---
title: "Aquaman"
year: 2018
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/aquaman"
fi1m_id: "aquaman"
imdb_id: "tt1477834"
tmdb_id: 297802
wikidata_id: "Q22998395"
fi1m_score: 72
critics_score: 58
critics_reviews: 25
published: "2026-10-05T14:27:35.543804+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T14:27:35.967877+00:00"
region: "IN"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Aquaman (2018)

Directed by James Wan · 2h 23m · CBFC UA · Action, Adventure, Fantasy

## Identity

Aquaman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/aquaman
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** aquaman
- **IMDb ID:** tt1477834
- **TMDB ID:** 297802
- **Wikidata ID:** Q22998395
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/297802, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22998395

**Fi1m score: 72** · Critics 58 from 25 reviews

*In a sentence:* Atlantis would be an excellent place for a holiday if somebody could cancel the speeches

> James Wan’s underwater adventure is good fun whenever Jason Momoa and the extravagant settings take charge. The political chatter and excessive length wear it down, but there is enough invention to justify the trip.

## Synopsis

Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) is Aquaman, at the centre of an adventure set partly in the underwater world of Atlantis. Mera (Amber Heard) and King Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson) are among the figures in a story that brings Arthur into contact with royal politics and undersea conflict. Nuidis Vulko (Willem Dafoe) and Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) also feature as Arthur’s personal journey shares space with political intrigue and romance. The story moves between land and sea, combining superhero action with a fantasy world of underwater inhabitants.

## Review

James Wan’s *Aquaman* works best when it lets its underwater fantasy take over and gives Jason Momoa room to enjoy himself. We recommend it as a colourful, cheerfully excessive adventure, provided there is patience for a script that explains more than it needs to. The director understands that an underwater kingdom is already a fairly extravagant proposition and need not be made respectable. The trouble is that the film keeps interrupting its pleasures to conduct another round of royal business.

Jason Momoa makes Arthur Curry an agreeable guide through all this, with a relaxed manner that gives the solemn dialogue some welcome human scale. He can carry the film without making every exchange sound like a declaration of importance. Amber Heard’s Mera is less rewarding company, largely because the romance gives the pair so little convincing attraction to play. Nicole Kidman, as Atlanna, brings a composure that survives the surrounding fuss, though the film gives us too little of her.

Bill Brzeski’s production design makes Atlantis worth the visit, filling the film with undersea settings that do not all look interchangeable. Don Burgess’s cinematography helps the underwater action remain readable even when the colour threatens to crowd everything else out. We were delighted by Atlantis: its bright, elaborate undersea spaces made us want to look around rather than hurry to the next fight. That pleasure matters in a film which spends so much time explaining its world.

The screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall is much less inviting. Its political intrigue requires attention without offering enough interesting choices or relationships to repay it, and Arthur’s personal development feels thin beside all the activity around him. We can follow the broad shape of this origin story without needing quite so much information about the society beneath the water. Too many conversations seem to exist because somebody has decided that the next action sequence requires a briefing.

Kirk M. Morri’s editing is more persuasive within the action than between it, and the Sicily chase has the energy the talkier stretches lack. James Wan handles movement with enough invention to make the change of setting worthwhile, rather than merely another stop on a long itinerary. But the full 143 minutes feel stretched, with too many competing demands on our attention. The film needed fewer things to explain and more time spent making Arthur’s decisions matter.

The music, credited to Rupert Gregson-Williams and Joseph Bishara, adds to the sense of a film reluctant to let the excitement subside. We could have used a little less encouragement. Some of the effects also make the fighting feel weightless, which limits how much danger can register amid the elaborate action. The director’s gift for arranging an image often compensates, but there are passages where the combat becomes difficult to care about.

It is refreshing to have a superhero adventure that takes such pleasure in looking ridiculous. *Aquaman* is at its most enjoyable when it allows colour, movement and Jason Momoa’s easy charm to do the work; the attempts at political drama rarely improve it. That leaves a good evening for anyone with an appetite for expansive fantasy and a tolerance for clumsy dialogue. Choose it for the underwater adventure, and allow for more speeches than the occasion requires.

*Fi1m score 72, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus on Aquaman is mixed, with most critics finding something to enjoy in its underwater spectacle even when the storytelling disappoints. Praise clusters around the vivid undersea settings, inventive action and James Wan’s willingness to embrace colour and outright silliness. Jason Momoa’s relaxed charm is another recurring strength, including in several otherwise negative reviews. For the more enthusiastic critics, the camp and visual imagination make a familiar superhero origin story entertaining.

The reservations are fairly consistent: excessive length, an overstuffed plot, clumsy dialogue and thin character development. The verdicts nevertheless spread widely, depending on how much those pleasures compensate. /Film welcomes the oddness and the blend of camp and adventure, despite weak romance and political intrigue. The Guardian instead finds the experience laborious and solemn, while singling out Nicole Kidman for praise. Even sympathetic reviews tend to concede that the film has more incident than it needs.

