7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people -- and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm's half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep.
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole KidmanAction | 100% |
Adventure | 89% |
Comic book | 77% |
Sci-Fi | 71% |
Fantasy | 67% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish=Latin American and Castilian
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: All screenshots are taken from the 1080p Blu-ray. Please read my separate Blu-ray review of this title for 20 additional images.
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.
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 4K/Blu-ray combo pack (a Blu-ray/DVD
combo pack is also available). Featuring an outstanding A/V presentation and a host of fairly decent bonus features, this is truly fine treatment
across the board.
Although Aquaman wasn't filmed in 4K, that doesn't make Warner Bros.' 2160p transfer any less impressive. This is a top-quality effort that stands will the genre's most visually ambitious productions to date: image detail and textures are especially crisp, black levels are rock solid with no noticeable crush, and background depth almost approaches that of a 3D presentation at times. It almost goes without saying the the benefits of HDR breathe even more life into the film's striking color palette, which is undoubtedly the star of this 4K presentation. Aquaman's wide range of locales have their own district appearance: murky underwater depths, warm and inviting interiors at the home of Arthur's father, sun-soaked Sicily and the Sahara Desert, the dark and foreboding Trench, otherworldly Atlantis, and more; these all pop in different ways, while the latter is almost hypnotic in its overall atmosphere. Foreground colors fare exceptionally well too, from the fluorescent red of Mera's hair to the yellow-gold of Aquaman's "official" gear and, of course, an endless sea of blues, both underwater and above-ground. Given the relatively bland palette of most superhero films this decade, it's nice to count Aquaman among those who aren't afraid to flaunt some real color.
In further contrast, the IMAX-framed sequences, which are sporadic early on but dominate the second half, seem to favor a smoother overall appearance and showcase a similarly high amount of depth and clarity. The more expansive compositions give these moments a wide-open atmosphere that, despite their almost random and occasionally jarring contrast when they arrive, feel more comfortable once they've settled in. As a whole, this is a near reference-level effort that accurately preserves the film's ambitious and, at times, overwhelming visuals.
For those who haven't yet upgraded to 4K but want this combo pack for "future-proofing" purposes, the Blu-ray disc is excellent in its own right and, aside from format limitations and the lack of HDR, offers a perfectly acceptable viewing alternative. Please read my separate Blu-ray review for an evaluation of its video presentation.
Equally impressive is Aquaman's Dolby Atmos track, which automatically unfolds to TrueHD 7.1 if your receiver or soundbar doesn't support the format. As expected, this is an incredibly dynamic and, at times, aggressive track that features a great deal of atmospheric effects and channel separation. The most obvious highlight is just about anything underwater, as the rear channels are used to great effect and create a convincing level of immersion. There's also a large amount of space and direction during action scenes, particularly the chaotic climax and an earlier fight between Arthur and his half-brother in a vast, crowded underwater arena. Low frequencies are outstanding and extremely deep -- literally and figuratively -- which adds some weight to the punchy explosions and gunfire, as well as the more sustained lower frequencies during several music cues. Speaking of which, the soundtrack and score also get priority treatment when they kick in, whether designed to amplify aggressive moments or blend in more subtly to the background. Dialogue remains clean and crisp throughout with no obvious sync issues. Overall, this is a top-tier effort that fans will adore. Just remember that Warner Bros.' Blu-ray forces you to choose this Atmos track manually; the default is a decent-sounding DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix. Why they continue to author discs this way (and thirteen years into the format's lifespan, no less!) is mind-boggling...so the sooner they catch up, the better.
Optional subtitles are included in English -- standard and SDH, as well as several other languages -- during the main feature, with occasional burnt-in subtitles for Maori translation. The former are perfectly legible and, due to the shifting aspect ratio, partially sit outside of the 2.40:1 frame during those scenes.
Warner Bros. supplies a solid cross-section of extras, adding up to just over 100 minutes total. While there's nothing especially earth-shattering here in terms of content or presentation, fans should enjoy digging through everything. This series of short to mid-length featurettes includes comments from key cast and crew members including director James Wan; actors Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, and Nicole Kidman; screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; and several others. All extras are contained on the Blu-ray disc.
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.' 4K disc offers a superior A/V presentation and a decent assortment of bonus features, which makes it the best version currently available.
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Iconic Moments
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WW84 Movie Cash $8
2018
Travel Poster Cover
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+ Funko Pop Keychain
2018
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Commemorative Edition | DC Universe Animated Original Movie #4
2009
2023
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plus Theatrical Cut on standard Blu-ray
2016
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Extended and Theatrical versions
2011
2013
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2011
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Cinematic Universe Edition
2016
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2012
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2008