Aquaman (2018) - Blu-ray Review

Details: By Loron Hays; 01 April 2019

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Aquaman - Blu-ray

In order to fully appreciate just how CRAZY Aquaman is, I suggest you being four or five beers deep. Seriously.

DC needs James Wan. The proof is just how enjoyably bonkers Aquaman is, which Wan directed. Finally free from the brooding destruction of Zach Snyder’s spin on the DC universe, Aquaman is the second gasp of fresh air from DC’s cinematic offerings. The first being Wonder Woman. But, if you ask me which I enjoyed better, it will be based on the seize of my grin: Aquaman is a movie that delivers the cheese and the heroic shenanigans without EVER taking itself seriously.

"It is indeed a spectacle of B-movie dialogue, underwater battles, one hell of a showdown in Sicily, and a scary-ass trench full of outrageously scary amphibian monsters"

Campy, outrageous, and equivalent to this generation’s version of Mike Hodges’ Flash Gordon, Aquaman is a certifiable blast of goofy, underwater charm.

Written by by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, Aquaman is the story of Arthur (Jason Momoa) who, born from the unlikely union of a lighthouse keeper named Thomas (Temuera Morrison) and Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the queen of the underwater nation of Atlantis, really has no place on land. His reign is the sea. This half-Atlantean/half-human special powered being has the ability to communicate with all manner of underwater beast, no matter their size. But, as is the case for most halflings, is a fish out of water. {googleads}

He is an unrecognized King. But he is worthy of the underwater rule. More than, actually. Except his half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), wants to unite the seven underwater kingdoms against man, and he’s the one trying to be in charge of the ocean. Aquaman is having none of it, though. Waging war on humans just doesn’t make a lot of sense to him. And so, with Mera’s (Amber Heard) help, the two go on a voyage to recover his father’s lost trident. Aquaman - Blu-ray

From the Sahara to Sicily, the two super-powered beings travel among surface-dwellers in order to get the right tool to challenge Orm. Along the way, they have tangles with all manner of Antanteans, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), and his pirates. These scenes are highly-charged fight sequences that are both hilarious and supremely entertaining. Again, there is no serious bone (other than the amazing effects from ILM) in this cheeky maritime tale of the son of a king reclaiming his father’s throne.

Co-starring Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren, the success of Aquaman is led by the charm and humor of Momoa, who obviously knows this movie is a bunch of outrageous underwater hooey. It is indeed a spectacle of B-movie dialogue, underwater battles, one hell of a showdown in Sicily, and a scary-ass trench full of outrageously scary amphibian monsters, which is currently being developed for a horror-themed spinoff.

You will believe a man can . . . swim. Aquaman is outrageous fun. Adults need not apply.

4/5 beers

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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 143 mins
Director: James Wan
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe
Genre: Action | Adventure
Tagline: A tide is coming.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Redheads! You gotta love 'em."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site:
Release Date: December 21, 2018
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 26, 2019
Synopsis: Arthur Curry, the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, goes on a quest to prevent a war between the worlds of ocean and land.

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Aquaman - Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - March 26, 2019
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set; Digital copy; Movies Anywhere; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

From Warner Bros, this transfer is superb. Full of crisp detail and actual depth (even in the most watery parts of the world), the 1080p transfer does not disappoint. Atlantis is bright, neon, and all sorts of specific; with crisp lines keeping the black levels in check. The color palette is bright and runs the gamut of color and style and makes for a very engaging home theater experience. The Sicily environment is alive with wondrous detail and, when we come down to the lows of the trench, there are rich colors throughout. This is digital heaven. The DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack also does its job, becoming totally immersive when the soundtrack and the chugging guitar lifts off.

Supplements:

Commentary:

None

Special Features:

Warner Bros delivers a must-own Blu-ray release. All topics of the movie and its successes are covered here. Over an hour of delicious details about the making of this crazy flick. A DVD and Digital Copy is included with purchase.