Movie · 2018 · Action, Adventure, Fantasy · 2h 23m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.5/10 (1.4M ratings)
Home is calling.
Overview
Half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry is taken on the journey of his lifetime to discover if he is worth of being a king.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.5/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 2.77/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 55
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
James Wan
Production
The Safran Company, Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films
Cast
Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Ludi Lin, Michael Beach, Randall Park, Graham McTavish, Leigh Whannell, Tainui Kirkwood, Tamor Kirkwood, Denzel Quirke, Kaan Guldur, Otis Dhanji, Kekoa Kekumano, Julie Andrews
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, overstuffed fantasy-action spectacle that often plays like a joke and a triumph at the same time. The plotting is messy and the dialogue can be ridiculous, but the sheer visual invention, comic-book sincerity, and monster-movie energy make it an easy watch for viewers who enjoy maximalist blockbuster chaos.
Best for
fans of big, colorful studio spectacle
viewers who like earnest-but-campy comic-book movies
people who enjoy underwater fantasy worlds and creature design
audiences who prefer momentum and invention over tight plotting
Skip if
you want a clean, serious origin story
you are sensitive to cheesy dialogue or tonal whiplash
you need grounded action and restrained visual effects
you dislike long, overstuffed blockbusters
Overview
Aquaman is the rare superhero movie that seems determined to out-weird its own premise. James Wan leans into the absurdity with giant sea creatures, glowing kingdoms, and a plot that keeps escalating until it feels like a fever dream with a studio budget. The movie is frequently silly, but it is rarely dull.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the commitment. Jason Momoa sells Arthur Curry as a swaggering, reluctant hero, while the film around him treats every reveal like mythic pageantry. The action is often surprisingly legible, and the production design gives the underwater world a pulpy grandeur that many effects-heavy blockbusters never reach.
Bottom line
It is also undeniably messy: the story is overstuffed, the dialogue can be laughable, and the emotional beats are broad. But if you are in the mood for a maximalist comic-book adventure that feels half fantasy epic, half creature-feature, Aquaman delivers enough spectacle to justify the ride.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Alex IHE · 6375 likes
Oh my god I am so flustered by this movie I have no idea what to even rate it I mean it’s kind of a massive joke and it’s way too long and the dialogue is hilarious but it’s so off the wall nuts that it never ceases to be entertaining despite the story literally just being black panther in reverse but with giant crabs and sharks fighting eachother I genuinely thought I was losing my mind oh my god my brain
Alex IHE (5★) · 3219 likes
Intense. Emotional. Epic.
davidehrlich (3★) · 2999 likes
I've seen it allI have seen this mad larkI have seen Willem DafoeRide a hammerhead sharkI've seen a sad krakenVoiced by Julie AndrewsAn octopus play drumsWhile Amber Heard looks confusedI've seen the crab guysAquaman's first selfieI've seen it allThere is no more to sea.
(i honestly couldn't decide whether to give this movie five stars or one, so i've settled on three)
Karsten (3★) · 2224 likes
This movie was on it’s knees begging for everyone not to analyze, discuss, or review it in any way what so ever. You’re supposed to watch it, get confused on whether you like it or not, and move on. So that’s what I’m gonna do.
Matt Singer (3★) · 2117 likes
Jesus turned water into wine, but did he ever turn wine into flying wine knives? No. No he did not.
I rest my case.
Full review at ScreenCrush.