## Straight answers

**Is Aquaman worth watching?**

*Aquaman* is worth watching for its colourful underwater fantasy and Jason Momoa’s easy charm; we score it 72 out of 100. We recommend it to anyone who enjoys extravagant superhero adventures, though the royal politics, unconvincing romance and stretched 143-minute running time require patience.

**How long is Aquaman, and what is it rated?**

*Aquaman* runs 2h 23m and is rated UA by the CBFC in India. It is an action and adventure film.

**Where can I watch Aquaman in India?**

*Aquaman* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in India, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from ₹119.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Aquaman, and is it suitable for children?**

*Aquaman* carries a UK 12A certificate and contains sustained superhero fighting, making it a more comfortable choice for teenagers than younger children. Under-12s need an accompanying adult at the cinema; we find that some weightless effects soften the sense of danger, but that does not make its extensive action suitable for every child.

**How does Aquaman compare to Flash Gordon?**

*Aquaman* offers a more engaging hero than [*Flash Gordon*](https://film.one/film/flash-gordon), while both favour extravagant settings and royal intrigue over restraint. We prefer Jason Momoa’s relaxed charm to the blank hero described in our *Flash Gordon* review, but the latter is the better fit for knowingly excessive comic-strip adventure. Neither keeps its storytelling tight throughout.

**What should I watch after Aquaman?**

After *Aquaman*, try [*Flash Gordon*](https://film.one/film/flash-gordon) (1980, Fi1m 70): More royal intrigue in extravagant surroundings, with even less concern for restraint. Then [*The Fifth Element*](https://film.one/film/the-fifth-element) (1997, Fi1m 73): Another muscular hero negotiates a colourful fantasy civilisation and some questionable dialogue.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **Vulture**, Emily Yoshida (75/100, inferred): Yoshida finds the film formulaic and overstuffed, but ultimately fun and transportive. She singles out its visually imaginative underwater world-building as the film’s chief strength. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/aquaman-review.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (70/100, inferred): Turan finds the overstuffed film engaging despite its formulaic dialogue and excessive action. He praises Jason Momoa’s casting and the vivid underwater spectacle, especially Atlantis’s convincing visual effects. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-aquaman-review-20181211-story.html)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (70/100, inferred): The review presents Aquaman as a goofy, entertaining addition to the Justice League franchise. It singles out the film’s goofy fun as its chief appeal. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/aquaman-review/5135192.article)
- **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (B-): Vishnevetsky finds the film big, cheesy, and fun, though its underwater inhabitants lack the hero’s appeal. He praises the movie’s playful embrace of its own goofiness and its colorful, constantly changing settings. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/like-its-hero-aquaman-is-big-cheesy-and-fun-1831004837)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (65/100, inferred): Debruge finds the film an entertaining but overlong origin story, with too much uninteresting world-building before it hits its stride. He praises the spectacular, satisfying underwater finale, while criticizing the clumsy script and distracting visual effects. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/aquaman-review-dc-comics-1203086479/)
- **Little White Lies**, Elena Lazic (3/3/2): Lazic finds the film disappointing, overlong, and unable to balance its competing tones. She praises the lively Sicily action sequence, while faulting the hero’s underdeveloped personal journey. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/aquaman)
- **Radio Times**, Victoria Luxford (3/5): The review sees it as an entertaining alternative to darker superhero stories. It praises James Wan’s handling of the ambitious spectacle. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-di13wp/aquaman/)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (3/5): Rothkopf calls Momoa’s surf-bro superhero a welcome addition, but finds the film as a whole waterlogged. He singles out its final battle as an infantile, spectacular seafood-dinner spectacle. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/aquaman)
- **Total Film**, Matthew Leyland (3/5): The critic finds the film overlong but a step in the right direction for the DCEU. They praise Momoa’s charisma and the fishy visual effects, while noting that the Sicily chase is a standout set-piece. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/aquaman-review/)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (C): Kohn argues that the film’s colorful visuals cannot overcome its muddled screenplay, thin characters, and familiar action. He praises the opening and occasional visionary ocean imagery, while faulting the film for its scattershot ideas and underdeveloped ecological message. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/aquaman-review-jason-momoa-1202027124/)
- **Empire**, Helen O'Hara (55/100, inferred): The review finds the film entertaining but overstuffed, with a messy and predictable plot. It praises Jason Momoa’s roguish charm and James Wan’s dazzling action direction. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/aquaman-review/)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (50/100, inferred): Dargis gives the film a mixed verdict. Its visual spectacle stands out, though the review finds the overall experience overstuffed. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/movies/aquaman-review.html)
- **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman (2/5): Norman delivers a strongly negative verdict, calling the film forgettable and criticizing its erratic tone, plot, and dialogue. He singles out the underwater battle finale and Momoa’s likability as rare bright spots. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/aquaman-review-these-very-fishy-superhero-antics-fail-to-make-a-splash-a4017361.html)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (2/5): Bradshaw finds the film a laborious, solemn disappointment that never quite comes up for air. He praises Nicole Kidman’s graceful, convincing presence as Atlanna, while noting that she is absent for much of the action. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/dec/11/aquaman-review-a-complete-bellyflop-jason-momoa)
- **Slant Magazine**, Pat Brown (1.5/4): Brown finds the film adrift, rushed, and often unintentionally laughable. He praises the vibrancy and compositional flair of some underwater action, while criticizing the weightless fights and unsubstantial world-building. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/aquaman/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kim Newman (35/100, inferred): Newman finds the film an overstuffed B-picture whose fun is stretched too thin, though it fails in sympathetically old-fashioned ways. He praises its vivid undersea colour palette and James Wan’s memorable visual set-pieces. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/aquaman-review-quixotic-misadventure)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (30/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film overlong and weighed down by arbitrary action, despite its mythic scale. He praises Jason Momoa’s relaxed screen presence and the underwater setting’s enchanted feel. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/aquaman-review-2018-movie-1168291/)
- **/Film**, Hoai-Tran Bui (8/10): The critic calls the film a weird, wildly entertaining success, praising its gonzo blend of camp and adventure. The lavish visuals and James Wan’s horror-inflected sequences stand out, while the romantic chemistry and political intrigue fall short. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/562905/aquaman-review/)
- **Consequence**, Clint Worthington (75/100, inferred): Worthington finds Aquaman a gleefully ridiculous spectacle, despite its clunky dialogue and convoluted plot. He especially praises James Wan’s colorful, campy production design and energetic set pieces. [Read](https://consequence.net/2018/12/film-review-aquaman/)
- **Digital Spy**, Hugh Armitage (75/100, inferred): The critic finds Aquaman a flawed but highly entertaining adventure and one of the strongest DC films so far. They praise James Wan’s lively direction and the film’s coherent, visually grand finale, while noting its excessive length and overstuffed plot. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a25457501/aquaman-review-dc-jason-momoa/)
- **The Wrap**, William Bibbiani (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an outrageous, often successful spectacle, though its maximalism sometimes strains credulity. The lavish fantasy settings and inventive underwater action stand out for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/aquaman-film-review-jason-momoa-nicole-kidman-james-wan-dceu/)
- **Paste**, Dom Sinacola (6.9/10): Sinacola finds the film a messy, overlong but wonderfully creative and shameless spectacle. He praises its imaginative underwater action, especially a late battle featuring talking crustaceans. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/aquaman/aquaman)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (3/5): Crow finds the film an entertaining but flawed spectacle, elevated by James Wan’s visual inventiveness. He especially praises its vivid undersea imagery and inventive, dynamic camerawork. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aquaman-review/)
- **The Skinny**, Carmen Paddock (★★★): The review finds the film messy but tremendous fun, and praises its vivid undersea visuals. It also singles out the cast’s charismatic performances and the story’s sincere, human core. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/aquaman)
- **Eye for Film**, Jane Fae (55/100, inferred): Fae considers the film an enjoyable but merely OK superhero diversion, falling short of recent genre highlights. She praises the impressive CGI and underwater action, while faulting the story for offering little that feels new. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/aquaman-2018-film-review-by-jane-fae)

