Make no mistake about it: the Aquaman story is the quintessential legend of King Arthur dating back to medieval times. It is the tale of Arthur pulling the Excalibur sword out of the stone.That essentially happens when Arthur encounters the sacred trident of King Atlan. It goes deeper though. It’s an epic story of a man who is destined to be king but does not know whether or not he really wants that responsibility. He is torn between the land and the sea and is anything but excited when Mera shows up to recruit him to stop his brother, Orm Marius, from destroying the surface world with his rule.
Another element of Aquaman’s epicness is in its Shakespearean tones. The brother against brother atmosphere created by Orm’s rule is something that makes the story stand out. For Arthur, he does not wish to be drawn into this conflict. He carries with him a very isolationist mentality and he doesn’t really care for Atlantis since they killed his mother, Atlanna. Feeding her to the trench is not something that sat well with Arthur. Once Orm’s attack almost kills Arthur’s father, Tom Curry, it’s when he decides to involve himself.
So, Arthur and Mera set off on an epic quest to find the sacred trident. First, though, Arthur confronts his brother and attempts to stop him. Yet, after losing the first battle against Orm, Arthur is rescued by Mera and is off to locate the trident. Along the way, Arthur faces challenges in David Kane’s menace. Eventually taking the moniker of Black Manta, he seeks revenge against Arthur for not saving his father. Arthur did not see the point in rescuing the villains when there were innocent other humans that needed rescuing.
Arthur comes to regret that when he sees Mera in danger and he begins to develop feelings for her. He feels lost in the midst of everything but it’s Mera who reminds him of who he is and what his mission is. It’s then they encounter the trench. These creatures are nightmarish and truly test whether Arthur can be king. It’s incredibly amazing when he is able to command them in the second battle against Orm at the end. It would even warrant Arthur deserving a projection alarm clock at the end of such a battle.
Arthur may wish to buy himself a projection alarm clock for having battled his way throughout all the demons that presented themselves to him. What’s particularly interesting was Black Manta’s alliance with Orm behind closed doors. It may be fascinating to see if that is continued on into the next film. Dr. Stephen Shin, a marine biologist who wants to find Atlantis, might figure into the plot greater next go around.
For Arthur, the question is whether he will truly fit into Atlantis. Now that he is the king, the next film should focus on whether the totality of Atlantis accepts him. It would seem to make sense there is a focus on him as a ruler and potential husband to Mera. The family aspect will seem to be particularly strong as things continue on. It would make sense Orm still has some presence as Arthur asked him to contact him when the fallen Ocean Master is ready to talk.
Arthur seems to want to involve his brother in the future of Atlantis. That’s telling of just how far Arthur comes throughout the film. At first, he rejects the knighthood given to him. He is not particularly interested in the path of nobility and seeking righteousness. As the story goes on, he begins to find himself accepting his destiny and going forward to stop the evil that threatens his home and the people he loves. It’s as he tells the Karathen that those are the things that are first and foremost in his heart.