Aquaman - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Aquaman

Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
It’s not exactly a secret that DC has had a devil of a time catching up to Marvel for their live action super hero movies. Except for Wonder Woman the DCEU has been a colossal mess, with rushed story lines, not enough back story, and writing that would make most people wince. I still have no idea how Wonder Woman was able to break through the stale mold and create a truly GREAT DC super hero film in that universe, but it stands as the gold standard by which all others in the DCEU are judges. Some of those movies have been solid (Batman Vs. Superman Extended Cut) and others truly bland (Justice League, Batman Vs. Superman Theatrical Cut). I was NOT hyped for Aquaman after the Justice League movie came out a few years back. Jason Momoa was less Aquaman, and more Aquabro if you know what I mean (basically Jason Momoa playing Jason Momoa, complete with the “what’s up bro?, lets drink some brewskies!” attitude), and Aquaman has always been the lesser of the Justice League members until recently. Interestingly enough, Aquaman turns out to be one of the better DCEU films, and while it doesn’t rival the likes of Wonder Woman, it’s one of the few films in that universe that truly feels like a comic book rather than Zack Snyders dreary take on the world.

Aquaman is set post Justice League, after he teamed up with Batman and defeated Steppenwolf to save the world. His presence is known, and the world knows about the famous Aquaman (Jason Momoa). However, his time as a loose cannon, saving ships and submarines from pirates and the like is come to an end when he gets a visit from the lovely Atlantean, Princes Mera (Amber Heard), who is there to warn Arthur (Aquaman) of an impending threat. Arthur’s half brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) is not just satisfied with ruling Atlantis, but plans to unite the seven under water kingdoms and bring unholy war to the surface as well. Orm’s might is unstoppable for Mera and the rest of the peace loving Atlanteans, and the only thing that can stop the impending war is for a new king to rise. For Arthur to take up the mantle of king and quell this idea of conflict once and for all.

Unfortunately it’s not as easy as it seems. Arthur wants no part of this “king” business, and even after begrudgingly accepting his fate, he may end up throwing it all away. A braggart, a brash loner, and completely untamable, Aquaman’s biggest enemy is himself. Losing a one on one duel with King Orm, his only hope is finding the trident of King Atlanta, the first king of Atlantis, and use it’s power to bring unity to the underwater kingdoms.

Aquaman is not a perfect superhero film, and Jason Momoa is STILL not that great of an Aquaman. He’s got the good old biker bar persona instead of the regal presence that the modern comic books bestow upon the underwater monarch. It’s really just Jason Momao…...playing Jason Momoa. But there is a sense of fun and adventure to the movie nonetheless. Out of all the DCEU movies, Aquaman is the one that actually FEELS the most like an actual comic book. It’s light, airy, full of action, and the bright colors of Atlantis and the copious CGI shots (seriously, the movie is almost an animated film as live action shots devoid of CGI are near nonexistent) give the film an almost animated tone. After I got used to “Aquabro” as a character I started digging the film more and more. Despite my own misgivings about the character, James Wan has done the impossible, and actually made my most least anticipated DCEU film actually FUN.

Aquaman is not without it’s narrative faults. The biggest being that the whole movie is basically an origins story that uses plot macguffins to push itself along (the trident of Atlanta being the most notable one). TThe lines are cheesy, and the end battle doesn’t have the same amount of “punch” that others have. Even the addition of Black Mantis can seem forced at times, almost as if they're just adding him to the story to show off Aquaman's greatest nemesis. HOWEVER, Wan has done a great job of keeping Aquaman from being dark and bleak like the Zack Snyder films, and actually coherent, unlike Justice League. The battles are insane, and the sense of depth and magic that happens in the underwater realm is staggering. It literally feels like you’re sucked into the middle of a comic book. Patrick Wilson is awesome as Orm, and hearing Julie Andrews play a giant sea monster was pure gold! Outside of a few narrative issues, the only other thing I can think of is the overuse of CGI, and just how BAD some of the CGI looked as being an actual detractor.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language




4K Video: Video:

