Aquaman (2018)

Aquaman - 2018

As we enter the long, hot days of summer, let's cool off under the sea with 2018's "Aquaman", a story in which we find a child of land and sea fighting to stop a war that could threaten the existence of humans by the hands of those that live below the water.

The film's cast includes Jason Momoa, Amber Herd, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, Graham McTavish, Julie Andrews, John Rhys-Davies, and Djimon Hounsou.

On a dark and stormy night, a lighthouse keeper discovers a woman washed up on the rocks.  He sees that the woman has a trident.  When he takes her back to the house, she wakes up and tries to attack him.  However, she collapses from some injuries she has.

The next morning, he smooths things over and offers her a cup of tea (after she ate a goldfish straight from the tank).

And that is how Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis, and Tom, Keeper of Lighthouse, met and fell in love.

They eventually have a son named Arthur, and Atlanna teaches him about Atlantis and the ways of their people.

Sadly, Atlanna must leave Arthur and Tom and return to Atlantis.  Having originally come to land to escape an arranged marriage, Atlanna must return to Atlantis because Arthur's life is in danger because of his very existence.  She tells Tom she will return when it is safe.

As Arthur grows, it becomes apparent that he is a unique young man.  All the animals of the sea acknowledge him on a visit to an aquarium.

Years later, King Orm of Atlantis makes a pact with King Nereus of Xebel to wage war on the people of land for polluting the earth's oceans.  What they are planning amounts to the total annihilation of the earth's populace.  King Orm also wants to be recognized as Ocean Master.

A grown-up Arthur is approached by King Nereus's daughter, Princess Mera, who does not want a war.  He initially refuses to help, but after Mera saves his father from dying during a freak wave incident, Arthur agrees to help.

Arthur is awed as he journeys to the world of Atlantis for the first time.  He observes his surroundings with wonder.

Mera brings Arthur to see Vulko, who we find out has been training Arthur in Atlantean ways at the behest of Atlanna.  Vulko wants Arthur to find the trident of King Atlan, which would imbue the holder with all the power of the seven seas.

After the fall of Atlantis, King Atlan went into self-imposed exile, taking the trident with him.  Arthur will have to follow a bunch of clues if he is to find it.

Before he can set out, Arthur is ambushed by King Orm's troops.  It turns out that King Orm is Arthur's half-brother.  Orm hates Arthur with a passion, and wants him dead.  He challenges Arthur to a fight to the death.

As Arthur prepares to fight Orm, we learn that their mother, Queen Atlanna, was sacrificed to the creatures of the "Trench" and is presumed dead.  We also learn of a terrifying creature called the Karathen, which was even feared by King Atlan.

Arthur is definitely the underdog in an arena full of Atlanteans crying for his blood.  (One of my favorite things in this sequence is the drum-playing octopus.)

Princess Mera tries to get her father King Nereus to see reason.  However, he reaffirms his resolve to have war.

During the fight with Orm, things go south quickly for Arthur, who is inexperienced in using a trident.  Mera causes a diversion and is able to get Arthur to safety so that they can set out to find the trident of King Atlan.

Orm approaches David Kane to help track down and kill Arthur.  David had an earlier grievance with Arthur, and has no problem in doing Orm's bidding.  With the new Atlantean weapons he is provided, David assumes the name Manta.

Arthur and Mera follow the clues they are initially given.  They arrive in a desert, and find an entrance to the Kingdom of the Deserters, where they see a hologram of King Atlan.  He provides them with the next clue they need.

That clue takes them to Italy, where they are pointed in the direction of the next clue.

However, Manta catches up with them.  He comes with a group of Orm's soldiers.

After a fierce battle, Arthur defeats Manta, and he and Mera can continue on their way.

Setting out on the ocean, they come to the "Trench" and are quickly acquainted with its savage inhabitants.  Using a flare, Arthur and Mera are able to evade the creatures.

After being separated while traveling through a wormhole, Arthur and Mera come to an unknown place in the center of the earth.

There, Arthur comes face to face with someone unexpected: his mother, Atlanna.  She was able to escape the creatures and has lived solitary in this place ever since.  She tells him she knows where the trident is, but she has been unable to retrieve it.

Arthur finds the final resting place of King Atlan and the trident.  Before he can take it, the Karathen comes out and challenges him.  "No man has ever freed the trident from Atlan’s grip.  Should he deem you unworthy, well, I haven’t feasted in eons.  And I am famished," says the Karathen.

Arthur takes a hold of the trident and all the power of the seas flows into him.

He returns to his mother and Mera.  Atlanna recognizes that her son is the one true king of Atlantis.

Elsewhere, Orm is beginning his war.  He, along with Nereus and another kingdom, attack the Brine Kingdom so that he can be named Ocean Master.

Arthur shows up in the heat of the battle riding on the Karathen and commanding the creatures of the Trench.  The trident he carries pulsates and Arthur commands the creatures of the ocean to turn against Orm and his army.

He must then battle Orm once again with the tridents in full view of the assembled armies.

Arthur emerges the victor in the battle.  Orm cries out for Arthur to kill him, but Arthur won't because he doesn't feel it is right to do so.

Orm is shocked when Atlanna emerges from the sea.  Now dressed as a queen, she goes to her son and tells him that he has been misguided, and he must acknowledge Arthur as the true king.

As Orm is led away by guards, Arthur tells him that when he's ready then can talk, leaving the lines of communication open to him.

Now unmistakably the king, Arthur doesn't know what to do.  When he asks Mera, she simply tells him to be their king.  Arthur smiles and says, "Ooh, this is gonna be fun!"

At the lighthouse later on, Atlanna returns and is reunited with Tom once again.

Arthur sums everything up by saying, "My father was a lighthouse keeper.  My mother was a queen.  They were never meant to meet.  But their love saved the world.  They made me what I am: a son of the land, a king of the seas.  I am the protector of the deep.  I am Aquaman."

Cast rundown:

   Jason Momoa.......................................Arthur Curry

   Amber Herd.........................................Princess Mera

   Willem Dafoe........................................Vulko

   Patrick Wilson.......................................King Orm

   Nicole Kidman......................................Queen Atlanna

   Dolph Lundgren....................................King Nereus

   Yahya Abdul-Mateen II...........................Manta

   Temuera Morrison..................................Tom Curry

   Randall Park.........................................Dr. Stephen Shin

   Graham McTavish..................................King Atlan

   Julie Andrews........................................Karathen

   John Rhys-Davies..................................Brine King

   Djimon Hounsou....................................King Ricou

And that's it for Aquaman.  A sequel is set to be released in December 2022.  There is also a spin-off movie called "The Trench" in the works, which will be more of a horror film and will be based on the creatures that Arthur and Mera fight.

In a mid-credits scene, we find Manta floating on a piece of wreckage in the middle of the ocean.  He is picked up by conspiracy theorist Dr. Stephen Shin and brought onboard his boat.

Dr. Shin tends to Manta's injuries.  He also notices that Manta's gear is Atlantean.  He asks Manta how he came by it.

Manta agrees to tell him on the condition that Dr. Shin helps him locate "him".  He throws a knife directly at a newspaper clipping of Aquaman.

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