## Details

- **Director:** James Wan
- **Director:** James Wan
- **Screenplay:** David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall
- **Story:** James Wan, Geoff Johns, Will Beall
- **Cinematography:** Don Burgess
- **Editor:** Kirk M. Morri
- **Music:** Rupert Gregson-Williams, Joseph Bishara
- **Production design:** Bill Brzeski
- **Costume design:** Kym Barrett
- **Producer:** Rob Cowan, Peter Safran
- **Cast:** Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman; Amber Heard as Mera; Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko; Patrick Wilson as King Orm Marius / Ocean Master; Nicole Kidman as Atlanna; Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane / Black Manta; Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry
- **Runtime:** 2h 23m
- **Certificate (CBFC):** UA
- **Release (India):** 14 December 2018
- **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- **Budget:** $160 million
- **Box office:** $1.15 billion
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wcj6SrX4zw

## Where to watch in India

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming, uhd
- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: rent ₹119.00, uhd
- Apple TV: rent ₹129.00, hd
- Apple TV: buy ₹149.00, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 2019: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Flash Gordon* (1980), Fi1m 70: More royal intrigue in extravagant surroundings, with even less concern for restraint. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/flash-gordon.md)
- *Ponyo* (2008): For underwater invention and a warmer, more patient approach to wonder.
- *The Fifth Element* (1997), Fi1m 73: Another muscular hero negotiates a colourful fantasy civilisation and some questionable dialogue. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-fifth-element.md)
- *The 7th Voyage of Sinbad* (1958): A shorter fantasy adventure with creatures worth taking the journey to meet.
- *The Host* (2006): For another aquatic creature feature, with sharper humour and consequences that hurt.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/aquaman