The step up from 1080p Blu-ray to 4K UHD is typical of a 2K mastered source. That means that there are some very noticeable upticks in clarity and detail, but the biggest boost comes from the use of HDR and Dolby Vision with the vivid colors. The backgrounds and CGI battle armor seem to show the most upgrade in terms of clarity, with more defined lines on the characters, as well as little details like individual fish scales showing up better. The softness of the CGI is more apparent in the 4K UHD presentation due to the increased clarity, but the colors are just sooooooooo much better here. The use of HDR and DV really makes those primary colors just pop off the screen, and are so deeply saturated that I was literally almost drooling at the screen. Blacks are deep and inky, and that banding that I noticed in the Blu-ray release seems to have been negated with the higher resolution and HDR level blacks. It’s a great looking 4K UHD disc, and while it’s not a perfect one, makes a rather solid step forward over the already impressive Blu-ray disc.






Audio:

Even if you have criticisms of the film itself, or the overuse of CGI for the visuals, there’s really no room for criticism on Warner’s Dolby Atmos track. This is one powerhouse of a track, and pure ear candy from beginning to end. The track smashes you in the face with the opening submarine battle, and sets the stage for the rest of the action packed film with an incredible LFE assault that just doesn’t let up. When I mean it doesn’t let up, I meant it DOESN’T let up! The bass is constant and powerful, pulsating in the background from the rousing score, to delivering wave after wave of low end during the copious battles. Tridents smashing together carry the weight of the seas behind it, and the thundering roar of the giant sea monster at the end will give you chills. Surround activity is insane, with overheads and back channels used with incredible frequency. The underwater universe allows for a full 360 degree sonic layer that just encompasses the listener. The wooshing of the water around you shifts and changes at will during the ring of fire battle, going to the sides, above, behind at the drop of a hat. Vocals are always clean and clear, and the dynamic range is absolutely massive. Once moment Aquaman is growling at Mera, and the next energy blasts are coming from all directions. It’s a stunning track that made me grin from ear to ear.

I must warn you though, Warner has once again put a 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix on the discs as well, which means they naturally default to that track instead of the Atmos one. So if you want to hear the Atmos mix (or at least the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD core track), then you have to go into the menu and manually select it. I had hoped that with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald forgoing that annoyance that Warner was changing its ways, but it looks like they’re back to their old patterns with Aquaman.




Extras:

• Going Deep Into the World of Aquaman
• Becoming Aquaman
• James Wan: World Builder
• Aqua Tech
• Atlantis Warfare
• The Dark Depths of Black Manta
• Heroines of Atlantis
• Villaneous Training
• Kingdoms of the Seven Seas
• Creating Undersea Creatures
• A Match Made in Atlantis
• Scene Study Breakdowns
• Exclusive Sneak Peek of Shazam!

Final Score:
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As I said above, Aquaman is not as awe inspiring as Wonder Woman, but it is a genuinely fun movie that actually adds a spark to an otherwise bleak and depressing series of DCEU films. I an only hope this is a trend going forward, as many fans were rather worn out with Zack Snyders obsession with being dark and edgy. With Shazam! looking to be as comical as it is, I think the series is defintely moving in the right direction in that regard. The 4K uhd is an AWESOME looking disc, and the extras are rather decent. As a huge critic of the DCEU, I have to give a solid thumbs up to Aquaman, as it was the first time since Wonder Woman that I genuinely had a good time in this universe. Good Watch.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jason Momoa, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Ludi Lin, Michael Beach
Directed by: James Wan
Written by: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 / 1.78:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core) English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DVS, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Studio: Warner
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 143 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: Own Aquaman on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray combo pack and DVD Special Edition on March 26, or Own It Early on Digital on March 5!

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[Todd Anderson]

Man Mike... I don't know if I can put myself through this film. Superhero flicks rarely do it for me... and the CGI thing might drive me nuts.

But your audio notes have me wondering if I should force myself...

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I wanted to see this in the theater but was not able to so will check it out.

 

[ReganRanch]

Looks like it is going to be 4K for me on this movie. I am really enjoying the "super hero movie flood" that s going on right now.