeing Avatar for the first time, with another world full of wondrous creatures our society doesn’t know about.
Even concerning the legacy of Aquaman, who has a tendency to be portrayed as rather silly in modern adaptations with his main ability being able to talk to fish, the most impressive thing that DC has accomplished is making Aquaman cool to modern audiences. It helps tremendously by the casting of Jason Momoa, but even the story and history of the civilization is done in such a great way that casts Arthur Curry as the hero of the seas. Jason Momoa has commanding presence as an action hero and comic-book character. My personal opinion is that he has yet to hone his acting craft, as his dialogue can be a bit eye-rolling a times, with the weight of his words not matching up with his physical presence. Hopefully that comes in time, as I enjoy his performances for the most part. The supporting cast of the film is phenomenal, with Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, all doing great jobs in their performances that enhance the film.
The main area that lacks in Aquaman, which is common in a lot of super-hero films, is the antagonist. The main focus of the film is between Arthur Curry and his brother Orm. However, he also makes a lifelong enemy in the beginning of the film of Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), which severely lacks in development because of the focus elsewhere. For being one of Aquaman’s arch-nemesis, very little time is taken to properly introduce the character. All we know is he’s a pirate who has his own agenda, and because of Arthur’s decision during one of his jobs, now seeks vengeance against him. Although in the comics the character is supposed to be an engineering genius, no mention is ever made to this, nor eluded to in the slightest. So when this guy reverse engineers unbelievably high-tech and dangerous technology from Atlantis, turning a gun into a mask, it just seems dumb. I honestly thought the Mantis battle scenes were some of the best fighting scenes of the entire film. I enjoyed the suit, the battle, but the character itself was so shallow that everything he did seemed hollow. Hopefully this can be explored in further films because this conflict between them is far from over.
Video
Aquaman is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen with variable 2.4:1 and 1.78:1, which changes because the film was filmed with IMAX in mind, presenting the most impressive and visually stunning parts of the film in a higher aspect ratio to get more picture on screen. This set also includes Dolby Vision, which is absolutely stunning if you have the capability to play it. The film has such a diverse color palate, with bright neon colors and bright blues underwater, to the stunning contrast of Arthur and Mera in the desert (especially her bright red hair). These sequences highlight the absolute best of the best when it comes to showcasing the capabilities of 4k and Dolby Vision.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, presented with a stunning track full of action, with fully-packed sequences working out the surrounds and Atmos speakers, presenting sound from all around you. Dialogue is clear and concise, never overpowered by the surrounds. The soundtrack itself is my favorite, second to Thor: Ragnarok, with a lot of similar musical numbers at times, but also shifting in tone dramatically for some of the more intense sequences such as the Mantis theme.
Special Features
A great set of extras accompany this set, included on the Blu-Ray disc which are:
- Becoming Aquaman
- Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman
- James Wan: World Builder
- The Dark Depths of Black Manta
- Heroines of Atlantis
- Villainous Training
- A Match Made in Atlantis
- Atlantis Warfare
- Creating Undersea Creatures
- Aqua-Tech
- Scene Study Breakdown
- Kingdoms of the Seven Seas
- Shazam! Sneak Peek
DC still has a ways to go to achieve the level of universe-building that Marvel has accomplished, but thanks to their choices of great directors such as James Wan, Aquaman is on track to setting them on the right path that could change the course of their franchise. Although it has its flaws, the film outshines most of what has come before, making it one of the better DC films in quite a while, definitely worth checking out in this 4k format!
