OCEAN MASTER

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2019)

Director James Wan and actor Jason Mamoa have done what many considered impossible. They've taken the comic book character of Aquaman, long considered to be the lamest of comic book heroes, and turned him into one of the coolest action stars on film. Not an easy task and yet together they make it appear easy.
The film opens in the past when a wounded Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) washes ashore near a lighthouse in Maine in 1985. Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), the lighthouse keeper, finds her and takes her to his home, nursing her back to health. The pair fall in love and soon have a child together they name Arthur. But the forces of Atlantis, searching for Atlanna, have found her and come to take her back failing to do so when she battles them off. Realizing the only way to keep Arthur safe is to return she does so.
Years later a group of tech pirates led by Jesse Kane (Michael Beach) along with his son David (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) attempt to steal a Russian sub killing those on board they encounter. But their plans are foiled when the now grown Arthur (Mamoa) lifts the sub to the surface, boards it and takes out the pirates. When a hand to hand battle finds David fall Arthur is shot by Jesse only to rise again. As he attempts to leave, Jesse shoots at him dislodging a missile that pins him. Unable to lift the missile David pleads for help and Arthur refuses leaving them behind. David is forced to leave his father behind to die and swears revenge.
Once more time passes and now we move on to the undersea world of Atlantis where King Orm (Patrick Wilson) is trying to unite the undersea kingdoms to attack the surface world in retaliation for the constant damage they do to the seas. By his side is advisor Nuidis Vulko (Willem Defoe) who has secretly been training Arthur at the request of the now dead queen. Before Orm can unite the various underwater tribes Mera (Amber Heard), the daughter of King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) king of one of these tribes, seeks Arthur for his help in stopping Orm.
Arthur refuses saying he wants nothing to do with the undersea kingdom. Mera warns him that this won't stop Orm from attacking the surface world. As Arthur drives his father home a tidal wave hits the shore and only the assistance of Mera can help him save him. This is the first launch of Orm's attack and causes Arthur to reconsider.
Traveling to Atlantis he learns about a long lost trident that only someone worthy is supposed to be able to wield. He just needs to find it. Before he and Mera can set about their quest they are found by Orm's men and a face-off between the two step-brothers must take place. All of this and we're not even half way through the movie! But it sets in motion the search for the trident, Arthur's change from super-powered mortal to potential ruler of the sea and the possible salvation of Atlantis and the world. Not bad for a first solo outing for the character.
So what makes it exceptional? I'm slowly becoming a movie goer who is tired of the overuse of special effects in films. But at the same time I'm aware that movies about superheroes lend themselves to special effects just to present them properly. And this film does exactly that, using them to surround the action and not take over. The undersea world of Atlantis is a view to behold, a combination of light and texture fueled by color that delights the eyes. Wan's experience with effects in previous films lends itself well on that count. The entire team behind the film has done an amazing job.
But if the character comes off too corny or too serious the film would fall flat as well. Mamoa does a fantastic job here combining the right amount of humor with the muscle bound super heroics needed to bring the character to life. He does so with ease making the character not only believable but actually cool in the process. He even makes the much mocked orange and green outfit associated with Aquaman look great.
DC films haven't fared as well as the Marvel films in the past and the main reason I've always felt was their compulsion to portray their comic universe as dark and gritty. Even the bright colored costume of Superman somehow turned dark. With WONDER WOMAN and now this film they're taking a new direction and the box office has shown it's working. Hopefully they'll continue down this path. AQUAMAN is an adventure, a love story, a comic book hero tale and a movie that doesn't overdo the message about pollution so much that it damages the rest of the film. Kids will love the character, moms will drool over Mamoa and dads will enjoy the action. It's a movie that the entire family can and should enjoy more than once. I know it will take a place on my shelf.