Aquaman (2018)

March 4, 2021

2,877 4 minutes read

Film and Plot Synopsis

Arthur Curry has always been different. His mother was an honorable Queen of Atlantean descent, while his father, a simple human lighthouse keeper. They met after she fled to land, running from her forced fiancée. A few years later, Arthur is a toddler, when his mother was forcefully and reluctantly taken back to Atlantis, where she was believed to be executed. Fast forward and Arthur is now an adult. After learning the truth about his destiny, he sets out to find a King’s lost trident and stop an entire war before it even starts. (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

‘Aquaman’ Movie Summary

The summary below contains spoilers.

In 1985 Maine, lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison) rescues a mysterious woman during a storm. The woman is Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the queen of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. The two soon fall in love and have a son named Arthur. At a young age, Arthur discovers that he can talk to sea creatures. While Arthur is still a child, Atlantean soldiers come to the lighthouse to forcibly take Atlanna back to Atlantis where she is to be married. Atlanna reluctantly leaves but has her trusted advisor Nuidis Vulko (Willem Dafoe) train Arthur as he grows to manhood. Once he becomes an adult, Arthur rejects Atlantis upon learning that Atlanna was executed for loving a surface dweller and having a half-breed son.

In the present day, Arthur arrives to help a Russian submarine that is being hijacked by pirates. The pirate leader, Jesse Kane (Michael Beach), is killed in a failed attempt to kill Arthur. Arthur has the ability to save the pirate leader but chooses not to, leaving him to his fate. His son, David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), vows revenge against Arthur. At the same time, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), the King of Atlantis and Arthur’s half-brother, attempts to convince King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) to unite with Atlantis to wipe out the surface dwellers for polluting the oceans. Nereus is reluctant to join Orm’s quest. However, a Russian submarine attacks the royal summit, but is destroyed by Orm. As a result, Nereus decides to join forces to defend the oceans.

Nereus’ daughter Mera (Amber Heard) refuses to aid them despite her betrothal to Orm. She journeys to the surface world to ask Arthur for his help. Arthur rebuffs her requests, but after Mera helps save Thomas from a tsunami summoned by Orm, Arthur agrees to travel with Mera to meet with Vulko. Vulko urges Arthur to reclaim his rightful place as King of Atlantis and find the Trident of Atlan, a magic artifact of Atlantis’ first ruler. However, Orm’s men ambush Vulko and Arthur, who is captured. Mera escapes without detection.

Arthur is brought before his half-brother. Orm blames Arthur and the surface world for Atlanna’s death. Orm offers Arthur a chance to leave Atlantis forever rather than face death. However, Arthur challenges Orm to a duel for leadership. The two fight in a ring of underwater lava. Orm nearly kills Arthur before Mera intervenes and rescues Arthur. Arthur and Mera escape Atlantis and journey to the fallen Kingdom of the Deserters hidden under the Sahara Desert, where the trident was forged. They unlock a holographic message that sends them to Sicily, Italy. Once there, they learn the coordinates of the trident.

At the same time, Orm meets David on the edge of an island. Orm reveals that he hired David to hijack the Russian sub in order to stage the attack on Nereus to gain his loyalty. Orm gives David a prototype Atlantean battle suit so that the surface dweller can kill Arthur. Orm also imprisons Vulko for his disloyalty. Afterwards, Orm seeks the loyalty of the Atlantean Kingdom of the Fishermen in his war against the surface. When the Fishermen King refuses, Orm kills the King and forces the queen and princess to assemble their forces out of fear.

Meanwhile, David converts the Atlantean battle suit into a super suit and takes on the name Black Manta. He ambushes Arthur and Mera while they are in Sicily. He injures Arthur but the Aquaman throws Black Manta off a cliff. Mera treats Arthur’s wounds as they make their way towards the trident. She continually hounds Arthur on his responsibility to take the mantle of King. They arrive at their destination, the mysterious area of the sea known as the Trench. Once there, Arthur and Mera are attacked by amphibious monsters from the Trench. Arthur and Mera dive into the sea while fending off the creatures. They are transported by a wormhole that sends them to an uncharted sea at the center of the Earth. Once there, they are reunited with Atlanna who was sacrificed to the Trench twenty years before but managed to survive by making it to the uncharted sea.

Atlanna informs Arthur that the trident is guarded by the Karathen (Julie Andrews), a mythical leviathan that has killed many who have tried to acquire the trident. Arthur enters the cave to get the trident and tells the Karathen of his desire to protect both Atlantis and the surface world. The Karathen finds that Arthur is worthy and allows him to claim the trident, which grants him control over the seven seas. Arthur emerges from the cave with the traditional orange and green Aquaman outfit. Arthur, Mera, and Atlanna leave the Trench with a new army.

Meanwhile, Orm and his allies lead an army against the crustacean forces of the Kingdom of the Brine, the last of the sea kingdoms to stand against Orm. Orm declares himself Ocean Master until Arthur and Mera, with the assistance of Karathen and the Trench, lead an army of marine creatures against him. Orm’s allies begin to embrace Arthur as the true king once they learn that he wields the trident. Arthur beats Orm in combat but spares his life. Orm accepts his fate after discovering that Arthur has rescued Atlanna from the Trench. Later, Atlanna reunites with Thomas, the love of her life. At the same time, Arthur ascends to the undersea throne with Mera by his side.

In a mid-credits scene, Black Manta is rescued by Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park), a marine scientist and conspiracy theorist obsessed with Atlantis. David agrees to lead Shin to Atlantis in exchange for help in his revenge on Aquaman.